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ndbrewlady

ndbrewlady

NewBee
Registered Member
Dec 18, 2008
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Burlington, ND
I want to switch to making more mead then beer. Yet I have all of these beer bottles. I understand that you can carbonate mead just like beer, but will be sweater if I don't carbonate. So the questions I have is:
Can I put non-carbonated mead in beer bottles??? May sound dumb but I couldn't find the answer.
Thank you for your help.
 
One bit of advice: I crown cap all my fermented beverages (started from beer). The seals will start to fail in a couple of years, so the meads I have been waxing as well. For beer, it's generally not a problem since they are consumed before the seal dies.

You can also make sparkling mead in beer bottles (I've done it). Standard dosing rules apply, try not to go above about 3.5 volumes of CO2 in the mead or you risk some bottle failures.
 
I have a bunch of ez capper bottles, will they be a problem? I could just borrow the wine stuff from my mom and cork a few bottles for long term storage, just nice to be able to use the bottles I have for most, I like mead better then beer (as does a friend and main drinking partner) so am doing a switch once the last beer batch is gone.
 
EZ capper? Looked it up and those are the Grolsch-style bottles with the ceramic plug and rubber gasket? I'd think you'd be ok with those for the year-or-two time frame before the gaskets are questionable. Anything you want to store for longer should be crown-capped and waxed or corked (wax optional). Crown caps without wax are also fine for a year or two. I just wanted to give you a heads-up so you don't get nasty oxidized mead 10 years from now.
 
ndbrewlady,

If you are planning to do a lot of meads...I would suggest you visit a local wine store that does regular tasting and ask them for the empties...I did and now have about 20 cases not counting those I have given to friends (now I just keep the clear bottles).

A corker and corks are reasonably priced, and if you get enough clear bottles you add a visual affect to the experience.

I have 8 cases of 1/2 and 1 liter flipper top bottles, but really like the idea of seeing the product, so I save them for beer.
 
I've got both beers and meads in the EZ cappers that are five years old and still going strong. Be sure to start with fresh, new gaskets if you plan on aging them for any length of time though. If there are any cracks, powder or checking on the gaskets, replace them before you bottle.

As far as crown caps go, I've got meads and beers that I made over five years capped in standard 12oz beer bottles. No problems with oxidation and I've never waxed them.

I also have an extensive collection of 10+ year old commercial barleywines and strong ales (crown capped) that are great. Very rarely have I had a problem with oxidation. Damned few of them are waxed. There are anecdotal stories of Thomas Hardy's in 25 year old crown capped bottles as being the best. I would love to try one! The oldest I have right now are some '94 Samichlaus'. When I tried one last year, it was phenomanal.
 
I was going to order four clear cappers, might just get a case now that I would set aside to see how each back looks. Yes I was also seeing the issue of wanting to see what the batch looks like "before" I pour it out. I also like the idea of re-sealing them if we don't drink all, doesn't happen often but sometimes!!!

wildaho I was just getting ready to order new gaskets, I bought some of my bottles used and was thinking that they need new gaskets.
 
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