A tip for homebrewers

**Mikewood** · 8th November 11, 08:30 AM

Northern brewer is a great resource for brewing supplies in your part of the country. http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/b...pment/bottling.

I have found growlers and bottles from home brew houses and microbreweries to be much tougher than mass produced Grolsch or "regular" crown top beer bottles. The walls are thicker and they don't shatter like a typical brown beer bottle that is designed for single use. They also don't become fragile after several scaldings in hot water. Most of mine are going on ten years old and they look brand new.

**Bob C** · 8th November 11, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by okiwen

I'm glad to see there are brewers here. I am having terrible time finding the swing top type bottle here in the northwest. I can't find anyone that sells Grolsch or similar. I don't like heavy beer myself but do need a handful of bottles. When I look online they seem to sell for more empty than when there was beer inside.

Suggestions?

Go to a store or bottle redemption place. I used to buy Grolsch bottles for the deposit price. These days, I refill and cap my own empties from my favorite small brewers.

**okiwen** · 8th November 11, 12:57 PM

Thank you for the quick response. I didn't know that there was a difference in the quality of bottle. Unfortunately the suggested supplier is in Minnesota so there will be no drive-by.

**Bob C** · 8th November 11, 01:23 PM

You don't need special bottles. If you blow up a Grolsch bottle, you're doing it wrong.

**okiwen** · 8th November 11, 01:46 PM

I have never blown up a Grolsch bottle. I don't have any and that is what I'm after. I have one Altenmunster bottle that I can assume is the same thing. I am looking to bottle another type of fermented drink.

What I'm finding is people that want to sell bottles online like they are antiques for way too much per bottle for singles.

If I could find a beer, on the whole Olympic Peninsula, that is bottled in this type of bottle I'd go buy some. Alas, no luck.

**NewEnglander** · 8th November 11, 03:00 PM

Thanks for the OxyClean tip. I've got quite the stockpile of label-free 12oz bottles, but I'm trying acquire more and more 22oz bombers. I haven't had the ability to move over to kegging yet, but the bombers make bottling go a bit faster...and let's be honest, it's not like I'm going to drink just 12oz of my homebrew at a time anyway!