Uses for Brown Beer Bottles

Bottling

• Beer brewed at home must be stored as soon as the fermentation is complete. Emptied and washed brown beer bottles are very useful, as they do not need the carbon dioxide necessary for storing beer in a keg. Simply wash the used bottles in hot soapy water to remove the beer remnants and remove the label if you wish. Manual bottle cap machines and caps can be purchased to close the bottles once they are filled.

Lamps

• Beer bottles can be reused as lamps by drilling a small hole in the bottom of the bottle and stringing a lamp kit through it, so the bottle top holds the light bulb. Only a lampshade is necessary to complete the setup. Take care with a glass drill, as shards can cut. Also take care with the lamp kit and keep it free from water.

Bottle Deposits

• Some states return a deposit made on beer bottles when purchased. Return the bottles to the nearest recycling center to redeem 5 or 10 cents per bottle. California, Connecticut, Guam, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon and Vermont have deposits on glass bottles, as of 2010.

Mini Garden

• The color of brown beer bottles can trap heat in its small space and provide a great environment for plants. Drop small pebbles in the bottom for drainage and spoon in about 1 1/2 inches of quality soil into the bottom. The seeds of a tall-growing plant can be dropped on top of the soil, watered slightly. Place the bottle in the sun to begin the incubation of your miniature garden.

Jewelry and Mosaics

• Brown bottle glass can be broken down and smoothed into pieces that make beautiful jewelry or pieces for a mosaic. Be careful with this process, as the edges are sharp until smoothed by a water sander or glass sander. Gloves and goggles should be used while creating the small pieces and sanding them down.