Water Storage in used wine bottles

[ShadeWPI]

I happen to drink a moderate amount of wine - though I never drink more than 2-glasses a night, I might average 15 glasses a month. As a result, I am collecting an increasing number of empty wine bottles so I started thinking:

Would wine bottles make for good long-term water storage?

The idea would be to purchase new manufacture synthetic corks, clean the bottles, fill them with water, add 1mL of chlorine bleach (that's about 1 tea spoon per gallon) to each bottle, then cork them and store them in the cool, dark celler similar to how the wine is stored.

The thought would be that this method would make good use of used wine bottles, provide very long term storage and make water rationing in an emergency very easy.

Does anyone know of any issues doing this?

 

[Kid Presentable]

look into the wine bottles with screw tops possibly...synthetic corks are great but they can still have small flaws in them, like cork, which would prevent them from being air tight

 

[Coyote33]

They drank wine in beer in the old days for a reason: it was safe.

 

[Mike-Mike]

They drank wine in beer in the old days for a reason: it was safe.

I was actually thinking, why not just stock up on wine?

 

[stixnstones]

The idea would be to purchase new manufacture synthetic corks, clean the bottles, fill them with water, add 1mL of chlorine bleach (that's about 1 tea spoon per gallon) to each bottle, then cork them and store them in the cool, dark celler similar to how the wine is stored.

This site suggests you're using 4 times too much bleach, as does this one.

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

They drank wine in beer in the old days for a reason: it was safe.

Next time you get something in your eye and don't have a sterile eye wash, try using a bottle of beer or wine to wash it out.

Whe you are really dehydrated(like to the point of muscle cramping) and need to replace your electrolytes........beer and wine just ain't going to cut it.

Water can be boiled.......having it to boil is the key.

To the original poster, Glass bottles have their benefits and their faults. Your solution sounds ok, just be careful to store the bottles where they won't break.

Personally, I'd get some larger jugs made of food grade PE and a good filter system/s, one portable, one fixed.

 

[Coyote33]

I don't recall the Minutemen worrying about "electrolyte" levels. In fact, I grew up never knowing the word "hydration". Once in a while, we might take a sip out of the hose. We'd ride bikes all day without a water bottle.

 

[cekim]

Next time you get something in your eye and don't have a sterile eye wash, try using a bottle of beer or wine to wash it out.

Whe you are really dehydrated(like to the point of muscle cramping) and need to replace your electrolytes........beer and wine just ain't going to cut it.

Water can be boiled.......having it to boil is the key.

To the original poster, Glass bottles have their benefits and their faults. Your solution sounds ok, just be careful to store the bottles where they won't break.

Personally, I'd get some larger jugs made of food grade PE and a good filter system/s, one portable, one fixed.

Beer is an excellent and durable store of nutrients. Better than the grains that make it up and it lasts a long time... This is presumed to be its original function and has been documented from ancient times (along with hard cheese).

Beer and wine can indeed "cut it" for a long time - in fact, there documented cases in history where the people in a region survived water well contamination that killed scores of others in the area because their liquid consumption consisted almost entirely of beer/wine instead of water...

 

[theGringo]

I've got to believe that there are better options for long term water storage than old wine bottles. Wine bottles? Why not just buy water in the available 2.5 gallon totes and store it. Beats wine bottles. And the totes stack pretty well, too.

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

Beer is an excellent and durable store of nutrients. Better than the grains that make it up and it lasts a long time... This is presumed to be its original function and has been documented from ancient times (along with hard cheese).

Beer and wine can indeed "cut it" for a long time - in fact, there documented cases in history where the people in a region survived water well contamination that killed scores of others in the area because their liquid consumption consisted almost entirely of beer/wine instead of water...

Ok, next time you get severely dehydrated, drink down a few beers or swill down a bottle of wine and see how you make out.

Its not my opinion, its medical fact. Alcohol dehydrates you, ask your doctor.

The solution to pollution(toxins in your tissue) is dilution(with fresh water) not further pollution with alcohol.

 

[theGringo]

Ok, next time you get severely dehydrated, drink down a few beers or swill down a bottle of wine and see how you make out.

Its not my opinion, its medical fact. Alcohol dehydrates you, ask your doctor.

