First Brew (imperial Stout) Experiences

[O-beer-wan-kenobi]

I'll be bottling with one carbonation drop for this batch, as I prefer stout to be mildy carbonated, not fizzy macro piss, and an RIS doesn't need too much carbonation. I'll definitely store most of the batch somewhere safe for a few months, even though I'll be using PET bottles for this batch (and Coopers does say they can be good for 18 months with that nylon coating).

Sorry to butt in on this thread but Im curious of the PET bottles. I have a Guinness style Irish stout from my LHBS that is 2 months old, I have used one carbonation drop but there is hardly any carbonation at all. The taste is good but to get some sort of head on it I have to swill it up while pouring. I thought it was down to using one carbonation drop but now Im wondering if it is because of the bottles?
Do Coopers mean the contents is only good for 18 months or is it the bottles are only good for 18 months?

 

[Lodan]

Coopers means that the contents are only 'good' for 18 months.
The bottles reduce exposure to oxidation, light and carbonation losses compared to regular PET but you don't get the same storage life as you would from the Coopers long neck bottles (note; there are more factors than just the bottle). I note the word 'good' as there is nothing to say that your homebrew won't be nice and tasty to drink even after two years in the PET longnecks; only that it may not be as good had you stored the beer in glass.

If your PETs have been tightly sealed; the low carbonation is certainly due to the use of one carbonation drop. Coopers recommend that two carbonation drops are used; although they agree that it depends on the style and level of carbonation you prefer.

 

[pete6]

Ive had this with PET bottles too.

Here's my experience using 2 carbonation drops in 740 PET bottles

Ive found over the last 18 months of using them that 6 months is about the peak after which carbonation levels seem to start to drop. 9 months they're still good, with an adequate level of carbonation in the beer and but with a weak head, but at 12 months or longer, while the beer still has some level of carbonation, its difficult to pour any sort of head, even with pouring style thats guaranteed to get you one!.. If it manages it, then the head is normally gone in 30 seconds. The one PET bottle i kept for 16 months was basically flat.

That my experience. Now? - i make sure that half my brews are glass bottled. and i tend to drink all the PETs within 6 months. Some make it to 9, but since ive gone mostly glass, not many make it there anymore.

 

[O-beer-wan-kenobi]

Coopers means that the contents are only 'good' for 18 months.
The bottles reduce exposure to oxidation, light and carbonation losses compared to regular PET but you don't get the same storage life as you would from the Coopers long neck bottles (note; there are more factors than just the bottle). I note the word 'good' as there is nothing to say that your homebrew won't be nice and tasty to drink even after two years in the PET longnecks; only that it may not be as good had you stored the beer in glass.

If your PETs have been tightly sealed; the low carbonation is certainly due to the use of one carbonation drop. Coopers recommend that two carbonation drops are used; although they agree that it depends on the style and level of carbonation you prefer.

Thanks for the response and clearing that up. The LHBS website recommended reducing the carbonation drops for the Guinness, which is exactly what I did but it is rather flat. The lagers and other beers I have done with two drops were pretty carbbed up.
Reducing the drops by half seem to be less than half of the carbonation, if that theory is correct?

I have used up all the carbonation drops and I have now started to bulk prime or use sugar.