Re-Use Wine Bottles or Not?

[girl47]

I am about to buy a wine making starter kit, but have asmall collection of used bottles at home, can someone advise me please.........

Can I re-use my branded empty wine bottles??? or do I have to buy clean , new bottles?

[Hazel at the Hill]

I am about to buy a wine making starter kit, but have asmall collection of used bottles at home, can someone advise me please.........

Can I re-use my branded empty wine bottles??? or do I have to buy clean , new bottles?

As long as you sterilise them first you can use whatever bottles you like, and Wilko sell plastic reuseable stoppers. If you buy a Young's wine kit, it will include 6 tapered corks, which are easy enough to use, especially if you invest in a hand corker.

[bluemoon]

girl47. My OH makes the world's most gorgeous wine, (sadly not enough of it) but doesn't drink. Imagine how guilty I'd feel, slipping that bottle of red into my shopping on a Friday, if I couldn't say: "But Darling, It's only because I know you'll need the empties".

[shirlthegirl43]

Rinse empties as soon as possible after emptying. Soak in a bowl of soapy water for 5 mins (I usually wait till there are a few) and wash as thoroughly as possible. Prior to bottling the wine, make up Milton or similar sterilising solution and fill bottles and leave for the required time. Milton is easiest as there is no need to rinse afterwards. Bottle your homebrew, cork, enjoy a glass or two.

[Twinkle]

yup - I save my empties and re-use them religiously.

Had a fair amount of success using screw-caps too as I couldn't get the hang of corking.

[Sanjo]

Yes I also re-use wine bottles as well as beer bottles for my OH's beer which I also make. Only kit stuff but he enjoys it! When you've made your own wine, bottled it, labelled it and sweated on a seal they look really good enough to drink!! Good luck

[girl47]

Thanks everyone!!!!!!!!!!
Gill

[lynda66]

Reported xx

[Snadger]

Souinds like proffessor Stanley Unwin to me! (If the relevant post is deleted this reply is going to sound like him also!)

[BrideXIII]

I reuse all my wine bottles, and unless you are going to store them for months before you drink them, you can even re-use screw tops, I use the plastic corks from wilkies for storing and screw tops for the quick drinkers.

miltons is the best steriliser, and stretch it by sterilising one bottle for 15 minutes, then pour it into the next bottle whilst lightly capping the first one, the fluid is good for 24 hours, this way you can do all your bottles, with the same fluid. I don't do more than 12 at a time so this saves on miltons for me.

for wine that you are going to drink quickly you can also use those BIG water bottles, they are 95p from tescos and hold a gallon, I also use these for fermenting and clearing, that way you save on storage space too, keeping your actual bottles for wine you are going to mature.
I shall be spending this afternoon racking off several gallons into these for clearing before bottling.

[zazen999]

Well, at least this time I've learnt something from a thread resurrected by a spammer. Never thought of using Milton.

[Hilary B]

Our wine bottles never get sterilised with anything more than VERY hot water (not boiling, just 'hottest I can get from the tap', but they do get the soapy water wash, and the hot-tap is the final rinse, with just 'cooling off time' before putting the wine in. I don't think any of our 'odd tastes' are the sort you would get from failure to sterilise. If the washing is thorough, sterlising chemicals are 'the icing on the cake'....

[BrideXIII]

Our wine bottles never get sterilised with anything more than VERY hot water (not boiling, just 'hottest I can get from the tap', but they do get the soapy water wash, and the hot-tap is the final rinse, with just 'cooling off time' before putting the wine in. I don't think any of our 'odd tastes' are the sort you would get from failure to sterilise. If the washing is thorough, sterlising chemicals are 'the icing on the cake'....

have to be honest, i have 'sterilised ' this way if i am out of miltons, either that or a warm oven for 15 minutes, again if you have a dishwasher just stick em in there.

[Borisbont]

When I started making my own wine I popped down to my local bottle recycling site and politely asked a few dropper offers if I could recycle their screw top wine bottles. In 10 minutes I had a boot full, a carrot wine recipe and the offer of a free demi-john! By the way to any complete starters out there don't bother with buying citric acid and tannin - Lemon Juice and Cold Tea does the job lovely!

[Brewer-again]

re-using bottle

I have also used the same bottles time and time again.
I find the cheapest way is using budget thin bleach. Pour it in, shake it around, then pour it in to the next bottle and repeat. Be careful that you don't splash your clothes and rinse well, then rinse again with cold water untill you can no longer smell bleach.

I have been using a 30-40p bottle of bleach for the past 4+ months.