The solution to pollution(toxins in your tissue) is dilution(with fresh water) not further pollution with alcohol.

I've been researching this issue for a great many years. I'm still ... collecting data.

 

[cekim]

Ok, next time you get severely dehydrated, drink down a few beers or swill down a bottle of wine and see how you make out.

Like this?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-491236/A-pint-beer-better-workout-water-say-scientists.html

This study confirms 1000's of years of documented behavior...

Everything in moderation of course, but the bottom line is that for 1000's of years humans have used beer/wine both as a means to store and deliver the nutrients in grains as well as provide something to drink when clean water was scarce...

Eventually, you will need heat to brew more (in which case you can boil water), but we are talking about storage here...

p.s.

The solution to pollution(toxins in your tissue) is dilution(with fresh water) not further pollution with alcohol.

It rhymes so it must be right...

 

[goofycj7]

Like this?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-491236/A-pint-beer-better-workout-water-say-scientists.html

This study confirms 1000's of years of documented behavior...

Everything in moderation of course, but the bottom line is that for 1000's of years humans have used beer/wine both as a means to store and deliver the nutrients in grains as well as provide something to drink when clean water was scarce...

Eventually, you will need heat to brew more (in which case you can boil water), but we are talking about storage here...

p.s.



It rhymes so it must be right...

It does rhyme, also was the standard for waste water treatment in the 70's! Not sure that it applies to the Human body though...

Wine and beer were/are safe to drink due to the Alcohol content as well as the fringe benifits.

Not sure that a study on 25 students is that reliable. Espicially since

Both groups were then allowed to drink as much water as they wanted.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...rkout-water-say-scientists.html#ixzz0dk6osO0L

This is the UK with very good gun control statistics and global warming studies.

 

[ochmude]

Ok, next time you get severely dehydrated, drink down a few beers or swill down a bottle of wine and see how you make out.

Once, in the Marines, my buddies and I ran a half marathon that was being held. At the conclusion we skipped the free bananas and Gatorade and headed straight to the E club for a few pitchers. I really don't know the rest of the story, sorry.

 

[cekim]

Not sure that a study on 25 students is that reliable. Espicially since

This is the UK with very good gun control statistics and global warming studies.

As I said, it merely confirms that while shots aren't going to work, beer has been used for thousands of years as a means of storing/proving nutrients AND hydration and we've yet to die out as a species...

They are not the only ones "re-discovering" this:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/435917/beer_may_be_a_better_option_than_water.html

Red Wine is a bad idea - as I recall, there's a famous incident about a military encounter in the desert...

 

[pernox]

Like this?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-491236/A-pint-beer-better-workout-water-say-scientists.html

This study confirms 1000's of years of documented behavior...

Everything in moderation of course, but the bottom line is that for 1000's of years humans have used beer/wine both as a means to store and deliver the nutrients in grains as well as provide something to drink when clean water was scarce...

Eventually, you will need heat to brew more (in which case you can boil water), but we are talking about storage here...

p.s.



It rhymes so it must be right...

Personally, I'm questioning the interpretation of that study's findings, cekim..

Half were then given two half pints of Spanish lager to drink, while the rest were given water.

Both groups were then allowed to drink as much water as they wanted.

Professor Garzon said the rehydration effect in the students who were given beer was "slightly better" than among those given only water.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...rkout-water-say-scientists.html#ixzz0dkkHSfMb

Drinking "as much water as you wanted" is far from scientific, and leaves out the proportion of water to body mass, the general athleticism of each subject, how long they ran, how much they had to drink before running, an account of how much each person drank, and how long they took to drink it. I really just don't see how "scientific" and "as much as they wanted" can have room to co-exist in the same study.

That said, I'm a huge beer fan and like to see smart people talking about how good it is for you.

 

[JimB]

I happen to drink a moderate amount of wine - though I never drink more than 2-glasses a night, I might average 15 glasses a month. As a result, I am collecting an increasing number of empty wine bottles so I started thinking:

Would wine bottles make for good long-term water storage?

The idea would be to purchase new manufacture synthetic corks, clean the bottles, fill them with water, add 1mL of chlorine bleach (that's about 1 tea spoon per gallon) to each bottle, then cork them and store them in the cool, dark celler similar to how the wine is stored.

