Pet Bottles

[Prawned]

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

 

[DrewCarey82]

Just use a sharp knife and clip em off.

Always did it and never stuffed one.

Suprisingly didnt cut myself either.

 

[blackbock]

...or use side cutters. Way easier.

 

[Tyred]

You should be able to pry them off without too much difficulty.

I've found lifting them with a flat blade screwdriver to getting them over the lip seems to work. Then you can twist them off.

You could also try to cut them, but I was always to scared to try and do it in case I damaged the bottle.

 

[Yeasty]

side cutters +1


Doesnt it make u guys who use plastic PET bottles feel sort of ripped off? I mean its beer, not fizzy pop??

Or is it just me?

 

[Prawned]

side cutters +1
Doesnt it make u guys who use plastic PET bottles feel sort of ripped off? I mean its beer, not fizzy pop??

Or is it just me?

I just feel safe using the PET bottles.. most of my brews are stored under my bed due to lack of storage space in my house.. And the last time i used glass had a few nasty explosions

 

[turto77]

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

If reusing the lids, dont bother. but if you need to get them off i use a teaspoon to lever the ring up, works well and no risk of damaging yourself or the bottle. :beer:

 

[Brewtus]

Wire cutter? screw drivers?
:blink:
I do the opposite, I rip the rings off the new caps. Who cares if it is or isn't tamper sealed. The first time you get them over gassed you will undo the several times to get the gas level down. that will loose the tamper seal anyway. :chug:

 

[jupiter]

...or use side cutters. Way easier.

better yet, use side cutters (the small electronics type) to cut the band off before you put the caps on the bottles. saves trying to remove them later...

 

[danman]

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

dude,what does it matter? are you going to the extent of buyin new lids are ya? that sounds to me like youve got too much money! seeing as youve got to sterilise the bottle why dont you put the old lid on and give her a shake? ive used the old lids plenty of times with the PET bottles when i run out of glass tallies and have had no problems at all.

 

[3Monkey]

dude,what does it matter? are you going to the extent of buyin new lids are ya? that sounds to me like youve got too much money! seeing as youve got to sterilise the bottle why dont you put the old lid on and give her a shake? ive used the old lids plenty of times with the PET bottles when i run out of glass tallies and have had no problems at all.

Agreed. I've never bothered and the bottles are fine.

 

[Brewtus]

Agreed. I've never bothered and the bottles are fine.

I only replace the few I loose. Caps last as long as the bottles.

 

[haro]

Just reuse the lids... give them a rinse in sodium met just like your bottles and they will be fine... If you find a beer thats flat when you come to drink them replace the cap

 

[frogman]

Doesnt it make u guys who use plastic PET bottles feel sort of ripped off? I mean its beer, not fizzy pop??

Or is it just me?

Only when I happen to wind up necking straight out of a reused 1.25lt coke bottle I've poured off tap.
Usually ends up happening at the later stages of a good party I couldn't be bothered dragging a keg along too.

:beer: FROGMAN

 

[Brewtus]

side cutters +1
Doesnt it make u guys who use plastic PET bottles feel sort of ripped off? I mean its beer, not fizzy pop??

Or is it just me?

I don't judge the beer until it is in the glass. Before that it doesn't seem to matter as I can not pick the difference. PETs are just easier to handle. Maybe we could do some blind testing?

Yeasty, have you tried them?

 

[Yeasty]

yer its not the taste, its the fact u are "bottling" in plastic that i dont like. If i think of PET i think of soft drink, beer...well it comes in glass.


It just dont seem right

 

[ham2k]

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.

 

[Brewtus]

yer its not the taste, its the fact u are "bottling" in plastic that i dont like. If i think of PET i think of soft drink, beer...well it comes in glass.
It just dont seem right

I did feel that way before I got used to them. It not for me to try and convert anyone so, enjoy the glass.

 

[discoloop]

You definitely get used to the plastic. That said, I do have a small selection of king browns bought specially for homebrewing and i LOVE using them. They just ooze quality. Pouring from them just feels right. Much better than either the plastic or a cruddy old steinlager bottle...

 

[Brewtus]

You definitely get used to the plastic. That said, I do have a small selection of king browns bought specially for homebrewing and i LOVE using them. They just ooze quality. Pouring from them just feels right. Much better than either the plastic or a cruddy old steinlager bottle...

I confess I do a few glass stubbies and have bought some 'Green Star' larger for the bottle as well as the fact it tastes like good HB.