Beer bottle

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Beer bottles are one of the containers in which beer is filled in order to portion the liquid, to simplify sales logistics and to protect it from external influences.

use

Beer is often drunk straight from the bottle or poured into a drinking glass to drink. The function of a pressure relief valve is achieved with different types of closures , as the contents are under slight pressure due to the CO 2 content. Some variants of the bottle cap are resealable. The bottles are translucent so they can be x-rayed for cleanliness control. They are designed with labels to identify the content. Special neck labels are used for clip closures to indicate premature opening. Often the beer bottles are provided with butt ribs on the cylinder surface in order to reduce breakage when they rub against each other. The bottom of the bottle is curved inwards and shows a volume in the middle. It can also have standing knobs or bars or have knobs all around as a production code.

history

At the beginning of the 20th century, due to changed consumption habits, the usual draft beer distribution was gradually replaced by bottle marketing. With the introduction of the can deposit in the early 2000s, the reusable beer bottle pushed back the share of beer cans in the consumption volume in Germany . The “six packs” (six 0.33 l bottles with cardboard packaging) are mostly filled with reusable bottles in Germany and no longer as one-way containers in stores.

Material and equipment

Clearly visible embossing on a beer bottle

Beer bottles are mostly made of glass , but the proportion of plastic bottles has increased since the early 2000s . Most beer bottles are closed with crown caps . Some breweries use resealable swing top bottles . This type of bottle cap was created before 1892 and was used for manual closing during filling. With the advent of the crown cork it was possible to close it by machine. Screw caps are mainly used for plastic beer bottles, less often for glass bottles. Some beers (e.g. Eggenberger, Upper Austria) are even bottled in aluminum bottles, which are also closed with crown corks. Beer bottles are usually offered with a deposit. In addition to returnable bottles , non- returnable bottles are also available in stores . There are one-way bottles for beer with a screw-on crown cap due to the special design of the bottle neck.

According to a study by the management consultancy Deloitte, there are more than 120 different types of bottles in circulation in Germany.

Some bottles are embossed , preferably those from the upper price segment should have a higher quality look. They also give the bottle an identification with the brewery. Labels are often placed on the bottles centered on these embossings; for this purpose, the bottles must be aligned accordingly in the labeling machine before the labeling process.

Container

Beer bottles are sold individually or in boxes. There are the (formerly only) standard wooden boxes with 12 or 20 bottles. In the 1980s, smaller containers with three six- packs (“sixpacks”) of 0.5-liter bottles or four “six-packs” of 0.33-liter bottles, sometimes eight-packs, came onto the market. Boxes of 20 for 0.5 liter bottles and boxes of 24 or 30 for 0.33 liter bottles are generally used. There are also numerous special shapes with different numbers of bottles. A standard 0.5 liter bottle weighs 850 to 900 g including the crown cap, filling and labels.

Bottle shapes

Initially, the bottles had a cylindrical body and a tapered neck that ended in the cap. This form of beer bottle was based on the traditional wine bottle . Since the beginning of the 1960s, this shape was supplemented by the Steinie bottles , the shape of which meant better protection against breaking when falling. In Germany until the end of the 1980s, the standard euro bottle for 0.5 liters was largely in use for a period of 30 to 40 years. Thereafter, for design reasons, the " NRW bottle in Vichy shape" according to DIN 6075 packaging - bottles was largely changed over.

In the late 1990s and in the 2000s, long-neck bottles were also often introduced due to the brand positioning. The new bottle shape involved a renewal of the format-dependent bottle guide parts on the filling machines, and some breweries kept the old NRW bottle in their range for cost reasons, while smaller breweries kept the euro bottle. For various national breweries such as Augustiner , Schlenkerla or the Tegernseer Brauhaus , the traditional euro bottle that has been retained has become a characteristic with a not inconsiderable identification value . Sometimes some large breweries like Erdinger fill one of their types of beer in euro bottles for nostalgic reasons or, like Hasen-Bräu Augsburg from the Radeberger Group or Ayinger , have switched their predominant or entire range back to this bottle. A number of medium-sized breweries are reintroducing them for the same reasons. NRW bottles are now coming back on the market for reasons of tradition and in contrast to long-neck bottles. As a result, there is a wide variety of bottle shapes on the market, and the equipment in the filling systems determines the shapes used for financial reasons.

