Pet Bottle Rocket

[Brewtus]

:lol:

I found an empty PET bottle on top of an unsealed box of beer. When I picked it up some beer came out of a crack in the base. I can only assume what happened.

The other bottles in the box where very tight or pressured up. The weather has warmed up in the last few days. Warm beer does not absorb CO2 as well as cold beer. this is why it bubbles as it gets warmer.

I am assuming that the bottle failed under pressure and cracked at the bottom. the beer shooting out of the bottom sent the bottle skyward, pushing open the box top, until it hit the shelf about 20 cm above. When the action finished the bottle fell back to rest on top of the box.

This is the first I have heard of PET bottles failing. can anyone share stories like this?

 

[pint of lager]

You have overprimed, bottled too early or have an infection.

PET will fail given enough pressure. The results are far easier to deal with compared to glass bottles.

Have never had a PET fail, but have had the rare glass bottle go off.

A neighbour did have a PET that failed.

 

[Muggus]

I recall overcarbing a 2L PET Coke bottle full of a 'dud' brew on purpose a long while ago. Used pretty much 4 times the normal amount of carbonation sugar, and left it aside. Oddly enough it stayed good for the couple of months before opening, though it was as hard as rock to touch.
Needless to say, upon opening sprayed everywhere, and didn't stop until almost all of the beer was gone from the bottle.

 

[turto77]

:lol:

I found an empty PET bottle on top of an unsealed box of beer. When I picked it up some beer came out of a crack in the base. I can only assume what happened.

The other bottles in the box where very tight or pressured up. The weather has warmed up in the last few days. Warm beer does not absorb CO2 as well as cold beer. this is why it bubbles as it gets warmer.

I am assuming that the bottle failed under pressure and cracked at the bottom. the beer shooting out of the bottom sent the bottle skyward, pushing open the box top, until it hit the shelf about 20 cm above. When the action finished the bottle fell back to rest on top of the box.

This is the first I have heard of PET bottles failing. can anyone share stories like this?

I had one batch of lager that I bottled into PET bottles a couple of days early and after 3 weeks I went to put a couple in the fridge and one slipped about 10cm onto the shelf and it exploded, beer everywhere over me and through the fridge. When I checked the rest of the bottles the bottoms on about half of the had pushed out and were about to go as well, darn shame cause it was a nice batch

 

[Brewtus]

You have overprimed, bottled too early or have an infection.

PET will fail given enough pressure. The results are far easier to deal with compared to glass bottles.

Have never had a PET fail, but have had the rare glass bottle go off.

A neighbour did have a PET that failed.

I suspect the fermentation got stuck, I have bottled and primed (2 x coopers lollies) and now the weather is hot, it has set them off. Other bottles from the batch are over carbonated as they have way to much head.

 

[Dave86]

I recall overcarbing a 2L PET Coke bottle full of a 'dud' brew on purpose a long while ago. Used pretty much 4 times the normal amount of carbonation sugar, and left it aside. Oddly enough it stayed good for the couple of months before opening, though it was as hard as rock to touch.
Needless to say, upon opening sprayed everywhere, and didn't stop until almost all of the beer was gone from the bottle.

Coke bottles are designed to hold a ridiculous amount of pressure, the numbers escape me, but I know its a lot...

 

[blackbock]

They fail at about 100-150 psi, depending on their size.

I have had a PET bottle fail after accidentally dropping from bench height - it didn't explode, but a small crack turned into a hole which allowed the contents to escape under pressure. So they aren't indestructible. I have also seen ones which had somehow "delaminated" and were soft like cellophane. Don't know what the guy did to them.

It would have been a sight to see your bottle rocked take off Brewtus!

 

[Brewtus]

Here's a picture of the bottom of the offending bottle.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I blew up a Coopers PET bottle once when I was force carbing it using a carbonator cap.

The bottom blew out and it did the rocket thing. Hit me in the hand (purple from wrist to fingertips for a month, took out a couple of chunk -scars still there)

Ricocheted off my hand into my face and broke my glasses, dragged the soda stream set-up that I was using for gas across the room taking with it a collection of plates and glasses etc on the table.

My guess is that rinsing in very hot water weakened the thicker (and seemingly more hard/brittle) plastic at the bottom of the bottle, so thats where it gave way. 750ml of beer in one direction very quickly, 100g of PET in the other direction VERY quickly.

This is the bottom of the bottle after it blew

This is how hard it hit my hand. The shiny bit a few inches down the side is a car tyre valve that was located in the lid of the bottle(as a carbonator cap), hit me hard enough to smash off the lid, smash through the (quite robust) lip of the bottle and drag it down the side.

Needless to say, it wasn't long before I purchased a regulated source of gas for my carbonating purposes.

So yeah ... I've had one blow up

Thirsty

 

[fraser_john]

I blew up a Coopers PET bottle once when I was force carbing it using a carbonator cap.

The bottom blew out and it did the rocket thing. Hit me in the hand (purple from wrist to fingertips for a month, took out a couple of chunk -scars still there)

Ricocheted off my hand into my face and broke my glasses, dragged the soda stream set-up that I was using for gas across the room taking with it a collection of plates and glasses etc on the table.

My guess is that rinsing in very hot water weakened the thicker (and seemingly more hard/brittle) plastic at the bottom of the bottle, so thats where it gave way. 750ml of beer in one direction very quickly, 100g of PET in the other direction VERY quickly.

This is the bottom of the bottle after it blew

This is how hard it hit my hand. The shiny bit a few inches down the side is a car tyre valve that was located in the lid of the bottle(as a carbonator cap), hit me hard enough to smash off the lid, smash through the (quite robust) lip of the bottle and drag it down the side.

Needless to say, it wasn't long before I purchased a regulated source of gas for my carbonating purposes.

So yeah ... I've had one blow up

Thirsty

Holy crap dude, given everything that happened, you are very lucky you escaped with a few minor scars and a purple hand.

 

[petesbrew]

That is f'ing scary, Thirsty!
Glad you got out of it alive!

 

[Steve]

Yes - they can go bang. A couple of years ago on here a guy I think called Trev from Perth?? had one in the door of his fridge blow. Took half of the door out.

Edit....and as my memory recalls throught the haze I think it was just a yeast starter!!

 

[staggalee]

Yes - they can go bang. A couple of years ago on here a guy I think called Trev from Perth?? had one in the door of his fridge blow. Took half of the door out.

Edit....and as my memory recalls throught the haze I think it was just a yeast starter!!

you recall correctly= it was.

stagga.

 

[Uncle Fester]

you recall correctly= it was.

stagga.

Was that the PET bottle sitting next to a jar of Strawberry Jam??

Very messy from memory.... h34r:

 

[domonsura]

OK, so thats glass carboys and PET.....geez Thirsty, looks like you might have been lucky that day.....

 

[Brewtus]

Geez Thristy, you can have the prize.
I think I was several km away when mine when up as I only found it when i went to put more beer in the fridge.