Whether brewing beer at home recreationally or you are just starting a small business, stocking the right essentials will help you run everything smoothly. Speaking of the essentials, paying more attention to the type of bottles you choose is crucial for having a successful outcome.
According to professional beer brewers, the bottles are closely related to the beer’s flavour and freshness, so it’s mandatory to choose ones that can block UV light while also preventing oxygen contamination. Since glass is a non-porous material, you can use the bottles as many times as you want, which will help you save in the long run.
Things to Consider When Choosing the Right Bottles
Glass Colour
Does the Colour of a Beer Bottle Matter?
The truth is that beer bottles come in a selection of colours, where green, brown and clear are the most commonly used and available on the market. That’s because the beer taste, flavour and colour can drastically change if exposed to light, which is why you should be careful when choosing the one for your project.
Brown (Amber)
This is certainly one of the oldest and most commonly used types of bottle colours because it can significantly block UV light and prevent your beer from skunking. It’s said that this shade is ideal in blocking all wavelengths shorter than 450nm and ensures an untouched and undisturbed taste of beer, no matter if exposed to the sun.
Green
Green is the second most commonly used type of flask shade for storing beer. Unlike brown beer bottles, these ones provide a certain amount of protection against UV light, which cannot be compared to the protection offered by brown liquid containers. Hence, the green colour offers moderate protection, and it’s mainly used by those who want to indicate that they have a quality beer and those located in cooler climates.
Clear
This certainly is the least protective glass colour. It offers minimal to no protection from light exposure, allowing light to come in, affecting the beer’s condition, freshness and quality. The thing about this bottle’s attractiveness is that it allows consumers to see the beer’s colour. Usually, these liquid holders are used for beers that are less susceptible to light.
Bottle Shape
The shape of the flask is as important as the shade itself. In fact, the shape is the first thing people notice, so choosing a convenient and easy-to-hold bottle is important.
Longneck
This is maybe one of the most popular and commonly used shapes. As the name suggests, these longnecks have longer necks, rounder shoulders and a steeper indent label panel, which allows for flexibility when applying the label. The dimensions of these longnecks are extremely appealing, and they are a common choice by small and larger brewers.
Belgium
These are one of the oldest and most commonly used types of bottles, characterised by their bumped shoulders, which seem great in preventing yeast solids from transferring to a glass when poured. As the name suggests, these flasks come from Belgium and have been used by some of the oldest and most popular breweries there. The shape of this Belgian container makes it the ideal option for wheat-based beers like porters, stouts and some other dark beers.
Keep in mind that you can also choose from the newest models of these beers, featuring a stepped indent at the heel and below the shoulders in order to protect the label from scuffing during the production/packaging process.
Cylindrical
This certainly is one of the oldest types of bottles that are used to this day. Their geometric shape makes it perfect for labelling and filling.
Stubby and Steine
The original name of these bottle shapes is ‘steine’, however, they are also known as stubby, popular for their short, wide and compact shape. But even though small and short, it has a wider diameter, and it can still collect a decent amount of beer in it. This beer container has been used during the age of prohibition, since smaller bottles were easier to hide.
Given the fact that these bottles are smaller in general, they are easier to store, keep and hold in hand, and it seems that people love them because of their nature and ability to have cold beer all the time.
Size
The next thing you should take into account is the bottles’ size. Generally, you can choose from the usual 330ml and 500ml bottles, however, it isn’t strange seeing a 750ml bottle. The newest trend of bottles is the 250ml ones, which are perfect for those who don’t like drinking warm beer.
Closure
The last thing to take into account when in the search for the right bottles is their closure. The way they’re opened and closed is crucial for the beer’s quality, and one of the most commonly used closures is the crown-pry-off closure. This, in fact, is one of the most popular closures because it seems to successfully reduce oxygen exposure. In order to open it, you’ll need a bottle opener.
You can also choose from the selection of cork and cage closures, which are unique-looking. Being unique means that they are mainly used by luxury brands.
