BeerBorg

I do alot of different wood projects. I was thinkin about some kind of bottle tree made out of wood with wooden dowels set at an upward angle then coated with vinyl made for dippin tools and whatnot. I'm open for other suggestions. I'd ratherbuild something than buy it, so don't go there

Anyhow, it got me thinkin about what some of you may have made to assist in yourbrewin habit.

MK RAM wrote:I'd ratherbuild something than buy it

Me, too, though I wish I had the woodworking skills because your bottling tree sounds like a neat idea. I'm betting a good number of us feel the same way. I mean, we are brewing our own beer afterall, when we could just go out and buy it.

I'd suggest that building a bottling tree is a) a bad return on your investment and b) a risk of infection in your beer.

An economy bottling tree costs $19. It's made of plastic, holds 45 bottles, and can be sanitized. Can you make one for anywhere near that cost, giving some value to your time? And, the reason people don't use wooden cutting boards any more is there ability to store germs. So you're going to coat it in vinyl? I can't imagine the effort involved, and the cost, to save $19.

Build ramps (like I did) to hold your LBKs at an angle. Build fancy boxes to hold your brews, with a place to label what's inside them. Build a rack to hold all your brewing tools, or a cabinet to store them.

RickBeer wrote:I'd suggest that building a bottling tree is a) a bad return on your investment and b) a risk of infection in your beer.

An economy bottling tree costs $19. It's made of plastic, holds 45 bottles, and can be sanitized. Can you make one for anywhere near that cost, giving some value to your time? And, the reason people don't use wooden cutting boards any more is there ability to store germs. So you're going to coat it in vinyl? I can't imagine the effort involved, and the cost, to save $19.

Build ramps (like I did) to hold your LBKs at an angle. Build fancy boxes to hold your brews, with a place to label what's inside them. Build a rack to hold all your brewing tools, or a cabinet to store them.

I build and use wooden cutting boards on a daily basis...lol. Never got sick and never have made anyone sick and people still use them ALOT!. The reason for the vinyl coating was to alleviate the
chances of infections. I knew this would come up.

I don't want an economy bottle tree to hold 45 bottles, does anyone make a case size BT?

And yes, I can make one very inexpensively, both in time and money.

RickBeer wrote:And, the reason people don't use wooden cutting boards any more is there ability to store germs.

That is actually a fallacy, a common one so propagating it can easily be forgiven. The reason people use plastic is because it's cheap and marketed, not for any legitimate sanitary claim. Wooden cutting boards are vastly superior for not harboring germs and not dulling knives. There is a reason if you go into any local butcher shop, they still are cutting on wood.

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/cuttin ... odplas.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/1 ... 35613.html

I'm assuming the OP was interested in synergizing his/her two hobbies. I think it's a great idea, myself.

Plus, wooden mash paddles have seemed to stand the test of time...

Bluejaye wrote:

RickBeer wrote:And, the reason people don't use wooden cutting boards any more is there ability to store germs.

That is actually a fallacy, a common one so propagating it can easily be forgiven. The reason people use plastic is because it's cheap and marketed, not for any legitimate sanitary claim. Wooden cutting boards are vastly superior for not harboring germs and not dulling knives. There is a reason if you go into any local butcher shop, they still are cutting on wood.

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/cuttin ... odplas.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/1 ... 35613.html

I'm assuming the OP was interested in synergizing his/her two hobbies. I think it's a great idea, myself.

Quoting About.com and Huffpost doesn't exactly make for a compelling argument... No wikapedia reference?

Since the OP says he can make it, including coated in plastic, for almost no cost then it might make sense. Me, I wouldn't spend the time on a $19 item, I'd use my woodworking skills (not that I have any) to make other things that would be more visible and look great. Replicating old time wooden beer cases would be cool.

The OP may want to look into making a "fastrack" out of wood (with a plastic tray for the liquid):

I would like you to make me some wooden beer bottles please, my glass ones have been blowing up lately.

If they can use wooden water mains over the last 150+ years, it would be great for a bottle, eh?
Imagine the flavors you would extract over time? Hey, you just might have a new trend there BB...

RickBeer wrote:Quoting About.com and Huffpost doesn't exactly make for a compelling argument...

And yet its still better than spouting off false information without any citation at all. God bless Google, I just picked the first 2 links for your reading pleasure, the first of which contained a reference to a legimate science journal.

Why not make some nice wooden crates to store your bottles?

russki wrote:Why not make some nice wooden crates to store your bottles?

Hey, I'm not picky that would work.

Brewbirds wrote:I would like you to make me some wooden beer bottles please, my glass ones have been blowing up lately.

Maybe ya should get some stainless bottles http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brew ... -pack.html

I think the point was that he enjoys woodworking and not to save $19 (plus S&H). Just like I dont really expect to save money by doing my own beer (especially when amortizing in the equipment and my constant new purchases of stuffs), Im guessing he isnt looking at saving the money either. However, a wooden Fastrack might be the ticket.

DaYooper wrote:I think the point was that he enjoys woodworking and not to save $19 (plus S&H). Just like I dont really expect to save money by doing my own beer (especially when amortizing in the equipment and my constant new purchases of stuffs), Im guessing he isnt looking at saving the money either. However, a wooden Fastrack might be the ticket.

Thanks Yoop!