Homebrew Bottling Day

After 14 days in the fermenter, your beer is ready to be bottled.

Typical beer bottles used in homebrewing are 12 oz brown bottles, but there are several varieties that can be used. For instance, larger bottles (16 or 22 oz) can be used and brown. EZ cap bottles will work. Stick with brown bottles if possible- clear, green or other colored bottles are not ideal as they will not block the UV wavelength responsible for creating a skunky character in beer. Most screw cap beer growlers are not ideal, as they are not designed to hold the same pressure cap bottles are.

While new bottles are the easiest to use, it is possible to recycle bottles from your favorite commercial brews as well. There are two VERY important conditions though. First, you have to clean them thoroughly.  You have come too far in this process to use dirty bottles.  The second condition is that the bottles have to be "pry-top" bottles.  That means that when they were first opened, a bottle opener was required to open them. "Twist tops" are not thick enough glass to handle the home capping methods you will be using.

Check out the video below for a short & sweet demonstration of the capping process: