I am going to make mead vinegar, and want to bottle it in beer bottles. I have some nice import beer bottles, and was wondering if they can be corked?
Corking Beer Bottles
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How do they make the seal ?
Wine bottles are designed to make the seal down the length of the cork. Beer bottles move the sealing surface to the top edge.
Plus think about the actual closure. Is the glass thick enough to take a cork without it chipping etc.....
Even with bottles its not wise to change the closure type. If you cork a bottle that is designed for a screw cap, its easy to chip the top part as they're often made thinner where the thread is etc.
So I'd say either use the right closure or different bottles. ......
Wine bottles are designed to make the seal down the length of the cork. Beer bottles move the sealing surface to the top edge.
Plus think about the actual closure. Is the glass thick enough to take a cork without it chipping etc.....
Even with bottles its not wise to change the closure type. If you cork a bottle that is designed for a screw cap, its easy to chip the top part as they're often made thinner where the thread is etc.
So I'd say either use the right closure or different bottles. ......
"How do they make the seal ?
Wine bottles are designed to make the seal down the length of the cork. Beer bottles move the sealing surface to the top edge.
Plus think about the actual closure. Is the glass thick enough to take a cork without it chipping etc....."
Not sure that's why I was asking, I was going to use regular caps at first, but then you cant reuse the cap. So I thought I would cork them, and wax the cork. Then when you uncork them you cold just stick the cork back in the top.
Wine bottles are designed to make the seal down the length of the cork. Beer bottles move the sealing surface to the top edge.
Plus think about the actual closure. Is the glass thick enough to take a cork without it chipping etc....."
Not sure that's why I was asking, I was going to use regular caps at first, but then you cant reuse the cap. So I thought I would cork them, and wax the cork. Then when you uncork them you cold just stick the cork back in the top.
I've stuck corks into beer bottles but the big problem is the shape of the bottle, it opens up as you go down the neck so you don't want to push a cork in too far or you'll just push it all the way in trying to get it out. If you want to be able to keep a beer bottle closed for repeated uses of vinegar, I'd suggest getting a handful of taster caps or something, the bottom's cork, synthetic or ribbed plastic, but the top is a plastic cap so you can just pull it out and pop it back in when you're done. These often don't fit quite as tightly as a regular cork might, so if you're bottling some of this to give away and it has to be transported, I'd suggest crown capping it and just including a taster cap for the recipient to use once it's been opened.
I use cork versions of this for liqueurs and vinegars. They work in beer bottles.
The keep the liquid in, I'm certain they don't keep the air out.
The other think I like to use is a swing top or Grolsche bottle.
The keep the liquid in, I'm certain they don't keep the air out.
The other think I like to use is a swing top or Grolsche bottle.
Grolsch bottles rock! They're a bit expensive as bottles at $2.50/per, but as a bonus, each one comes with almost 16 oz. of pretty damned good beer. <grin>
Joe
$2.50?
Now you're rubbing it in.
$5.10 here with alcohol duties... :-(
And I can't stand beer, so no consolation prize.
Now you're rubbing it in.
$5.10 here with alcohol duties... :-(
And I can't stand beer, so no consolation prize.
Yeah, a 4-pack costs $10.00 here. 15.2 oz bottles. Oh, and then there's a nickel per bottle deposit. Kiss THAT $0.20 goodbye. <g>
I like beer. Sometimes it helps me be mellow.
Joe
15.2!?!?
Haha and you guys dislike metric!
That's a 450ml metric bottle. Same as what we have, just half the price.
Haha and you guys dislike metric!
That's a 450ml metric bottle. Same as what we have, just half the price.
Grolsch bottle? How about a 1.5 liter one of their Herfst Bok (autumn Boch) for 10 euros? Love the bottle, but had all this beer in it that had to be emptied out. My so in law helped me with that and took one for the team.
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Yeah...tough job, but it had to be done to make room for mead....
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I think we've got a quarter deposit? And Grolsch is over $15 for a 4-pack. It's only JUST cheaper to buy empty swing-top bottles.
<snicker>
...although, really, I'd take a silly decimal over paying double...
Yes, actually they are quite good. They are, as someone pointed out elsewhere, 450 ml and will hold a little carbonation without exploding. I've got about a dozen of them and, aside from being a little on the small side, they work really well. You can even find replacement seals for them on eBay.
Joe
I've stuck corks into beer bottles but the big problem is the shape of the bottle, it opens up as you go down the neck so you don't want to push a cork in too far or you'll just push it all the way in trying to get it out. If you want to be able to keep a beer bottle closed for repeated uses of vinegar, I'd suggest getting a handful of taster caps or something, the bottom's cork, synthetic or ribbed plastic, but the top is a plastic cap so you can just pull it out and pop it back in when you're done. These often don't fit quite as tightly as a regular cork might, so if you're bottling some of this to give away and it has to be transported, I'd suggest crown capping it and just including a taster cap for the recipient to use once it's been opened.
Hi Chevette Girl:
First, thank you, my son is here at Keiser University Latin American Campus taking needed credits for his admission in to Niagara College to the beer and wine programs. Even if he change his mind and he decide to stay here at Keiser is Ok, he's back to the track.
One question. Talking about taster caps, how do they behave in the long term, I mean bottle aging? May expect 2,3,4,5 years or much less?
Saludes,
I should not expect they'd last that long.
I cap with a crown seal and get 2 years ok, but I'd not try that with taster caps in beer bottles.
The cork is only able to see on such a small area, also the bottles a a touch narrow for the cork, so after they've been in a while (12months) they can sometimes be a challenge to get out. If feared the plastic cap would let go before the bottle before, though it's year to happen.
On my liqueurs, for which the taster corks can be on for 5 years or more, I've broken a couple, but these corks are replaced in the bottle after a nip is removed, so have a lot more stress than if they were single use.
I cap with a crown seal and get 2 years ok, but I'd not try that with taster caps in beer bottles.
The cork is only able to see on such a small area, also the bottles a a touch narrow for the cork, so after they've been in a while (12months) they can sometimes be a challenge to get out. If feared the plastic cap would let go before the bottle before, though it's year to happen.
On my liqueurs, for which the taster corks can be on for 5 years or more, I've broken a couple, but these corks are replaced in the bottle after a nip is removed, so have a lot more stress than if they were single use.
Hello kudapucat:
Here's the thing. I'm not using one 100% wine bottles, but they are what I found here in Central America. I cork them but in order to do that I have to attach somekind of bushing in the mouth. The shape of Chevete's taster cap picture seems to me that could fit in my bottle. So, the idea is not to use them during tasting but as a final closure. But first I have to be sure that they could work for ... I don't know ... how many years?
Saludes,
Noe, I'd go with synthetic rather than real cork taster corks then, I've bought alcohol (usually 18+%) with those instead of screw caps. They're shorter than real corks so as kudapucat says there won't be as much surface contact for sealing, but if it's straight sides like a wine bottle it should be fine for a year or two, I use them a lot on half-bottles after bottling and sometimes I don't get to drinking the contents for quite some time... Glad your son's doing well, if he does go to Niagara I definitely want to hear about the courses!