  • Different bottle shapes

  • Euro bottle

  • Steinie bottle

  • NRW bottle

  • Longneck / long neck bottle

  • Vichy bottle (0.33 l NRW bottle)

colour

Beer is usually sold in colored bottles in order to avoid the light taste due to the decomposition of the hops bitter substances into 3-methyl-2-buten-1-thiol, which is promoted by ultraviolet radiation . Brown bottles are ascribed a measurably better filter effect than green ones, since the brown glass absorbs short-wave light in particular. Until the 1970s, both bottle colors were equally common; The formation of opinion among consumers promoted the view that beer stored in the sun changes the taste and is influenced by brown, green and transparent . If the beer can be stored protected from light, the glass color is insignificant. Uncolored beer bottles are only used very rarely (for example with the 330 ml bottles of the Reissdorf Kölsch and Corona brands ). Due to changes in the production processes in the glass industry, brown beer bottles are almost exclusively on the market. Some brands such as Pilsner Urquell , Beck’s , Jever , Wicküler , Brinkhoff’s , Einbecker , DAB , Heineken , Carlsberg or Ottakringer use the green bottle color as an additional identity feature .

In addition to green and brown, crystal-clear and blue bottles are used for mixed beer beverages. This is intended to make the bottle color usable as a unique selling point of beer for the market position in an advertising-effective manner.

Bottle sizes and national differences

"Torgauer Maibock" in a 0.5 liter swing top bottle

The usual bottle sizes have changed several times over the years and are now adapted to use in different countries.

  • In the beginning, liter bottles with resealable swing top were common in Germany . The swing top bottles were increasingly replaced with half-liter bottles by the crown closure. Bottles of 0.33 liters have also been in use since the 1950s.
  • In Switzerland , returnable bottles of 0.58 liters were common until the 1990s. Since then, the Europe-wide standardized returnable bottles with 0.33 and 0.5 liters have dominated. However, liter bottles are still in use regionally.
  • In Austria , returnable bottles of 0.5 liters - mostly the "NRW bottle" - are used. Some varieties are offered in disposable bottles with a quarter and a third liter capacity.
  • Bottle sizes of 0.25 liters and 0.33 liters are common in Belgium . Bottles of 0.375 liters are used to create identity for Lambics . There are bottles up to three liters ( Chimay ).
  • In Denmark , a size of 0.33 liters is standard for native varieties. They are usually sold in boxes of 30 bottles (0.33 l × 30 = 9.9 l). There are deviations, preferably boxes with 24 bottles of 0.33 liters each and also other bottle sizes.
  • In France , bottles with a size of 0.25 liters and 1 liter are common.
  • In Brazil , in addition to the 0.5 and 1 liter bottles, bottle sizes of 0.6 liters are common.
  • In Italy , 0.33 and 0.66 liter bottles are common.
  • In Lithuania , different bottle sizes are common, depending on the brewery: A large number of breweries offer bottles of 0.5 liters, while in some breweries the usual bottle size is 0.568 liters (1 imp. Pt. ). Sometimes there is also 0.42 liters (pusė kvortos) as the standard size; Different sizes can also be found.
  • In Spain and Portugal , 0.25, 0.33 and 1 liter bottles and preferably 0.33 or 0.5 liter cans are common.
  • There is no standardized bottle size in Sweden , especially since local varieties do not have any real priority over international brands. This is apparently a consequence of the state's alcohol monopoly. ( Systembolaget ). In Sweden, all varieties with an alcohol content of over 3.5% are sold in state outlets. Over-the-counter beer is almost exclusively available in deposit cans.
  • In Argentina , the standard size in the supermarket or at the kiosk is one liter. The standard size in the pub is 0.66 or 0.75 liters, occasionally 0.33 liters.
  • In many Eastern European countries there are plastic bottles on the market that contain up to 2.5 liters of beer. This size is more for transportation than direct drinking.
  • In South Asia the standard size is 0.7 liters.
  • In Australia , the sizes 0.375 liters and 0.8 liters according to the English measurement system dominate.

durability

Embossing bottle from the Beck brewery , incorrectly used by the Binding brewery for the Schöfferhofer brand

Experience has shown that the stability of a new bottle and its shelf life vary over the course of the product cycle.

