Bottles

So here we are, all ready for bottling the Porter. 

Gotta lotta bottle (sorry)

These are all bottles I've saved, had people collect for me, or scavenged from recycling bins! Recycling in action, right here ladies and gentlemen! Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get through quite the amount of bottles I needed since the last brew, so I actually had to buy 6 bottles from Wilko's on the walk home yesterday. I'd rather not do this. Apart from the cost of buying the bottles, it seems unnecessary when so many are thrown away and all that energy and resource goes to waste. By the time I get to bottling my next brew I aim to have fostered a handy bottle collection arrangement with some local pubs. If I'm upping my production rate I'm going to need them too.

My preference is for brown bottles. They keep the light out of the beer and help it to keep better. Clear bottles may look nice on a shelf, but they can lead to beer going 'skunky' in aroma. Now, obviously there are a few clear bottles in that picture, so I'm not going to say I never use them. If I'm using second hand bottles I can't be too picky! So the clear ones will be kept in a closed box to keep the light out, and I plan to drink these first, before light can cause any problems.

I've found re-using bottles to be pretty straight forward, especially where I'm saving them at home. I just rinse the bottles out when I've finished them, give them a quick spray inside with StarSan to sanitise them, then I stick them in the dishwasher upsidedown to drain and dry out. Where I inherit, or retrieve, bottles from other people I give them a proper wash with a bottle brush to dislodge any gunk/mould that might be living in there too. I know some people use the dishwasher to clean and sanitise their bottles, but I wouldn't be confident that the inside of the bottle would be properly cleaned, given the small neck opening. I also think that way uses far more energy - a bit of a waste and more expensive. 

The final step I take is to wrap the tops of the bottles in silver foil and bake them in the oven at 180 for 60 minutes. This is enough time to sterilise the bottles and kill off anything else hiding inside. I can then pack the bottles away with the foil still in place so that come bottling day I'm ready to roll!