Ginger Beer Bottles

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Ginger Beer Bottles

Elizabeth, here's a good one:

Turners and Burners;The Folk Potters of North Carolina (Zug, Charles C., UNC Press, 1986) It’s an outstanding look at 19th century processes and the ''stoneware culture'' of the Sandhills and lower Piedmont. The index of early NC potters is worth the price of the book alone.

I too am interested in the jig throwing.

[John-Owen Kline]

Re: Ginger Beer Bottles

Mr Ray, you are referring to jiggering/jolleying, right?

[bcatgrappler]

Re: Ginger Beer Bottles

Michael, you need to double check your sources here. And then post them.

What are you talking about? Nobody else on this thread has posted sources. I am just going by what I have learned in the 5 years I have spent making pottery. John, I am not sure what jollying is, but yes I am talking about jiggering, or jigging. It is a method of making thrown pottery with a machine, rather than thrown by hand or molded.

Michael Ray

[Charles Heath]

Re: Ginger Beer Bottles

Matt,

Did you happen to receive the photographs emailed about a week ago?

Kind of a rush job, but I hope they were okay.

[Matthew Semple]

Re: Ginger Beer Bottles

Charles,

My apologies, I forgot to thank you for the pictures. They are great and show me exactely what you described. Thank you for your help.

[Matthew Semple]

Re: Ginger Beer Bottles

Thank you to those who have posted and contacted me about this project.

This project is ongoing and attempts are still being made to achieve the correct shapes and glazes for these reproduction bottles. If achieved, I will post pictures of the reproductions alongside my originals. If it is determined that a quality reproduction cannot be achieved for a reasonable price, I will not pursue this project any further.

I ask for your patitience as this project is still in development and may take several more months before a quality reproduction is achieved.

[Knapsack Matt]

Re: Ginger Beer Bottles

Hey Matt I'll show you my bottles with the makers marks at the next event.


Matt Thompson

[Kace]

Re: Ginger Beer Bottles

I like the idea of a potential suppier. I doubt though I would purchase more than a couple unless I started home brewing again.

Kace

[Rob Weaver]

Re: Ginger Beer Bottles

I'd be interested in repros. I have 2 originals. One I got to use reenacting and doesn't stay corked very well. The other, although I've used it, has some sentimental value. My inlaws used to live in Panama where they're very common. You see, the old trash pits in Panama (Rep of Panama) are filled with these since the gringos loved their brew back in the Gold Rush, pre-Canal, days. I got one in a shop in the Casca Vieja for a whopping $6. The first one I mentioned I know ran me less than $20. Can you keep the price for a repro that low?

[Charles Heath]

Re: Ginger Beer Bottles

For those visiting White Oak Museum, DP had a few ginger beer (and other) repops in his "gift shop" area to the right of the desk where Momma usually sits and collects the modest admission fee.

[Rob Weaver]

Re: Ginger Beer Bottles

I like the idea of a potential suppier. I doubt though I would purchase more than a couple unless I started home brewing again.

Kace

If you can make them available cheaply by the case, I might try brewing in them. When I tried to age in mine, the pressure blew the corks. Did I just not cork them tightly enough? Forgive my ignorance, but was beer transported in kegs then decanted off into bottles upon sale? How would you get your "bowl of beer" home?

[Vicksburg Dave]

Re: Ginger Beer Bottles

It would seem that some troops were adept at making their own beer:


Dear Sister, from John L. Matthews, July 30, 1863, Milliken's Bend, Louisiana
"Our sutler received a large stock this week, the darkies are feasting on ginger breaad, candy and brass rings. We keep a barrel of beer on hand all the time, and drink it instead of water. Our cook makes it at the cost of about fifty cents pr. barrel."
Source: John L. Matthews Letters, State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City. 47th USCT

[1stMo Drummer]

Re: Ginger Beer Bottles

Shiloh Relics has some originals for somewhat of a reasonable price,but it would be hard for me to take an original to an event and risk it getting damaged...What would the price of these repros be?

http://www.shilohrelics.com/cgi-bin/Display_Item.asp?92640

[crabby]

Re: Ginger Beer Bottles

When I tried to age in mine, the pressure blew the corks. Did I just not cork them tightly enough?

Did you also use wire with the cork? Kind of like with champaign.

Crabby

[Charles Heath]

Re: Ginger Beer Bottles

Forgive my ignorance, but was beer transported in kegs then decanted off into bottles upon sale? How would you get your "bowl of beer" home?

Bucket of tap.