Couple of bottle questions

Yes BrewDemon and Mr. Beer kits are pretty darn easy but sometime you need a little help from the Borg to get you on the right track. Post your questions here!

Moderators: BlackDuck, Beer-lord, LouieMacGoo, philm00x, gwcr

Post Reply
MK RAM
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Aug 16, 2013 8:04 am
Location: South Central Ky

Couple of bottle questions

Post by MK RAM »

If you were to experience a bottle bomb, would you rather it was in a glass bottle or a PET bottle?

If brown bottles let in less light and therefore is better for the brew, why do some brewers use clear bottles? One of my all time favorite brews is Newcastle Brown Ale and these folks have been doin the beer thing for many years yet still use the clear...does this make sense? I know Miller does it too, but......yuck!

I've got several 1 liter clear glass flip top bottles that I wanna use. If I bottle then keep in the dark wouldn't that seem to be fine?
User avatar
TimeTraveler
Fully Fermented
Fully Fermented
Posts: 425
Joined: Sun Aug 11, 2013 10:43 am

Re: Couple of bottle questions

Post by TimeTraveler »

If you were to experience a bottle bomb, would you rather it was in a glass bottle or a PET bottle?

I don't think it matters. Its a mess either way. However, if you are talking 12 oz glass vs. a litre PET bottle - I'll take the glass since it wastes less beer!

If brown bottles let in less light and therefore is better for the brew, why do some brewers use clear bottles? One of my all time favorite brews is Newcastle Brown Ale and these folks have been doin the beer thing for many years yet still use the clear...does this make sense? I know Miller does it too, but......yuck!

Why do some use clear bottles - stupidity! Most of them have to keep the bottles out of the light so they don't skunk.

I've got several 1 liter clear glass flip top bottles that I wanna use. If I bottle then keep in the dark wouldn't that seem to be fine?

You can keep them in the dark and they should be fine, but they won't learn nottin!
Eat Right, Exercise, Die Anyway.
MK RAM
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Aug 16, 2013 8:04 am
Location: South Central Ky

Re: Couple of bottle questions

Post by MK RAM »

Thanks TT.
User avatar
Brewbirds
Brew Guru
Brew Guru
Posts: 2814
Joined: Tue Aug 06, 2013 7:32 am
Location: A Tree Somewhere

Re: Couple of bottle questions

Post by Brewbirds »

I've never heard of a bottle bomb in a PET, I think they just deform and the caps warp. Search the forum for a thread on pros and cons of the two. One was recently posted but I don't remember which thread.

The reason you see everyone using brown glass bottles is because when you use hops in a beer recipe the hops have a tendency to "skunk" when exposed to sunlight. (had this happen to me when doing an unrelated experiment and whooo it was nasty)
There are some commercial beers in green glass bottles that might familiarize you with that flavor.
Brown bottles offer the best protection of all bottles.
You may see clear bottles on the market because there is a bittering hop extract available that has been processed in a way that eliminates the skunking which large commercial producers are using. (that I don't know for sure but none of the clear bottle beers seem to have much hop presence anyway)

If you have clear bottles that you want to use I wouldn't say "no don't use them" I'd just say be sunlight aware of them while they are conditioning and don't leave them sitting out before you pour them.

I hope I've helped with your questions since I've been there done that with bottles, bottle bombs and gushers. (though I've saved my clear New Castle for the day I do a hard cider) :cheers:
Sibling Brewers
User avatar
RickBeer
Brew Guru
Brew Guru
Posts: 3099
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2013 1:21 pm
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan (Go Blue!)

Re: Couple of bottle questions

Post by RickBeer »

Everytime I've had Newcastle the bottles have been brown as I recall...

Color of the bottle is irrelevant IF You keep it out of the light. If it's in the light, then it matters. Skunking doesn't occur in minutes. You can bring a clear bottle into the light and pour it a few minutes later without issue.
I have over 9,000 posts on "another forum", which means absolutely nothing. Mr. Beer January 2014 Brewer of the Month with all the pomp and circumstance that comes with it...

Certificate in Brewing and Distillation Technology

Sites to find beer making supplies: Adventures in Homebrewing - Mr. Beer - MoreBeer
My Beer - click to reveal
Currently using 6 LBKs.

Beers I regularly brew:
Bell's Best Brown clone
Irish Hills Red - I call this "Ann Arbor Red"
Mackinac Island Red - I call this "Michigan Red"
Oatmeal Stout - I call this Not Fat, Stout - Oatmeal Stout

Bottled 5 gallons of Ann Arbor Red on 4/18/17. Bottled 5 gallons of Michigan Red on 5/8/17.

Brewed in 2017 - 22.13 gallons (19.91 in 2012, 48.06 in 2013, 61.39 in 2014, 84.26 in 2015,46.39 in 2016)
Brewed in lifetime - 282.14 gallons
Drinkable beer on hand -  13.58 cases, with 6.11 cases ready in May and early June.
Average cost per 12 pack through all beer brewed - $6.27(ingredients only)
User avatar
brewin bull
Brew Fool
Brew Fool
Posts: 215
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 5:51 pm
Location: BG Wa
Contact:

Re: Couple of bottle questions

Post by brewin bull »

I had a 12 oz glass bottle bomb. I would take a plastic one any day over that. It was a while ago an I am still finding glass. :x
Carcharodon Brewing
User avatar
Chuck N
Braumeister
Braumeister
Posts: 989
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2013 7:41 am
Location: The Land of 10,000 Casseroles. Uf-Da! ©

Re: Couple of bottle questions

Post by Chuck N »

MK RAM wrote: If brown bottles let in less light and therefore is better for the brew, why do some brewers use clear bottles? One of my all time favorite brews is Newcastle Brown Ale and these folks have been doin the beer thing for many years yet still use the clear...does this make sense? I know Miller does it too, but......yuck!
This here is my favorite "American style" lager beers:
beer_premium.jpg
beer_premium.jpg (21.87 KiB) Viewed 955 times
It appears to be in a clear bottle. But the bottle is actually photo-grade glass and darkens automatically in the sunlight.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
And if you believe that I've got over a kazillion dollars waiting in an off-shore bank account that I want to transfer to the U.S. I can't put it all in to my personal bank account so if you send me your banking information I will transfer some of it into your bank account and then withdraw it after a length of time and you can keep the interest. Deal?
:uwish:
Things men have made with wakened hands, and put soft life into
Are awake through years with transferred touch and go on glowing
For long years.
And for this reason some old things are lovely
Warm still with the life of forgotten men who made them.

― D.H. Lawrence
User avatar
Kealia
Brew Guru
Brew Guru
Posts: 5588
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2013 10:52 pm

Re: Couple of bottle questions

Post by Kealia »

Brewbirds wrote:You may see clear bottles on the market because there is a bittering hop extract available that has been processed in a way that eliminates the skunking which large commercial producers are using.
^This^

That's not to say that everybody using clear glass uses extract, but I know brands like Miller Genuine Draft uses it so they don't worry about skunking.
User avatar
haerbob3
Braumeister
Braumeister
Posts: 840
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2013 2:10 pm
Location: NW SE MI

Re: Couple of bottle questions

Post by haerbob3 »

in Corouna case it is deliberate. That unique flavor profile in this case is actually skunked beer
im Leben Geduld ist eine Tugend
in Brau-es ist eine Anforderung

in life patience is a virtue
in brewing it is a requirement


You are stronger than you think you are!!!!
~~Andy Wesley 1973 -- 2013
Post Reply