Tip: Why I Reuse Widmer Brothers Bottles

If you've been to this site before, you probably remember that I used to bottle my home brew in Sam Adams bottles, but now I reuse Widmer Brothers bottles. I switched for a couple of reasons.

The primary readon I switched was because Sam Adams used to have a complete video course on how to home brew, on their web site. They have since taken down that course and have also forced any sites that were hosting the video to remove it. I admired Sam Adams for producing the video course and making it available, but I lost respect for them when they purged the earth of all copies. What a shame. I really can't believe that video could possibly have cut into their profits in any significant way.

Like Sam Adams, Widmer Brothers beer is great, and they have a lot of varieties to choose from.

The labels are even easier to soak off than Sam Adams bottles. I rinse the insides thoroughly right after emptying the bottles. When I have a few collected, I fill the sink and the bottles themselves with warm water, and a small amount of OxyClean, and let them soak on their sides for an hour or less. The paper peals off easily, leaving some adheasive that comes right off with a sponge. I rinse them and store them in a clean, dry place. On bottling day they get thoroughly sanitized, before being refilled with my latest batch of ale or lager.

An added benefit for me, at least, is that their bottles have a big "W" on them. I like this since my last name begins with "W".