The thought would be that this method would make good use of used wine bottles, provide very long term storage and make water rationing in an emergency very easy.

Does anyone know of any issues doing this?

with a teaspoon of bleach per gallon its gonna be yum yum, a teaspoon would probably do 500 gallons.
form what i've read, you should buy bottles of water with a factory seal and rotate accordingly.

JimB

 

[ShadeWPI]

I believe people who are suggesting alternative storage methods for storing water or are recommending stockpiling wine instead are missing the point:

I already have these bottles. They are in effect free as they are a byproduct of an existing hobby.
I also already have a store of wine bottles, since that is also an effect of the existing hobby.

these two recommendations would be akin to recommending buying more ammo when someone asked about reloading.

1) Thank you for the recommendation about the bleach concentration, I have long believed long-term storage treatment concentration was approximately 1 teapoon (5mL) per Gallon, allowing 24h open exposure, boiling or ion-exchange filtering upon opening prior use. I can still achieve a much weaker dilution by diluting the bleach prior to adding it to the bottle.

2) Regarding purching bottled water or stackable 2.5gal containers. It has been understanding that consumer bottle water's plastic formulation is intended for limited storage (upto 18 months) and extended storage lends to leeching of chemicals from the bottle into the water. I do keep a rolling stock of bottle water on hand, the intent of this stock would be extended storage should the rolling stock become exausted.

3) Thank you for the note about synthetic corks leaking, I will look into wax sealing after the cork for a more complete seal. Resealing a screw-top bottle isn't perfect either as the seal in the top of a screw-top is intended to be hot-sealled when the screw-top is crimped onto the bottle threads. Twisting the top back onto the threads doesn't reform this seal.

 

[chippinder]

I believe people who are suggesting alternative storage methods for storing water or are recommending stockpiling wine instead are missing the point:

I already have these bottles. They are in effect free as they are a byproduct of an existing hobby.
I also already have a store of wine bottles, since that is also an effect of the existing hobby.

Thats just funny, I dont car who you are.

 

[Dmac82]

I think that its a good idea. your investment is minimal and glass containers have been used LONG befor plastic, and is still accepted as a Food Safe product. Wine bottles can take allot of abuse before breaking and the dark color inhibits light deterioration. I wonder if bleach is even necessary?

 

[theGringo]

Can you store water in old beer cans?

 

[goofycj7]

If you will be rotating the water like the rest of your food just store the water without bleach.
You can always filter or bleach later if needed. Until then store water and use it for watering plants, washing, ect until really needed.
The bleach might harm the corks and rust the screw on tops.

 

[wolf223]

I've been researching this issue for a great many years. I'm still ... collecting data.

word.

I've got to believe that there are better options for long term water storage than old wine bottles. Wine bottles? Why not just buy water in the available 2.5 gallon totes and store it. Beats wine bottles. And the totes stack pretty well, too.

na, reinventing the wheel is soooooo much more fun. i'm going to start saving my empty cooking oil jugs to store toothpaste

 

[green_metalflake]

We'd ride bikes all day without a water bottle.

I'll bet without a helmet too, I'm telling!

 

[Zombieoutfitters]

look into the wine bottles with screw tops possibly...synthetic corks are great but they can still have small flaws in them, like cork, which would prevent them from being air tight

http://www.sks-bottle.com/340c/fin4.html

 

[Coyote33]

I'll bet without a helmet too, I'm telling!

Yeah, and wet shorts with leather belts.

 

[Bob P]

The minute men also believed that bleeding was a good cure for a fever. I'll stick with Science in the 21st Century, thanks.

 

[bigjim]

i think even with the bleach trick water is still not good for more than a year bottled like that maybe if you got some cheap wine like franzia or something then bottled that in your old bottles it would be better

 

[Peicemaker]

i have a stack of old whiskey bottles in the cellar theyre sealed (withscrew-off plastic caps) and still have about a teaspoons worth of booze in them. i go through a couple liters of the stuff a week. the oldest is a couple years old. i figure the alcohol already killed off any germs that were ever in the bottles and the chlorine already in MWRA tap water is enough to inhibit any future microbial growth. you guys reckon im correct? perhaps i should flush the bottles with bleach and rinse just to be sure before i use them for long term water storage. Id rather re-use them for something constructive rather than as targets...