Cordial/Juice Bottles

David. · « **on:** May 29, 2007, 15:59 »

Ever since getting our electric pasteuriser, I have been searching for a source of cheaper bottles (0.75 or 1 litre with plastic screw caps) than those available from the supplier of the equipment (24 x 0.75l for £18):

I have found them much cheaper, but only if bought by the pallet load!

Does anybody know where I can get them cheaper? And get replacement caps for re-using them in quantities less than 1,000 ?

P.S. I have been saving sparkling wine bottles gathered on glass recycling day, to use with 29mm crown caps as an almost free solution.

WG. · « **Reply #1 on:** May 29, 2007, 16:09 »

Your local pub / club probably throws out 1000 empty Magners cider bottles every week. Plenty others take crown caps too

David. · « **Reply #2 on:** May 29, 2007, 16:26 »

Getting new bottles with screw caps was my priority for bottling cordials as they would ne to be re-sealed for over a couple of weeks or so.

The re-using ex-sparkling bottles idea was to get a large bottle for apple juice storage (would prefer 1 litre), that would be drunk over a short period of time after opening.

Most (if not all the) bottles that take the standard 26mm crown cap (beer bottle size) are too small to bother with.

WG. · « **Reply #3 on:** May 29, 2007, 16:32 »

Okay. I had missed the need to reseal for cordial (although the expandable tops for re-sealing wine bottles are great).

Magners bottles are 1 pint (0.568 litre) so they aren't that much smaller than 0.75 litre. Supermarkets sell 1 litre sized Magners methinks.

A lot of beer from France / Belgium comes in 1 litre bottles with Grolsch-style wired stoppers. Now they ARE the business.

David. · « **Reply #4 on:** May 29, 2007, 17:26 »

Trouble is I produce virtually all my own alcohol, and the 'local' mainly sells fine wines from the Lord of The Manors French vinyards, rather than Magners cider.

0.75l is the minimum size or it will reduce the amount in a batch for the pasteuriser too much.

WG. · « **Reply #5 on:** May 29, 2007, 17:41 »

I am only trying to help :!: :roll:

David. · « **Reply #6 on:** November 01, 2007, 16:41 »

Quote from: "WG."

Magners bottles are 1 pint (0.568 litre) so they aren't that much smaller than 0.75 litre. Supermarkets sell 1 litre sized Magners methinks.

Thought of your post when I started finding 0.75 litre Magners cider bottles in the village's recycling baskets - only 2p to crown cap and I can fit 9 in my pasteuriser (rather than 8 champagne bottles).

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #7 on:** November 01, 2007, 17:40 »

I think you owe WG a "thank you" then David. :!:

muntjac · « **Reply #8 on:** November 01, 2007, 19:10 »

nah give him a slap fer gettting a sulk on

WG. · « **Reply #9 on:** November 01, 2007, 19:14 »

Quote from: "David."

Thought of your post when I started finding 0.75 litre Magners cider bottles in the village's recycling baskets - only 2p to crown cap and I can fit 9 in my pasteuriser (rather than 8 champagne bottles).

Magnanimous of you to say so, sir.

I actually rather like the full bottles myself (not having enough apples to make my own).

muntjac · « **Reply #10 on:** November 01, 2007, 19:17 »

i always used a chenin blanc green type bottle to reuse

the new corks from boots if memory serves

David. · « **Reply #11 on:** November 02, 2007, 15:48 »

Corked bottles no good for pasteurising as the hot juice rises to the top of the bottle and as it cools/contracts the vacuum would pull the cork down into the bottle (but I think there is an old method of drilling the cork and using a piece of string threaded through it and tied around the neck to stop it dissapearing down into the bottle, then cover it with hot wax to seal, but it all seems like too much hassle to me especially as I pasteurise on Economy 7 overnight or up really earlyin the morning).

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #12 on:** November 02, 2007, 20:20 »

Quote from: "David."

Corked bottles no good for pasteurising as the hot juice rises to the top of the bottle and as it cools/contracts the vacuum would pull the cork down into the bottle

Surely that would only happen if you had an air space in them :?

David. · « **Reply #13 on:** November 03, 2007, 16:35 »

The fill level of liquid is 50mm below top of bottle, hot liquid rises to the top of bottle, height of cork = 38mm, so therefore would not a cork inserted into a bottle directly onto the contracting liquid after the bottle is removed from the pasteuriser be sucked into the bottle with the top of cork ending up 12mm inside the bottle? If (unsterilized)air was allowed into the bottle under the cork it would not be as good as the vacuum the I have at present. Also a cork costs 5p and should only be used once and needs sealing with wax, 26mm crown caps (up to 0.75 litre beer/cider bottles) cost approx 2p each, 29mm crown caps (that fit sparkling wine bottles) cost approx 3p each (both single use) and plastic screw caps cost 10p each, but I use them 3 times. As I am pasteurising approx. five hundred 0.75litre bottles of juice, cordials & still cider this year, and expect to do around 750 bottles next year I am looking for the cheap & easy (especially as we pasteurise on cheap rate electricity overnight) option.

muntjac · « **Reply #14 on:** November 03, 2007, 17:50 »

i dont pastureyes em i justy bottle wine in em agin

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