Mason Jars
Been a long time since my last batch. Found bottles to be a b##tch. Was talking to a local pub owner and homebrewer, and he suggested using mason jars. Says they work just great. Any input on this would be appreciated. Seems like the perfect solution. Quart "bottles" of beer with less headache and no capping. Thanks
Roadking
interesting keep us posted sounds like it would work I have a few dozen mason jars It would be allot easier maybe i try it
You will need a TIGHT seal on it. Oh and don't forget, you will need DARK glass, which most mason jars are not. You could leave the jars in a dark room though. If you use clear glass but do not leave the jars in a dark environment, sunlight will damage your beer to a point.
The glass isn't real thick so I wouldn't expect one to hold much pressure.
As I have mentioned before, invest in 22 oz bottles instead. A typical mason jar is a quart (32 oz), so using a 22 oz bottles isn't much more work.
I've never heard of "bottling" with mason jars, but I've been to restaurants and pubs that used them for serving drinks. Sometimes they had handles built right on their sides.
I wonder if the pub owner was referring to the screw-on lids or the swing top kind with rubber gaskets?
Nothing more profound here other than my opinion, but I wouldn't risk the work & expense of a batch on using a mason jar....at the very least, see if a brew buddy or someone would try it with one mason jar and see if it works out first before jumping in with both feet....
Bottling with mason jars? It sounds new for me. Do you think it's not risky? I'm curious about it.
I would be willing to try anything It would seem like a nice thing to do for a party just to mess around
Hi All!
I really like the idea, but most of the possible problems have been mentioned.
Will they withstand pressure, they are clear, how tight will the seal get, etc.
One thing which hasn't been mentioned is increased occidation through the much larger surface area and empty space between beer and lid. All necked bottles are designed for commercial bottling where the beer slightly foams over and pushes any remaining oxygen out of the neck just before the capping. This ensures very low oxidation. With mason jars this space would be huge and oxidation would really make it's self known. I definately think an experiment is in order, but by no means should the whole batch go into mason jars.
Personally, I use a lot of 22oz bottles to simplify bottling and reduce oxidation, but also use .5liter flip tops. I have also used a growler or two with a flip top which worked very well.
Keep us posted if you try out the mason jars!
Cheers,
Dan
dlg great point i think i just ruled out using mason jars as to complicated just use the regular bottles i been using thanks for the fino
why is everybody so scared of using a mason jar????
the pub owner / homebrewer said they work great. so what's the harm in trying it?
if you've got a mason jar lying around, try it out on your next batch.
as for the potential problems...
- OXIDATION: I don't see the oxidation being a big issue. you normally leave about 1" of air at the top of a bottle, so with a mason jar leave about 1/4" of air at the top.
- LIGHT EXPOSURE: well that's a no-brainer, just put them in a dark place, like inside a cardboard box or dark-colored plastic tote.
- PRESSURE/SEAL: I think they would handle the pressure ok as long as they are not bottled prematurely. a mason jar's lid is thin metal which will be able to expand upwards under pressure. the lid's expansion will reduce the pressure against the glass. if anything I would guess the seal would give before the jar itself would explode.
I would put it inside a covered plastic tote (you can get them at Walmart for less than $5)... putting it inside a tote will not only protect the beer from light exposure, but will protect anything/anyone around it if the jar explodes.
hopefully somebody will try it before... but I will try with at least 1 mason jar once I buy some brewing equipment. if it doesn't work out, who cares??? you'll still have the remaining 20-21 bottles of perfect beer 
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madhatter wrote:
dlg great point i think i just ruled out using mason jars as to complicated just use the regular bottles i been using thanks for the fino
Madhatter.... there is this thing called punctuation you know... it makes messages easier to read. Please look into it.
Well BeerKing, you certainly can use mason jars. But here is how I look at it. I have known about a dozen homebrewers, and I know at least 3 of them were borderline professional. Not a single one of them used mason jars. Just because this homebrewer you speak of uses them does not mean that is the best method.
If mason jars were so great, why doesn't Charlie Papazian or John Palmer speak of it?
If you want to use them, go ahead. I personally think it is a mistake. Clear glass, I do not believe they hold a good seal, and the glass is thin, unlike a beer bottle.
Feel free to experiment.
I wouldn't try it based on my experience with canning foods in the jars with the metal lids and screw-on bands. I've done a little canning, but my mom canned a LOT of fruits, jams & jellies when I was growing up. I personally haven't seen a jar seal that wasn't heated.
The other reason I wouldn't try; when I open a bottle of beer, there is a fast release of CO2 whose escape seems to be controlled by the neck of the bottle. With a mason jar, I'd be afraid to remove the band for fear that the pressure built up by carbonation would pop the lid off once the band was removed. After all, with a mason jar there is no restriction between the surface of the beer and the opening.
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