Circulation number

Reusable beer bottles have an average circulation rate of 40, and some breweries can circulate up to 70 when the transport distance is short. Lower circulation numbers (20–38 on average according to the Deloitte study) are achieved with individualized bottles by embossing the brewery logo on the bottle, higher with standard bottles . According to this study, NRW bottles are circulated around 42 on average. The average number of bottles in circulation is reduced by the return of different bottle types in the empties, because not every brewery uses all bottle types. Some breweries sort out the bottle types that are not part of the range. With the increase in the variety of beer bottle formats currently in use, beer bottles are increasingly being carefully pre-sorted by beverage wholesalers and breweries themselves before they are refilled. This increases the degree of utilization of the filling systems and the frequency with which the bottles are circulated if the rejected, unsuitable bottles are passed on to breweries using these bottle shapes.

The number of returnable beer bottles are simultaneously present in circulation in Germany underestimated the Brauerbund to 2 billion pieces.

Stability control

The delivered empties into the brewing machine between the cleaning and filling inspected ( Empty Bottle Inspector , EBI , empty bottle inspector ). The criteria for sorting out are (a) damage to the mouth, (b) soiling that cannot be cleaned ( e.g. bulky foreign bodies), (c) the degree of scuffing due to scratches, grinding marks and other surface defects and (d) cracks or damage in the bottle body.

After several cycles, bottles may no longer be sufficiently pressure and temperature resistant due to wear and tear. If they do not burst during cleaning (85 ° C with lye) or are sorted out due to damage to the empty bottle inspector, this usually happens when filling (at over 4.0 bar).

Pressure resistance

The internal pressure resistance of a filled beer bottle closed with a crown cap at around 18 ° C (room temperature) is around ten to a maximum of 40 bar. It decreases with every scratch and decreases significantly in the bottle. The crown cap closure is the deliberate weak point. If the internal pressure exceeds six bar, it should leak and release the pressure - in the brewer's language , blow it off . This is a safety measure to prevent the glass bottle from bursting during transport and in trade.

Bottles are manufactured in such a way that when the bottle bursts, the bottom of the bottle is preferably blown off by internal pressure or blows. This “predetermined breaking point” is used to increase safety, as only a few larger pieces of glass are created from the bottom of the bottle. If the bottle burst in a disorganized way, it would tear the entire bottle into many small splinters. The bottle, which stands upright on the bottom of the bottle, also fixes the fragments of the bottom of the bottle by its own weight. After the bottom of the bottle has been blown off, the contents of the bottle only run downwards. This means that if the bottle bursts, no small splinters or contents are distributed in the area.

If, on the other hand, a filled and closed bottle is exposed to the use of external force, for example when it hits a hard surface, these safety measures fail. Due to the extreme point loading on the bottle surface, the bottle will burst from the point of action of the extreme load.

Bottle geometry

The shape and wall thickness of the beer bottle and the shape of the bottom of the bottle (concave curvature inward) have an impact on the stability of the bottle, which is particularly taken into account when designing new bottle types.

cold

The stability of a filled, closed beer bottle depends on the alcohol content, the CO 2 content, the degree of scuffing of the bottle, the filling height, the cooling speed and the bottle geometry. The formation of ice and thus the increase in volume of the water is delayed by the simultaneously increasing pressure in the bottle and increases with further cooling. For safety reasons, a normal , closed beer bottle should not be cooled below 2.2 ° C. Even if the beer does not freeze, there can be permanent cold clouding due to proteins dissolved in the beer, which is not harmful but makes the beer unsightly.

