Can you cork beer bottles?

[rocket man]

Thanks - that's what I'm mulling right now.

Everywhere I've looked a case of 375's is basically the same price as a 5 gallon carboy - $33 - $35

There's a winery a bit of a drive from here that I get bottles from gratis. Next time I'm near I'll see if they have any smaller than 750ml

Wow, I guess the prices at my LHBS are pretty good. I just checked today and the price for a case of 375 ml bottles, 24 bottles, is about $24.00.

 

[BobF]

Wow, I guess the prices at my LHBS are pretty good. I just checked today and the price for a case of 375 ml bottles, 24 bottles, is about $24.00.

I wish I had a "local" shop. The nearest to me is a 2 hour drive each way, so I tend to order a lot of stuff from places with flat-rate shipping.

I *might* be able to get something good from the winery I mentioned. They clean up used 750ml bottles from their bistro and sell them for $4/case. That trip is only 1 hour each way. ((calculating fuel cost vs buying online ... ))

Hopefully they have a few halfs and splits!

 

[beggarsu]

NO!!!!!!!! You can not as they dont have strong enough side walls nor can you cork a wine bottle that is a screw top. Please dont try this as a few people over the years have on a few of the forums and were injured peretty good while either opening these or in the process of putting tye cork in. One of them cut a few of the tendons in his hand and had to go through many surgeries and still dont have much of his movement in that hand.

I use wine bottles that are screw tops - no problem - over 120 now.

corking is no problem - if any bottle (screw top or non screw top) ever break during corking it is no problem - My hands are not near the bottle Same for de-corking as I use a levered de-corker.

But I will take that as a warning not to use those non-levered de-corkers on any wine bottle.


The advantage is once opened you can use a screw top to put on the bottle and keep in fridge or whatever..

It's not the equipment , it's the hand skills - you have to use common sense if you use anything - hammer, knife cork-screw. -if you are applying force you must account for what will happen if you slip in any direction.

I just bought and am making a coffee port. I was going to use 750 ml bottles but now that I know corks will fit in some beer bottles I will use the beer bottles - because I saw some very fancy beer bottles at the bottle depot the other day - I will give it a try..

Buying the 375 empty bottles - the prices are outrageous.

 

[Lamarkeiko]

This thread is of great interest to me. I like the idea of producing smaller bottles of wine, which I can use as gifts during the holiday. I have been saving several dozen empty bottles of Bud Light Platinum because of the beautiful cobalt blue color. These bottles used screw off caps. Could they be recapped like a regular bottle, and if not is there another way I could reuse them for wine?

Thanks for any replies back
Lamar

 

[WI_Wino]

This thread is of great interest to me. I like the idea of producing smaller bottles of wine, which I can use as gifts during the holiday. I have been saving several dozen empty bottles of Bud Light Platinum because of the beautiful cobalt blue color. These bottles used screw off caps. Could they be recapped like a regular bottle, and if not is there another way I could reuse them for wine?

Thanks for any replies back
Lamar

Nope. Twist offs are pretty much useless to home brewers/wine makers.

 

[beggarsu]

This thread is of great interest to me. I like the idea of producing smaller bottles of wine, which I can use as gifts during the holiday. I have been saving several dozen empty bottles of Bud Light Platinum because of the beautiful cobalt blue color. These bottles used screw off caps. Could they be recapped like a regular bottle, and if not is there another way I could reuse them for wine?

Thanks for any replies back
Lamar

The bud light platinum twist off now has re closeable twist off caps - check with google.

Sounds good - once you close it off it won't age anymore but if you are giving it as gifts that doesn't matter. I saw some nice rubber stopper 500 ml beer bottles that I will do the same thing - first I will age my port in 750 ml and then when ready to drink or give away I will transfer and affix fancy label.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/can-i-reuse-twist-off-bottles-361034/


http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/any-way-cap-twist-offs-302768/


There is some diff of opinion of capping twist off for beer makers. Some say they can re-use the original cap. Seems there is a lot of problem. If it's a gift you give in person rather than mail and probably will be drunk in near future there is probably less need for perfection here as in long term storage..

 

[dessertmaker]

I have never had a problem with twist off bottles. Ever.

 

[WI_Wino]

I have never had a problem with twist off bottles. Ever.

Corking them, capping them with beer caps (beer bottles), or reusing twist off caps?

 

[dessertmaker]

Corking them with the good old fashioned hand corker and a hammer.

 

[beggarsu]

Corking them with the good old fashioned hand corker and a hammer.

The small beer bottles?


Neato! I want to cork them - So it can be done! I'm going to do it then.


A hammer? - never heard of that - you mean you hammer in corks that don't go in all the way? That can be done?

 

[dessertmaker]

the small beer bottles? Neato! I want to cork them - so it can be done! I'm going to do it then. A hammer? - never heard of that - you mean you hammer in corks that don't go in all the way? That can be done?

NOl!!!!!!!!!!

 

[beggarsu]

NOl!!!!!!!!!!

So what is the hammer for?

 

[dessertmaker]

So what is the hammer for?

I use it to tap the cork home with this.

 

[WI_Wino]

Dessertmaker - you are referring to twist off wine bottles, correct?

Not beer bottles?

 

[dessertmaker]

Dessertmaker - you are referring to twist off wine bottles, correct? Not beer bottles?

Yes I've never tried corking a beer bottle. Don't plan on messing with that adventure any time soon. My bench capper works just fine.

 

[beggarsu]

Yes I've never tried corking a beer bottle. Don't plan on messing with that adventure any time soon. My bench capper works just fine.

When they were talking about 'twist-off's they were talking about beer bottles.

You are talking about screw top wine bottles.


So this hammer method... I use a two handed corker with bottle on the floor - sometime the cork is not 100 percnet in- so I can put a plastic thingmee over it and hammer tap it to finish ???

I'll try that.

 

[dessertmaker]

When they were talking about 'twist-off's they were talking about beer bottles. You are talking about screw top wine bottles. So this hammer method... I use a two handed corker with bottle on the floor - sometime the cork is not 100 percnet in- so I can put a plastic thingmee over it and hammer tap it to finish ??? I'll try that.

Sounds like you just need a little less head space in your bottle. I doubt you would accomplish anything more with a hand corker and a hammer if you're using a two handed floor corker.

That little red thing IS my corker. The cork gets a shot of KMETA (to make it slide in easier) and goes in the hole, the red cap goes on top of that, a rag or thick layer of duct tape goes on top of that, and I tap the cork home with my hammer.

 

[dessertmaker]

When they were talking about 'twist-off's they were talking about beer bottles. You are talking about screw top wine bottles.

I was agreeing with you on the twist off wine bottles actually. Should have quoted you. Sorry.

 

[Lamarkeiko]

I tried my bottle capper on a Bud Light Platinum twist-off bottle with some water in it, and it seems to be held on good as far as I can tell. No leakage and is very tight.
Lamar

 

[WI_Wino]

Does it spin if you try to twist off like a normal twist off cap?