Bottling question

[harrisbrew]

I've tried searching for the answer to this question but couldn't find anything on here.

My question is can I use wine bottles (streilised and screw tops), to bottle beer? I would probably need to reuse the existing screw tops. Anybody have any experience of trying this or is it not a good idea?

Thanks

 

[dad_of_jon]

They may not be capable of withstanding pressure if your beer is bottle conditioned. I wouldn't risk it. Better to use plastic fizzy pop/water bottles

 

[PenhowBrewer]

Wine bottles are not designed to contain any pressure (except fizzy wines, which dont’t use screw tops).
when you bottle beer, you want a secondary ferment to take place to give it a bit of fizz, and this will create pressure in the bottle.
so, if you were to use such bottles, the likelihood is you will get exploding bottles! Not a good place to be.
The answer, I’m afraid, is no...don’t do it.

 

[harrisbrew]

Thanks, I was asking exactly for that reason (pressure, explosion!)

I have been using pressure barrel for storage and will probably continue too for now. Will purchase some suitable bottles at some point.

Cheers

 

[An Ankoù]

It's not a good idea. Back in the seventies we used to use wine bottles (i think beer bottles were still returnable) and I remember pushing in corks aside a piece of, string which allowed the air to come out, and then pulling out the string to make a seal. Never had a problem and I wonder if wine bottles were made of sterner stuff then. But don't do it. We're not in the 70s, we don't drink ten pints of Guinness and drive back from the pub and we don't smoke 40 a day any more either.
In fact I do use some wine bottles because they're so handsome. They contained Italian red wine, have a very deep punt and weigh nearly a kilo each- heavier than a Champagne bottle, but I'm careful about carbonation levels.

 

[SteveH]

I've used prosecco bottles (which works fine other than requiring more expensive 29mm caps), but as previously mentioned regular wine bottles probably isn't a good idea.

 

[An Ankoù]

Thanks, I was asking exactly for that reason (pressure, explosion!)

I have been using pressure barrel for storage and will probably continue too for now. Will purchase some suitable bottles at some point.

Cheers

It's been a good few years, but Asda used to do a selection of beers at 4 for £6. Some of the bottles are quite solid. The Guinness West Indies Porter is a particularly good bottle, but I'm sure there are others. I don't see the point in buying empty bottle. What makes me laugh is that in one section of our supermarket you can but empty swing-top bottles for about 3.5€ or 3.9€, which round the corner, you can buy even better swing-top bottles full of lemonade or even Fischer beer (not the best, but drinkable) for 1.50 € to 1.99€!

 

[harrisbrew]

It's been a good few years, but Asda used to do a selection of beers at 4 for £6. Some of the bottles are quite solid. The Guinness West Indies Porter is a particularly good bottle, but I'm sure there are others. I don't see the point in buying empty bottle. What makes me laugh is that in one section of our supermarket you can but empty swing-top bottles for about 3.5€ or 3.9€, which round the corner, you can buy even better swing-top bottles full of lemonade or even Fischer beer (not the best, but drinkable) for 1.50 € to 1.99€!

I suppose when you think about it, buying an empty bottle maybe doesn't make sense! The wine bottles have all been taken to the recycling this morning so all good and thanks again for the replies