Bottles: the ones to use (research!)

[crunchysaviour]

Intrigued by the problem of choosing the right bottles, and of choosing the best ones for bottling homebrew based primarily on strength, with easily-removable labels and brownness desirable criteria, I thought it was time to do some researching. I would like this to become a substantial list of bottles and their weights, so we might be able to better look for commercial beers to buy, based on what we're going to do with their bottles afterwards.

I have started weighing my bottles on electronic scales to determine just how heavy and thus strong they are.

Labels were removed by soaking in a fermenter full of warm-to-hot soapy water, followed by scrubbing with a yellow/green sponge/scourer.

So far, Fuller's seem to make the superior bottle, heavier even than the specifically reusable one I tried (I have only tried one of these, mind). Samuel Smith's bottles are also very heavy, but rather more difficult to come by. Shepherd Neame Spitfire bottles are fairly heavy and attractive, but unfortunately clear. A cupboard or box, of course, instantly rectifies the un-brown issue here.

Bottles are assumed brown and 500ml unless stated. Pint is of course 568ml. In most cases, breweries use the same bottle for many beers; only the one I tried or the most prevalent is given. Sorted by weight.

Brewery - Beer - Colour - Bottle Conditioned - Bottle Weight - Volume - Glass Generosity - Notes

Samuel Smith's - Various - Brown - - 477 g - 550 ml - 0.87 g/ml - Labels removed easily
Fullers - London Pride - Brown - - 460 g - 500 ml - 0.92 g/ml - Very sturdy bottle indeed. Embossed. Labels removed easily.
Barley Bottom - - Brown - - 419 g - 500 ml - 0.84 g/ml -
Timothy Taylor - Landlord - Brown - - 411 g - 500 ml - 0.82 g/ml -
Waitrose - Cider - Brown - - 411 g - 500 ml - 0.82 g/ml -
Unknown - Reusable - Brown - - 410 g - 500 ml - 0.82 g/ml - Like a slim Magner's bottle
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire - Clear - - 405 g - 500 ml - 0.81 g/ml - Short, wide.
Tring - Side Pocket For A Toad - Brown - - 405 g - 500 ml - 0.81 g/ml - Solid, standard - looking bottle. Foil label peels off, glue will not soak off, needs endless hours of rubbing with white spirit, or a good soaking in the stuff – aaaaargh, why?!
Wilko - Reusable - Brown - - 400 g - 500 ml - 0.80 g/ml -
Grolsch - Flip Top - Green - - 392 g - 500 ml - 0.78 g/ml - Weighed with lid.
Three Castles - Saxon Archer - Brown - Bottle Conditioned - 340 g - 500 ml - 0.68 g/ml - Label does not soak off
Wells - Bombardier - Brown - - 338 g - 500 ml - 0.68 g/ml - No longer a pint
Breakspears - Oxford Gold - Brown - - 336 g - 500 ml - 0.67 g/ml -
Bulmer's - Cider - Brown - - 332 g - 568 ml - 0.58 g/ml - Embossed “568ml 57mm U61 3 9213”
Wychwood - Hobgoblin etc - Brown - - 320 g - 500 ml - 0.64 g/ml - One bottle was 400g.
Magner's - Cider - Brown - - 320 g - 568 ml - 0.56 g/ml - Embossed “568ml 66mm 3 Q1 1613 A”
Kopparberg - Pear Cider - Green - - 319 g - 500 ml - 0.64 g/ml -
Shepherd Neame - Bishops Finger - Clear - - 317 g - 500 ml - 0.63 g/ml -
Badger - Golden Glory - Brown - - 310 g - 500 ml - 0.62 g/ml -
Crouch Vale - Brewers Gold - Brown - - 310 g - 500 ml - 0.62 g/ml -
Nethergate - Essex Border - Brown - - 306 g - 500 ml - 0.61 g/ml -
Jennings - Cumberland - Green - - 304 g - 500 ml - 0.61 g/ml -
Morland - Old Speckled Hen - Clear - - 302 g - 500 ml - 0.60 g/ml -
Marston's - Pedigree - Brown - - 302 g - 500 ml - 0.60 g/ml -
Black Sheep - Black Sheep Ale - Brown - - 295 g - 500 ml - 0.59 g/ml -
Sainsbury's - Biere des Flandres - Green - - 113 g - 250 ml - 0.45 g/ml -

[themadhippy]

The wilko bottles appear to vary, got 3 here at 379g,402g and 406g, the recycled bottle from barley bottom is 419g.Will attempt to empty a few more,all in the name of science of course.

