bottle colours ?
bottle colours ?
Ok Im new to this this and Im trying to find out if I can use recycled clear bottles for my brew? Heard that the light does something to the beer, if so can I keep it in a dark place?
Clear bottles
I use clear, green, and brown bottles. Clear bottles are fine, but I make sure they are stored in a closed box in a dark place. Apparently, prolonged exposure to light will cause beer to develop off flavours. I don't know why. I also drink the clear bottles first, green second and save the brown ones for the end. I have a hard time finding non twist off bottles, so I take whatever I can get my hands on. Fortunately, at lot of my buddies drink MGD, which is sold here in clear export quality (thicker), pry off cap bottles. Another source in my area (Vancouver BC) for export bottles are Asian restaurants that carry Sapporo, Tsingtoa, Kirin etc. Also, if you ever do buy beer from the store, look for brands with pry off caps. That way you can keep the bottles and add them to your brewing stash.
Excuse to buy Micros
Most microbreweries use standard cap bottles. When I bottled, I'd use it as an excuse to go to the beer supermarket and buy cases of great beer! Now that I keg, I have no excuse.
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- Double IPA
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- Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2002 11:04 pm
No twist offs
Just don't use twist off bottles, any other clear bottle will do. (ie Hobgoblin, Corona, MGD). Light will cause what is known as a REDOX reaction. Redox=Reduction/Oxidation. For this reason, you will want to make sure that you keep your bottles out of the light. By the way, this goes for your carboys as well. It is my understanding that the greatest danger of this will come from natural light or from flourescents.
Na Zdahroveh!
Stefan
Na Zdahroveh!
Stefan
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- Double IPA
- Posts: 170
- Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2001 1:56 am
Here is the scoop.
Brown glass returnable or recycle capped bottles are what you want. If you collect bottles make sure that you clean and sterilize them before you use them (this is the practice for every use but especially this time) to remove any yeast residue. I like the 21/22 Oz. Sapporo or Kirin bottles my self but I have started using 12 Oz. now.
Now to your question. After a 'warm' maturation period of 5 to 7 days (close to fermentation temperature) the beer should be stored in a cool dark location (I use my crawl space under my house. It tends to stay a an even temperature year round.).
The color of the glass is important because beer/ale includes hops. Hops contain various alpha-acid humulone compounds (the bittering ones) that are loosely bound together. This electrical bond is broken by exposue to 'strong' light (400-520 nanometer in wavelength). When this bond is broken the last carbon atom of this chain reacts with H2S in solution to form
3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol or mercaptan which is emitted by skunks hence 'Skunk beer'. This is where the brown glass is usefull, it helps block the light of this frequency. Not to be completly relyed on but HELPS.
Beer facts:
MGD - clear bottle/marketing, ability to produce the produce pre-isomerized hops no reaction that forms mercaptan.
Corona - clear bottle/marketing, 'skunky' flavor masked by the addition of lime.
You can't go to these lengths to prevent this so if you bottle use brown capable or swing top bottles.
Good brewing,
Tom
Now to your question. After a 'warm' maturation period of 5 to 7 days (close to fermentation temperature) the beer should be stored in a cool dark location (I use my crawl space under my house. It tends to stay a an even temperature year round.).
The color of the glass is important because beer/ale includes hops. Hops contain various alpha-acid humulone compounds (the bittering ones) that are loosely bound together. This electrical bond is broken by exposue to 'strong' light (400-520 nanometer in wavelength). When this bond is broken the last carbon atom of this chain reacts with H2S in solution to form
3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol or mercaptan which is emitted by skunks hence 'Skunk beer'. This is where the brown glass is usefull, it helps block the light of this frequency. Not to be completly relyed on but HELPS.
Beer facts:
MGD - clear bottle/marketing, ability to produce the produce pre-isomerized hops no reaction that forms mercaptan.
Corona - clear bottle/marketing, 'skunky' flavor masked by the addition of lime.
You can't go to these lengths to prevent this so if you bottle use brown capable or swing top bottles.
Good brewing,
Tom
Cheers Guys but why not twist off?
Just out of curiosity, thanks for the help
Your neighborhood store
Brown bottles are best for the reasons stated in the other responses. But clear bottles are cool. I just like the look. I keep them in a cool dark place closed up in an old hard case. I get my bottles from a local liquor store. I pay the $1.20 deposit and get a case of bottles. Not the new twist top but the pry off capped bottles. Alot cheaper than the supply store. More work to clean and sanitize but cheaper.
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- Double IPA
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- Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2001 1:56 am
The problem with twist offs.
Twist off bottles require a different type of capper that homebrewers do not own. You can't get a tight enough seal using hand cappers. As Stefan stated in his post you will have a large number of bottles that become oxidized or flat. It is not worth the risk.
Small resturants that serve bottled beer may be a good place to get your bottles. Try and get the cases for the bottles as well.
Good brewing,
Tom
Small resturants that serve bottled beer may be a good place to get your bottles. Try and get the cases for the bottles as well.
Good brewing,
Tom
Twist offs in a pinch
Here is my twist off story:
I was low on pry off bottles, and needed to bottle to make room for the next batch. I bought some "twist off" caps from a local store, thinking I would try them on the collection of twist off bottles in my garage. Thanks to a party the night before bottling, I ended up only needing to use one twist off bottle and it worked OK. The beer was carbonated, but not quite as well as the pry offs. Bottom line: in a pinch, you can use twist offs, but you need twist off caps, and don't rely on twist offs for long term storage.
I was low on pry off bottles, and needed to bottle to make room for the next batch. I bought some "twist off" caps from a local store, thinking I would try them on the collection of twist off bottles in my garage. Thanks to a party the night before bottling, I ended up only needing to use one twist off bottle and it worked OK. The beer was carbonated, but not quite as well as the pry offs. Bottom line: in a pinch, you can use twist offs, but you need twist off caps, and don't rely on twist offs for long term storage.
Twist tops
Ok after reading all excelent advise thank you, poured the first brew using a mixed batch of clear, green and brown bottles unfortuantly down here in Oz twist tops are the only thing that is readaly availible except those !@#$ expensive imports so they seemed to cap ok because thenext morning I twisted on and found it fizzed implying to my that it was sealing and that the suger was reacting with the brew correct? so Ill crack the first one soon and see. In about 2 weeks that is so thanks and ill let you all know the verdict.