Re-using 650 ml bomber bottles

^Tony^

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Good day!! I recently had someone tell me I should only be re-using my 650 ml bottles 4 or 5 times before I trash them. I built my supply by drinking the beer of commercially sold beers and cleaning the bottles out. I've been using some of my bottles for years. I check them each round for cracks, chips, and wear and toss any that look damaged or don't come clean. Otherwise they go back into the stack to be re-filled.

Is this true or a "brewers myth"? Should I be putting a date on my bottles and counting how many times I am using them?
 
I have been reusing 12 ounce short neck bottles, some have probably been filled 10 to 12 times. So far, no problems with any of the bottles. I am in the habit, as soon as I pour a beer, I tip the bottle upside down to let sludge drain out. Then I rinse and shake the bottle, drain and add a drop of dish soap, add water and shake. Then the bottle sits on the counter with soap and water, until I shake, drain and rinse. The rinsed bottles go in the garage, where they are kept covered until next use.
 
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Good day!! I recently had someone tell me I should only be re-using my 650 ml bottles 4 or 5 times before I trash them. I built my supply by drinking the beer of commercially sold beers and cleaning the bottles out. I've been using some of my bottles for years. I check them each round for cracks, chips, and wear and toss any that look damaged or don't come clean. Otherwise they go back into the stack to be re-filled.

Is this true or a "brewers myth"? Should I be putting a date on my bottles and counting how many times I am using them?
Beer lore. As long as it isn't cracked or chipped, glass is fine. It's not like metal or plastic, subject to material fatigue. Keep using them!
 
Yeah, I'd do a visual inspection on them t make sure there are no cracks or chips but otherwise no reason to not reuse them over and over.
 
Beer lore. As long as it isn't cracked or chipped, glass is fine. It's not like metal or plastic, subject to material fatigue. Keep using them!
That's what I figured but I thought I'd put the question out. The benefits on this site is the centuries worth of combined experience people have.
 
In Ontario we have a return and reuse system for the big beer producers. When I was younger, and there was literally no where else to get beer, some bottles you would get in a case of beer would have been reused so many times that they almost looked sand blasted. I believe that as long as they made it back for filling, they would get reused.
 
Yeah, I'd do a visual inspection on them t make sure there are no cracks or chips but otherwise no reason to not reuse them over and over.
Lots of supply in our area
In Ontario we have a return and reuse system for the big beer producers. When I was younger, and there was literally no where else to get beer, some bottles you would get in a case of beer would have been reused so many times that they almost looked sand blasted. I believe that as long as they made it back for filling, they would get reused.
I keep my bottles in card board wine cases. 12 to a case separated by cardboard. Keeps them looking fresh and new!
 
[QUOTE="^Tony^, post: 108277, member: 29664"

Is this true or a "brewers myth"? Should I be putting a date on my bottles and counting how many times I am using them?[/QUOTE]
I hope it is myth since I've used some of mine over 30 times and they look like new. I rinse like others have described right after use, wash, dry upside down, and put back in the same cardboard divided box they came in. Also have some "recycled" from other craft beers, and I keep those in Corona case box since they are built a bit stronger.
 
@Daniel Parshley
“I hope it is myth since I've used some of mine over 30 times and they look like new. I rinse like others have described right after use, wash, dry upside down, and put back in the same cardboard divided box they came in. Also have some "recycled" from other craft beers, and I keep those in Corona case box since they are built a bit stronger.”

I keep mine in the six pack containers they came from.
Resourceful we brewers are.
 
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In Ontario we have a return and reuse system for the big beer producers. When I was younger, and there was literally no where else to get beer, some bottles you would get in a case of beer would have been reused so many times that they almost looked sand blasted. I believe that as long as they made it back for filling, they would get reused.
Haha, I remember those days. We'd buy Huber beer by the case ($8 if I remember right) and those bottles looked just as you described. They came in waxed cardboard box that may have tasted better than the beer!
 
Lots of supply in our area

I keep my bottles in card board wine cases. 12 to a case separated by cardboard. Keeps them looking fresh and new!
Same!
 
Haha, I remember those days. We'd buy Huber beer by the case ($8 if I remember right) and those bottles looked just as you described. They came in waxed cardboard box that may have tasted better than the beer!

I remember Huber beer! It is what my dad drank and therefore it's what I first drank. It was ok. Basically a poor man's Miller.
 
In Ontario we have a return and reuse system for the big beer producers. When I was younger, and there was literally no where else to get beer, some bottles you would get in a case of beer would have been reused so many times that they almost looked sand blasted. I believe that as long as they made it back for filling, they would get reused.
Same was true in Germany - dang, I wonder how some of those things held pressure! Most made it back because of the deposit - they charged a few pennies per bottle but that made sure most of them made it back.
 
I remember the deposit being $0.05 back in the day, it is still going today, deposit is $.010 for 500ml or less, $0.20 for 650ml and larger. Between the Beer Store, and our government run LCBO over 98% of packaging is either put back in for reuse, or properly recycled. Our system is actually workd renowned.
 
I remember the deposit being $0.05 back in the day, it is still going today, deposit is $.010 for 500ml or less, $0.20 for 650ml and larger. Between the Beer Store, and our government run LCBO over 98% of packaging is either put back in for reuse, or properly recycled. Our system is actually workd renowned.
As opposed to ours where everything winds up in a landfill. I can actually see the Denver-Aurora Garbageberg from my house.
 
As opposed to ours where everything winds up in a landfill. I can actually see the Denver-Aurora Garbageberg from my house.

More importantly, can you smell it from your house?
 
As opposed to ours where everything winds up in a landfill. I can actually see the Denver-Aurora Garbageberg from my house.
When I was in my 20's I was in Quebec a couple of times and their beer boxes were heavy duty corrugated cardboard, they had a deposit on them, and reused them as well.
 

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