Beer Bottles & Growlers

Bottling beer is an important skill all homebrewers should master. Although it is one of the most labour-demanding tasks in the brewing process, there is nothing more rewarding than drinking your own perfectly brewed bottled beer.

When bottling beer, the most crucial step is ensuring that the fermentation is complete by checking the specific gravity. A fully fermented beer should have a uniform specific gravity reading taken at least two or three days apart. If the readings are not the same, this indicates that fermentation is still on-going and that bottling of the beer may lead to the overproduction of carbon, which can cause beer bottles to explode.

When the specific gravity is uniform for several days, bottling can commence. If you are brewing five gallons batches, you will need an average of 30 pieces of 22-ounce bottles or 52 pieces of 12-ounce bottles. Make sure that the bottles are clean and sanitized. When cleaning the bottles, do not use bleach, instead use a non-rinsing sanitizer.

Why should homebrewers learn how to bottle their homebrew? Doing so will give you an understanding of how the carbonation and pasteurization process works as opposed to kegged beer. For your packaging needs, we at Ontario Beer Kegs have a selection of beer bottles & growlers. Our beer bottles can accommodate different volumes of beer, plus we carry bottles made from various materials such as stainless steel and food-grade polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

When bottling your homebrew, keep in mind that growlers are not for long-term storage. Our Stainless Steel 64 oz growlers are great for fill-ups at your local craft brewers (if they allow) or to take your homebrew on the go. We also have mini-keg growlers in various sizes that you can dispense when using the Mini-Keg Ball Lock Lid.