Beer Bottles Needed

[roddez]

It's not really food, but you could classify Brewing as cooking, so here goes.

I have just got back into my home brewing and I discovered something worrying, after I had laid down my first batch yesterday.

I have lost all my bottles. . .

So, I have between 5 and 7 days to find enough bottles to hold 20 odd litres of beer. . .

If any of you were once a home brewer, have a stack of bottles lying around you don't want any more and are in the Sydney region, please let me know.

375's and 750's equally welcome. Given the choice I would prefer the non-twist top type. They tend to be a little easier to cap and stronger.

Naturally you will be slung some beer in appreciation.

[Snapple]

I don't drink beer, I only drink metho.

[fubar]

What sort of beer are you brewing?

(Sorry, don't have any spare bottles anymore, just bottled a new batch on the weekend.)

[Scumbag]

Pfft.

Drink two longies every day when you get home from work and a few more on the weekend youve got yourself 20 bottles!

[roddez]

I don't drink beer, I only drink metho.

I really don't give a shit what you drink. I am just looking for beer bottles. :offtopic:

And NO, your used metho bottles just won't do! :)

Doesn't the metho make your fur run?

[hazza]

im pretty sure coopers make and sell bottles for this sort of use. find a home brewers store near u.

[roddez]

I put down a blonde and I found an Apple Cider that I will try next. Father-in-Law arrives soon and given he is from the West Country, I should supply him with Cider. Unfortunately it won't be a true scrumpy. :(

[roddez]

I put down a blonde and I found an Apple Cider that I will try next. Father-in-Law arrives soon and given he is from the West Country, I should supply him with Cider. Unfortunately it won't be a true scrumpy. :(
Coopers do make brown PET plastic bottles with standard plastic lids. Unfortunately the plastic tends to absorb flavours. I have bought some as an emergency supply if I can't get enough glass bottles.

[hazza]

very well, ask your friends if they have any left over groslch premium bottles.

[imp]

im pretty sure coopers make and sell bottles for this sort of use. find a home brewers store near u.

I think even KMart have them. :)
We had a whole bunch of them in the shed but I think wegave them to Jaz. :)

[DCenT3]

haha what a coincedance, i just bought a coopers mini brew kit about 2 hours ago. Im a newb so the kit looked like a good idea for my first go. I would have been able to save a few bottles for you but bottle bin went bye byes last night.

Also while im here, any tips would be handy before i start my brew on the weekend.

[roddez]

Also while im here, any tips would be handy before i start my brew on the weekend.

It's pretty fool proof, or else I couldn't do it.

The most important step is to make sure everything is clean. If you keep things clean and use the cleaning powder in the kit you should be sweet.

Also, don't be tempted to add more sugar when you bottle. . . Unless you want to see spectacular results. ;)

[hazza]

oh p.s. coopers are bringing out a home brew kit for 'mexican cervesas'

also coopers are the largest distrubitor in the world of home brew kits !


i was reading a liquor industry mag at work heh

[DCenT3]

oh p.s. coopers are bringing out a home brew kit for 'mexican cervesas'


ohhh hehehe i better look out for that. I know some other companies do it but the only malts i can find are in Big W oddly enough which are all coopers or tooheys.

[djrobotek]

oh p.s. coopers are bringing out a home brew kit for 'mexican cervesas'

also coopers are the largest distrubitor in the world of home brew kits !


i was reading a liquor industry mag at work heh

Liquor industry mag eh? Could you imagine what the centrefold would look like?

[fubar]

I put down a blonde and I found an Apple Cider that I will try next. Father-in-Law arrives soon and given he is from the West Country, I should supply him with Cider. Unfortunately it won't be a true scrumpy. :(

Sounds good. My last couple of batches are all-malt beers (kits from Malt Shovel Brewery) and have turned out awesome.

I haven't found much of a difference between glass and plastic bottles, but Groslch bottles are the best (and you get to drink some good beer collecting a set :))

Also while im here, any tips would be handy before i start my brew on the weekend.

The kits are pretty good, just follow the instructions and you'll generally end up with very drinkable beer. As roddez suggested, make sure you clean things well (though the first go, everything should already be very clean). Try to keep the fermenter at the lower end of the temperature range and out of direct sunlight. Also, not sure what the kits come with, but i'd suggest using Coopers Brew Enhancer instead of sugar in the fermenter, it adds better flavour and body to the beer.

[fubar]

oh p.s. coopers are bringing out a home brew kit for 'mexican cervesas'


Yeah, its been out for a while. I have one at home, and i'll be brewing it next :)

[daonoir]

How do you make homebrew taste good. Every time I make beer it tastes soooo bad. So I got a distilling kit but it takes so long and you have to watch it all day so it doesn’t go over a certain temp(I could spend another $500 for some thermostats and other parts so I wouldn’t have to watch it, but I’m broke and that’s half the reason I started making my own alcohol.) Is there a trick to beer making?

