It’s likely that you could amass a sizable collection of glass bottles if you drink beer moderately. You can use these to bottle your own beer, which will save you money on bottles.
The practice to reuse beer bottles has become increasingly popular in recent times, with sustainability as a raging topic amongst the new generation. And if you brew beer at home, you must also consider recycling beer bottles.
It would be fantastic if there were some uses for beer bottles that could be developed over time. Here are many creative ways you can repurpose beer bottles.
Table of Contents
For Homebrewing: How To Reuse Beer Bottles
Many homebrewers enjoy spending less money. One of the first ways to save money while homebrewing is to reuse beer bottles that you purchase from the store. Yes, it saves some money, but it also requires a little more work. (However, you do earn extra points for being environmentally friendly!)
Here’s how to reuse beer bottles for home brewing.
- Don’t save twist-offs. Recapping doesn’t work well with this style of beer bottle. Save only the beer bottles with the pry-off tops for recycling.
- Brown is better. Reusing green and clear glass bottles is acceptable, but brown bottles offer the best UV protection. (Light can make your beer taste “lightstruck” or “skunky.”)
- Love the larger beer bottles. larger 22-oz. format and 25-oz. bottles are great – fewer bottles to clean and fill. Additionally, they make wonderful holiday gifts!
- Covet the flip-top. Flip-top bottles in the European style are awesome! These types of beer bottles can be reused for homebrewing, and the effort is well worth it.
- Rinse them out first. Mold and other wacky organisms love the leftover beer at the bottom of beer bottles. Rinse the beer bottles out as soon as you’re finished with them to avoid having to scrub them. Typically, three quick rinses are sufficient, but to be certain, look inside for any remaining yeast at the bottom.
- Remove the labels. It will take some time, so allow for that. (Some homebrewers choose to leave the labels on because it’s probably their least favorite step in bottling homebrew.) Soaking the bottles in a hot tub with One Step is the most effective way to get rid of commercial labels. The majority of the labels—those with glue adhesive—should simply peel off in 15 to 20 minutes. Others could be more challenging. Keep track of which brands’ labels are simple to remove and which are more difficult. Make an informed decision the next time you’re looking for a 12-pack.
Few Tips For Reusing Beer Bottles
When looking for reusable commercial glass beer bottles, there are a few pointers we wanted to give you.
The first thing is that you cannot use the bottles if they have twist-off caps. You won’t be able to properly recap them. Your beer will become flat as a result of the loss of carbon dioxide during carbonation. Use glass bottles with twist-off caps instead.
Simply being aware of the bottle thickness would be the second step. Simply by weight, one can assess this quickly. Glass becomes stronger the heavier the bottle.
The bottles will be more resilient the thicker the glass is. Therefore, if you use glass bottles that are not as thin, they might lose durability over time. Beer may not be properly carbonated as a result, or some bottles may explode.
I’ve only observed this a few times, and it only occurs in refilled commercial beer bottles. So simply be conscious of the types of bottles you are using and their age.
To stop the yeast from producing C02, chill the bottle in the refrigerator if you think it might explode.
Finally, if you are using some swing-top bottles repeatedly, remember to replace the gaskets after a few uses. This will ensure that the seal is tight and that no carbon dioxide is lost during carbonation.
Creative Ways To Repurpose Your Beer Bottles
Beer Bottle Candles
Although there are many amusing beer candles on Etsy, you should definitely try making your own.
Wine Bottle Vase
Try making this wine bottle vase hanger yourself if you prefer the au natural look.
Beer Bottle Goblets
These goblets are a necessity for St. No other vessel than a beer glass goblet is suitable for toasting St. Patty’s Day.
Beer Bottle String Lights
What a fantastic sight these illuminated beer bottles make!! They are ideal for a summertime outdoor barbecue.
Beer Bottle Spoon Rest
Throw away that tacky spoon rest with the faux cross-stitched sunflowers on it! Purchase one or make one yourself out of a beer bottle.
Bottle Cop Candles
Along with your beer bottle candles, how about some bottle top candles? You could spice up your mantel with these unique candles.
Beer Bottle Clock
Squeezed bottle clock This is undoubtedly one of the 99 bottles that were returned to the wall, and it’s pretty awesome.
Used Beer Bottles: Six-steps To Follow
Matt Swihart, founder of Double Mountain Brewery & Cidery says, “A refillable package of beer is what’s next.” He was adamant about using a glass beer bottle that was returnable and refillable. Simply put, the procedure is
- Buy
- Enjoy
- Return
- Wash
- Refill
- Repeat
His passion for the environment inspired him to use empty beer bottles for brewing. The refillable glass bottles take the world’s most sustainable package a step further. There are 66 times fewer carbon dioxide emissions per container when using these bottles, which can be filled up to 26 times or even more occasionally. This makes the glass bottles the lowest packages that release CO2.
Reusable Beer Bottles – Good Idea
In 2018, the state of Oregon introduced a new glass beer bottle that could be reused. Ever since this creation, American beer consumption has changed significantly. With sustainability as the hot topic of this generation and the obsession with environment-friendly products on the rise, the demand for single-use products can decline in the coming future. In light of this, the Oregon government’s project is completely changing the beer bottling industry.
Reusing the bottles is the only component of the science involved. Once customers are done with their beer, the bottles can be returned, washed, and used once again. This can be done up to 25 times, which could lead to saving almost up to 92 percent of the carbon footprint of bottled beer and boosting the recycling of aluminum and glass. “It is a plus both economically and environmentally,” says Juice Bailey, Chief Stewardship Officer and Communications Director at Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative.”
Bottle reuse has been proposed a few times throughout history, but it has also been shot down several times. But, you know they say, “old is gold”, for a reason. This has become a ritual in many nations around the world. And almost two decades after reusing bottles was discontinued, the ORBC began reinvestigating the idea in September 2018.
For reusing and refilling beer bottles, we now have a variety of facilities. In 2019, Draftbottle released a stainless steel, vacuum-sealed, reusable beer bottle. It completely overtook the US gifting market. 22 ounces of their preferred beer could be easily added by the users. Plus, it’s not just for beer, which is the best part. You could count this as a perfect gift for beer lovers this holiday season.