[Damfoose]

Bitburger and warsteiner bottles are good being brown and relativly heavy, also lable removal is not to bad.

[Dr. Dextrin]

Is it possible to find decent pint bottles these days? My glass always seems disappointingly empty if I use 500ml ones, so I consider pintness to be another desirable criterion.

You note Bulmers cider bottles are 1 pint, but they seem very lightweight. Is there anything better? My current stock of pint bottles weigh in at about 455g each BTW.

[sladeywadey]

Great list..

is there still an issue with capping the hobgoblin bottles or has that now gone?

[WishboneBrewery]

Great list..

is there still an issue with capping the hobgoblin bottles or has that now gone?

Only with a 2 handled capper, the Bench capper will cap everything.

[Garth]

Is it possible to find decent pint bottles these days? My glass always seems disappointingly empty if I use 500ml ones, so I consider pintness to be another desirable criterion.

Magners bottles from pubs bottle skip out the back used to be a good source of pint bottles, haven't held a Magners in ages but never heard of anyone saying they were lightweight. I think I have a few somewhere so unless they've changed and gone the 'green' route they are still nice and thick.

[crunchysaviour]

Magners are slightly wider and lighter than Bulmers - the codes embossed on the bottom are slightly different too. I have now included these in the list.

Thanks to themadhippy for providing some weights. I'll call the Wilko ones 400g.
Damfoose - I'd be interested in knowing the weights of these. Perhaps this is an excuse to go and buy some beer...

I will include info about bottles with non-standard shoulders for the two-handled capper. Indeed, I have a bench capper so I can't find out myself which ones are bad for this.

I spent some of last night and this morning getting all the horrible glue off the Tring Brewery bottles - good bottles but terrible choice of glue. It took a lot of effort including full submersion in white spirit and plenty of rubbing to remove the remaining glue. It would be a shame for me to stop buying their excellent beer because their glue is too difficult to remove! Fuller's are currently by far the best choice of bottle (with beer already in), except for not being a pint.

IIRC the bottle for Bombardier is brown and a pint. I wonder what it weighs...

[Horatio]

Bombardier is now 500ml weight = 338g
Pedigree (revolting stuff IMO) 500ml 302g
Breakspears Oxford Gold 500ml 336g
Crouch Vale Brewers Gold 500ml 310g Could drink this all day!
Jennings Cumberland (green) 500ml 304g
Nethergate Essex Border 500ml 306g

[fractureman]

yep bombadier used to be pints but now 500ml mate but a good weight of bottle

[tubthumper]

Sainsburys Biere des Flandres 113g green 250ml

taste like crap and Ihate lager but wanted smallbottles for a barley wine I have palned
oh and £3 for 10 so not too expensive if i thow the stuff down the drain

[Jerry Cornelius]

The Fuller's bottles are great. I am gradually changing all my 200+ bottles for them. They are reassuringly heavy and feel like they will last for ages. Not too concerned about getting a full pint from them, I have some freebee Magner's from my local for that - considering that we have to pour away the last 1/4 - 1/2 inch.

[tubthumper]

considering that we have to pour away the last 1/4 - 1/2 inch.

why you pouring it away I can think of 2 uses for it

1 drink it , its vitimin b and is very good for you
2 culture it

but i would allways drink it

[Stonechat]

I give Fullers bottles 10 out of 10, and the beer is good to drink. Have hundreds of them.

Another bottle worth using is the Timothy Taylor Landlord one. The same bottle is used by Waitrose for their Vintage and Reserve ciders, both on special offer at the moment. They are 500ml, made of brown glass and the labels of TTL and the Waitrose ciders soak off easily. I'll weigh one tomorrow, if I remember

[Philipek]

Sam Smiths bottles are great - 477g - very sturdy, dark dark brown glass (so much so it's difficult to fill), embossed with logo at the shoulder of the bottle and at the bottom, 'bottled at Yorkshire's Oldest Brewery". A very attractive bottle. Holds 550ml, not quite a pint but better than most. Labels come off easily. Never seen it on sale in shops in the UK, but if you rummage in a skip outside a Sam Smiths' pub, you won't be disappointed.

Alternatively, you could go drink there. Apparently, at least in London, they can't run a cellar so the bottles are the way to go - and cheap for a pub too.