Bottlers, how many do you keep on hand?
Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2012 12:11 pm
I am up to 7 cases. I had to build some wooden boxes for them this weekend as the mix of cardboard 6 &12 packs were becoming difficult to handle. There's a good DIY thread on another forum that uses cheap as can be lath materials.
I just got into HB this year, so the main reason I'm bottling is to keep my start up cost low. My next capital investements will probably go to brewing and fermenting equipment improvement, so I don't see making any hyperspace jumps to cornies and all that come with them any time soon. Yes, the de-labeling, cleaning, sanitizing, sorting, storage and filling is a lot of work, but it's work that I enjoy, at least at the 5 gallon batch level of production. I'm Damo like that.
Some things I've noticed about bottling:
I just got into HB this year, so the main reason I'm bottling is to keep my start up cost low. My next capital investements will probably go to brewing and fermenting equipment improvement, so I don't see making any hyperspace jumps to cornies and all that come with them any time soon. Yes, the de-labeling, cleaning, sanitizing, sorting, storage and filling is a lot of work, but it's work that I enjoy, at least at the 5 gallon batch level of production. I'm Damo like that.
Some things I've noticed about bottling:
- *It's a good idea to have a big bucket/cooler around at all times full of PBW water. As soon as you turn that beer up, rinse and submerge.
* Every day when you do the dishes, pull your soaking bottles out and scrub off any label residue. Most of the labels just fall off on their own after a day in PBW. Stick in dishwasher.
* Bottles come in far more shapes and sizes than I previously realized. Keep em sorted early on if you care about such things.
* Sierra Nevada bottles have big butts and don't fit in most other brands casepacks.
* Drakes bottle labels aren't paper. They're some sort of plastic/mylar type of deal. Soaking does nothing to remove them, so don't cut your nails too short.
* I have waited far too long to purchase a bottle tree.
* Carbonation tabs are the way to go.
* Storing bottles right side up without drip drying is an invitation for all manner of nasties. Earwigs included.
* I hate earwigs.
* de-labeling beer bottles is the coolest thing in the world to an 18 MO.
* Bottling wastes a crap-ton of water.
* I am addicted to saving beer bottles. I have more than I need, but I can't stop saving.
* As a homebrewer, I'm more likely to choose a commercial beer that comes in a bottle with no distinguishing makers marks. Just in case I brew something comp. worthy.
* Higher gravity Belgians take a long freakin time to fully carbonate.
* I am conflicted about drinking 21A beer since I'm not getting any bottles out of the deal. Can't stay away from Brew Free or Die though.
