Bottle Choices

Hello all,

This is my first batch of mead and I need to figure out my bottling situation for when it is ready. After my few hours of research, I am partial to grolsch bottles with the flip top. They are easy to use, reuse, and just look cool for gifts and whatnot. Are they worth the money to buy online since I think finding them on sites like craigslist is a rare gem? Or should I go a different route? Should I get myself a capper and cap the bottles or go with corks? Ideally, I would like the size to be somewhere in the range of 16oz-24oz.

Whatever bottle you suggest, do you have suggestions on where I can get a supply of them? Thank you all in advance for the help!

Buy beer.
Drink Beer.
Clean bottle.
Sanitize, Refill with homebrew.
Cap.

I don't really drink beer. I could probably have my friends start saving their empty bottles, though, if I decide to go that route.

Those bottles cost a fortune new, I use clear 750ml wine bottles 6.99 for a case of 12 at LHBS. Get a used floor corker of Craig's list for 20 bucks, or get a double level corker new for 12 and buy a bag of natural corks.

Recycling center. I pay 10 cents a bottle I think? I also get the wine bottle sized swing tops for 25 cents.

I have a decent number (not tons and tons) of facebook friends, so I just got on facebook and said that I needed bottles. I said I'd pick up cork (not screw off) wine bottles and pry-off (not twist off) beer bottles free, but I'd pay cash for flip-tops. Within 3 days I had 40 wine bottles, 24 pry-off beer bottles, 13 liter-sized flip-top bottles for which I paid $13, and 35 Grolsch bottles for which I paid $20. Of course nearly everything had labels, and some of the wine bottles hadn't been rinsed out, but I paid $33 for as many bottles as I will need for awhile. I was given a capper and an old metal corker by a friend when I started brewing, so all I had to do was go to the LHBS and buy corks and caps. Some of the wine bottles were champagne bottles, so I also picked up the plastic champagne corks and wires for those.

Get on your social networks and ask for bottles. If your friends don't have bottles they will know someone who does. Those Grolsch bottles I got came from a friend-of-a-friend and even came with milk crates to carry them in. If you don't have a capper or corker, then say you're only interested in flip-top bottles. Or go buy a capper and some caps - they're worth it.

This is a great idea. I had not even considered it. Thanks!

Since we're talk about bottling, do you guys keep your mead still or do you carbonate?

When I 1st started making mead/wine, I used to ask bars & restaurants if I could have their empty wine bottles, they were happy to save them for me & over 1 weekend I got 5 cases of wine bottles for free. I also use 1L fliptops that I buy new. Those are worth their weight in gold to me. They make bottling so quick & easy, I love 'em.
Regards, GF.

hehawbrew said:

Since we're talk about bottling, do you guys keep your mead still or do you carbonate?

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I keep mine still. I used to use beer bottles for my meads, Now I'm using 750 ML Bottles with just a few beer bottles, as I've gotten back into beer making.

hehawbrew said:

Since we're talk about bottling, do you guys keep your mead still or do you carbonate?

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I also keep mine still. Actually haven't even tried carbonating mine since I like the still so much already. Soon enough I will venture out and try it.

gratus_fermentatio said:

When I 1st started making mead/wine, I used to ask bars & restaurants if I could have their empty wine bottles, they were happy to save them for me & over 1 weekend I got 5 cases of wine bottles for free.

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This is also an excellent idea since my girlfriend conveniently works at a restaurant and could likely have her boss keep them for me. Thanks everyone!

Noice!

I think I'll try it still. Now I just need to hurry up and wait a few months!