Ok.. so ive just about ran out of beer and i have almost 4 batches of empty PET bottles.. Is there an easy way to get the little rings off without damaging the bottles? dont want to scratch them up with my teeth ripping the little buggers off.. haha
I pinched this text from the Coopers site. You don't need to remove the 'tamper evident collar' as it doesn't affect the airtight seal.
http://www.coopers.com.au/homebrew/hbrew.php?pid=4
Should I use plastic or glass bottles?
The Coopers Micro-Brew Kit contains thirty 740ml PET bottles. These bottles are also widely available as a separate item (in boxes of fifteen). PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate, which is the same plastic used to make soft drink (soda pop) bottles.
In 2000 we decided to include these bottles in our Kit rather than the traditional crown seals and capper because it was becoming increasingly difficult for new brewers to obtain the old crown seal bottles. The single use glass that commercial beer is sold in these days is too thin to stand up to the rigours of continual washing and capping.
The majority of PET bottles are porous (a beverage held in PET will eventually go flat). However, Coopers PET bottles have a nylon barrier which helps to prevent both the ingress of oxygen and the loss of CO2 for up to 18 months. If you are wanting to make a big ale or stout and age it for 2 years or more, you may choose to use good quality glass bottles.
The re-usable caps have a tamper evident collar which breaks off after the first use. This does not affect the airtight seal. When the caps eventually wear out, replacement caps can be purchased separately.
Many home brewers use soft drink bottles. All you need to do is work out the amount of priming sugar that is required for the size of the bottle. We recommend a priming rate of 8g per litre and one teaspoon is about 6g.