first batch bottling size question

[bizit524]

Ok so my first batch is bubbling right along. While I wait I have slowly been gathering bottles I find on the street. I make sure theyre not twist off (over here in Edinburgh, no one uses twist off anyway.)

I had 2 questions pertaining to the bottles/ cleaning.
I was going to remove the labels and sanitize them. BUT should I sanitize them the day of me bottling or can I do it in advance and just keep them in a sealed sanitized bucket as well?
Main reason I am bored while I wait for this to finish so this would sort of give me something to do.

Also big thing; I need to buy caps for these. online I have seen 27mm and 29 mm. What size it most common? I just measured all the bottles I have and they coming in at around 24-25mm? does the 27 mm cap fit ? because I can't find anything online about that size
I am going to bring an empty bottle to my brew store near me and maybe they can help
heres the bottles

 

[Shred]

Soak the bottles in something like PBW or Oxiclean Free and rinse well. You should sanitize the day of (right before). The longer the bottles sit, the better chance you have of something getting in there.

As for the caps, I didn't even know they had different sizes. I just buy whatever they have at the LHBS, Amazon or my custom caps from bottlemark.com

 

[Travestian]

First of all I would recommend against green bottles. They still let UV rays in to the beer and it will skunk/go bad. Second, your standard bottles are only 27mm caps. The 29mm caps are usually 750ml bottles. And as far as sanitizing goes, do it the day of bottling. You can clean them before that point but you should sanitize at the last minute.

 

[Hello]

You should sanitize the day of. I would absolutely clean those with cleanser and not just hot water. If you found them on the street, who knows what the heck was in them after someone drank beer.

I give a quick rinse to my bottles, when I de-label them I soak them in oxiclean free, then I rinse them well and sanitize with star san while I bottle. It's a wet sanitizer so it is pointless to sanitize then let them dry.

As far as bottle caps, I believe the standard (at least in the US) is 26mm.

 

[MindenMan]

Is it possible to ask the local publican for their empties?
Green bottles are better than no bottles, but as previously stated, beer is light sensitive so store bottles out of the light.

 

[Shred]

I should add, when I first started brewing I cut a deal with my local bottle redemption center. I was able to pickup Grolsch bottles for $0.25 each and standard brown bottles for $0.15 each. They were nasty, but again - and Oxiclean soak goes a long way. It'll pull the labels off and kill anything growing in the bottles.

I've got picks in one of my blog entries showing a pretty nasty Sam's Oktoberfest that came clean with no problem. www.shredshomebrews.com

 

[unionrdr]

I soak'em in PBW solution,1.5ozs per gallon of water. I have a 12 pack cooler I doak them in overnight. Labels float right off & the glue dissolves or is really soft. Best of all,the moldy nasty stuff in the bottom is the first to float off & out of the bottles. Rinse well with warm water & put'em on the bottle tree to dry. Then I box'em up in covered beer boxes till needed. Starsan in a vinator makes short work of sanitizing them right before filling.

 

[bizit524]

wow thanks guys for all your response and sorry for a late one.

First of all I would recommend against green bottles. They still let UV rays in to the beer and it will skunk/go bad.

I understand that but what if I keep them in a closet with no light?

As far as bottle caps, I believe the standard (at least in the US) is 26mm.

I went to my local brew store and picked up some caps and a capper and showed them a bottle they agreed that it would fit. I believe these are 27mm. I am currently living in the UK so they're probably a little different

Is it possible to ask the local publican for their empties?

Yeah actually I have asked 3 bars here so far and they gave me weird looks because they either dont sell bottles (its all in cans)

I should add, when I first started brewing I cut a deal with my local bottle redemption center. I was able to pickup Grolsch bottles for $0.25 each and standard brown bottles for $0.15 each. They were nasty, but again - and Oxiclean soak goes a long way. It'll pull the labels off and kill anything growing in the bottles.

I've got picks in one of my blog entries showing a pretty nasty Sam's Oktoberfest that came clean with no problem. www.shredshomebrews.com

unfortunately they don't recycle here as you would in other locations. recycling it put out on the curb and is picked up at night. and even then most people just throw it away
I wish I could cut a deal with them because you can buy plastic green bottles for about 12 pound (20 USD) or you can buy a back of 24 glass browns for 33 pound about 48 bucks. WAAAY to expensive for me as I am a masters student with no job

 

[Brewskii]

+1 on the smaller crown. The 29mm are for champaign style magnums that accept crowns like Houblon