Reusing Beer Bottles for Home Brewing

Basket of hops next to a glass of beer
  • 1-2 hours
  • Intermediate
  • 25-50
What You'll Need
Old beer bottles
Home brew
Warm water
What You'll Need
Old beer bottles
Home brew
Warm water

Reusing beer bottles for home brewing is a great money-saving idea as well as a great way to recycle. Keeping the bottles in use, without having to discard them, is doing more for going green than taking them to the redemption center.

Step 1 - Remove Labels

Removing the labels completely can be done easily. First, fill each bottle with warm water and let them sit in the sink. This just keeps the bottles from floating and warms the inside of the bottles. Then fill the sink with hot water and let the bottles set for a few hours. Once they have soaked, you should be able to remove the labels. Remaining residue will come off in the next step.

Step 2 - Clean Thoroughly

bottle cap coming off a cold beer

When reusing your beer bottles you should sterilize them the best you can. Run the bottles through your dishwasher at least twice. Let them stay in to dry completely.

Step 3 - Fill with Home Brew

Once they have been delabeled and cleaned thoroughly, you can reuse them for your home beer. Keep your bottles sterile at all times. It’s best to leave them in the dishwasher rack and use them as soon as possible once sterilized. Place the bottles in a six-pack carrier for easy storage and pour home brew in through a funnel.

Once you have finished drinking the beer in the bottle, simply repeat the process and continue reusing the old beer bottle.