[DCenT3]

The kits are pretty good, just follow the instructions and you'll generally end up with very drinkable beer. As roddez suggested, make sure you clean things well (though the first go, everything should already be very clean). Try to keep the fermenter at the lower end of the temperature range and out of direct sunlight. Also, not sure what the kits come with, but i'd suggest using Coopers Brew Enhancer instead of sugar in the fermenter, it adds better flavour and body to the beer.

ahhh k thanks for the tip on the sugars. Ill try to pick up some brew enhancer stuff tomorow. Does that brew enhancer totally replace the sugar in the fermenter or just add to it? I heard about using dextrose too instead of sugar, whats the diff there? thanks for tips.

[roddez]

ahhh k thanks for the tip on the sugars. Ill try to pick up some brew enhancer stuff tomorow. Does that brew enhancer totally replace the sugar in the fermenter or just add to it? I heard about using dextrose too instead of sugar, whats the diff there? thanks for tips.

Dude, some info about non-sucrose based sugars.

Dextrose based sugars (http://www.countrybrewer.com.au/webcontent39.htm)

I have always used them with great success. I don't really want to experiment and end up with 20 odd litres of crap tasting beer. It is a little more expensive than pure sugar if you buy it from the supermarket/brew shop. But I'm sure that if you were serious and went to a supplier you could get it in larger quantities at a bulk rate. Just hope the minimum bulk weight wasn't 1 tonne. . .

[DCenT3]

Dude, some info about non-sucrose based sugars.

Dextrose based sugars (http://www.countrybrewer.com.au/webcontent39.htm)

I have always used them with great success. I don't really want to experiment and end up with 20 odd litres of crap tasting beer. It is a little more expensive than pure sugar if you buy it from the supermarket/brew shop. But I'm sure that if you were serious and went to a supplier you could get it in larger quantities at a bulk rate. Just hope the minimum bulk weight wasn't 1 tonne. . .

ok. Ive been trying to find a supplier for home brew products but i cant find any in the sydney area with a shop. Anyone know of any suppliers? At the moment i only know big w sells some stuff.

Thanks for the tips roddez

[roddez]

DC, I use the Country Brewer who has a shop just down the road from me in Drummoyne.

Have a look at their web site http://www.countrybrewer.com.au for all their locations.

I find their staff very friendly and helpful and their range isn't all that bad.

[fubar]

ahhh k thanks for the tip on the sugars. Ill try to pick up some brew enhancer stuff tomorow. Does that brew enhancer totally replace the sugar in the fermenter or just add to it? I heard about using dextrose too instead of sugar, whats the diff there? thanks for tips.

Yes, there are a couple of different types of brew enhancer, but they are all essentially a mix of dextrose, malt and maltodextrin used to replace the sugar in fermentation (but not when you bottle). The idea is that as well as fermentable sugars (dextrose, malt) you have non-fermentable sugars (maltodextrin) which remain in the beer and give a better "texture" (thicker, smoother beer). Also the malt adds extra flavour.

Edit: Damn, roddez already answered this with his link.

[roddez]

<snip> used to replace the sugar in fermentation (but not when you bottle)

You can also use Dextrose to replace the sugar you use when you prime your bottles. The process is often refered to as bulk priming.

You basically mix up dextrose and water in a specific quantity relative to the quantity of beer you have on hand. The advertising says "Using dextrose for priming produces a cleaner finished beer with a very fine bubble resulting in a fine creamy head.".

Click here for the full story. (http://www.countrybrewer.com.au/webcontent27.htm)

I haven't tried bulk priming before but I am tempted to do so in the near future. For around $40 for the kit it is cheap, but stearilising yet more stuff is still a hassle.

[DCenT3]

DC, I use the Country Brewer who has a shop just down the road from me in Drummoyne.

Have a look at their web site http://www.countrybrewer.com.au for all their locations.

I find their staff very friendly and helpful and their range isn't all that bad.


Ahhh thank you so so so much. I live right next to deewhy so ill go find their shop on the weekend hopefully.

[DCenT3]

Yes, there are a couple of different types of brew enhancer, but they are all essentially a mix of dextrose, malt and maltodextrin used to replace the sugar in fermentation (but not when you bottle). The idea is that as well as fermentable sugars (dextrose, malt) you have non-fermentable sugars (maltodextrin) which remain in the beer and give a better "texture" (thicker, smoother beer). Also the malt adds extra flavour.

Thanks for the info, all these tips are helping alot. I'm hoping now that all these things everyone has said will help me to make a pretty good first batch.

You basically mix up dextrose and water in a specific quantity relative to the quantity of beer you have on hand. The advertising says "Using dextrose for priming produces a cleaner finished beer with a very fine bubble resulting in a fine creamy head.".

Thanks again roddez, i really appreciate the helpz. + rep for everyone!!

[hazza]

hehe i had a regular tell me hes been buying so many coopers sparkling ale long necks for his home brew.

'so what homebrew are you making?'

'coopers sparkling ale'

[DCenT3]

Well ill be using a coopers regular lager or sumthin like that for my first brew, it came with the kit so ill see how that goes. Later on tho, i wouldnt mind trying the mexican one (corona style) or a dark beer like tooheys old.