heat

Beers with 5.4 g / l CO 2 reach an internal pressure of around 2.2 bar under normal conditions (20 ° C). The internal pressure of a filled beer bottle increases with increasing temperature due to the associated lower solubility of CO 2 in aqueous solution. Shaking also increases the internal pressure and beers with a higher CO 2 content inherently have an increased internal pressure. At 50 ° C, a filled, closed beer bottle reaches an internal pressure of around 5 to 6.5 bar, which harbors the risk of CO 2 loss when the crown cap is blown off (blow-off behavior: crown cap type A at eight to eleven bar; crown cap type B already at over five bar). There is no immediate danger of bursting, but it cannot be ruled out ( scuffing) . Every movement of such a hot bottle causes a rapid increase in the internal pressure, which the blowing crown cap may not be able to absorb, which leads to the bottle bursting.

Ecological aspects

In 2010 three case studies were carried out to compare the life cycle assessment of different beverage packaging.

  1. For regional beers, returnable glass containers are still the most ecologically beneficial system, regardless of different methodological approaches.
  2. In the case of beers sold nationwide, the result changes depending on the method used, with which the aluminum obtained in the recycling of beverage cans is counted. With a credit of 50%, as the Federal Environment Agency assumes, the reusable glass bottle scores better. There is no clear dividing line for the 100% crediting of 100% required by the client beverage industry for the study.
  3. When using individual returnable glass bottles for flopped trend and premium beers, i.e. with the assumption of low circulation rates for returnable bottles, the results change. With transport distances of over 400 km and the short circulation, beverage cans can achieve ecological impact profiles that correspond to these returnable bottles.

literature

  • Gustav Stresemann : The development of the Berlin bottled beer business. An economic study. Berlin 1901 (Diss. Leipzig)
  • Hürlimann Brewery (ed.): History of the beer bottle. Zurich 1988

Web links

Commons : Beer Bottles  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files
Wiktionary: Beer bottle  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ World : German breweries are caught in the reusable trap
  2. ↑ Heinrich Voss: Trendy and compact: beers in the Steinie bottle . In: Beverage wholesale . February 2012, p. 8–14 ( PDF, 467 kB [accessed April 15, 2014]).
  3. ↑ a b The term "NRW bottle" for this type of bottle was created because the bottles were first used and filled by beer breweries in North Rhine-Westphalia.
  4. ↑ A new bottle is in the house. ( Memento from August 21, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) In: Brauwelt Marketing. No. 45, November 6, 2013, pp. 1524–1528.
  5. ↑ The beer bottle - a beauty of everyday life. January 19, 2018, accessed on March 30, 2020 (German).
  6. ↑ Axel Bach, Salim Butt, Thomas Hallet, Stefan Hoeren, Ranga Yogeshwar: The science of beer. (PDF; 1.9 MB) In: Quarks & Co. WDR , 1996, pp. 17–18 , accessed on April 15, 2014 .
  7. ↑ a b Jana Zeh: Is beer in brown bottles better? In: n-tv.de. April 15, 2014, accessed April 15, 2014 .
  8. ^ Baltika Breweries. Archived from the original on December 30, 2013 ; accessed on April 15, 2014 (English, product examples).
  9. ↑ The data mentioned in the article were provided by the quality assurance departments of two large German breweries upon request (as of January 2008).
  10. ↑ a b Michael Gassmann: It's amazing when you drink Flens in Munich. In: The world. April 9, 2014, accessed May 12, 2015 .
  11. ↑ Andreas Detzel: Regional beer from returnable bottles is ecologically recommended! IFEU study on aluminum cans. Ed .: IFEU Heidelberg. ( PDF 69 kB [accessed April 15, 2014]).
  12. ↑ Martina Krüger, Stefanie Theis, Andreas Detzel, Sybille Kunze: Life cycle assessment of various packaging systems for beer. (PDF; 112 kB) Overview of results with a focus on the comparison between reusable glass and metal cans. IFEU Institute, May 17, 2010, accessed April 15, 2014 .