Pet Bottles

[secaboy]

just wondering whats peoples thoughts on cleaning them out, how would you go about on doing it?

Also do i need to go and buy new caps with seals on them if i wanna reuse the bottles as i'm about to start my 2nd brew.

Cheers,

 

[Bribie G]

With PET bottles of any sort (750ml brown ones dedicated to home brewing, or soft drink bottles) the best routine is to wash out the bottle three times with tap water - with shaking - before you even allow yourself to touch the beer.

The caps are good and will do multiple brews.

If you get a 'yeast ring' around the inside of the top of the bottle, then make up a fairly strong solution of Napisan, quarter fill the bottle, cap and invert the bottle for a few hours. The Napisan (Sodium Percarbonate) will digest anything like that. Then rinse three times.

To sanitise before bottling, a brilliant no-rinse sanitiser is StarSan. Not expensive because even the small bottle will last you for months, because it can be diluted amazingly and still remain potent, and will save you many hours when bottling as you don't need to do multiple rinses to get it out of the bottle as you would do with bleach etc.

 

[DKS]

just wondering whats peoples thoughts on cleaning them out, how would you go about on doing it?

Also do i need to go and buy new caps with seals on them if i wanna reuse the bottles as i'm about to start my 2nd brew.

Cheers,

I was wondering about the caps too! Availability ? Price? and what about the little blue seal bit under the cap?
Daz

 

[Bribie G]

I was wondering about the caps too! Availability ? Price? and what about the little blue seal bit under the cap?
Daz

I beleive you can get new caps but the problem is that the cap comes in two parts, the upper cap and a lower ring. When you first use the bottle you screw down and get that "crunch" as the cap engages with the ring. Then when the beer is opened the cap comes off but the ring stays on tight. So you need to cut or prise the ring off otherwise you can't put nay new cap on.

I've only had a couple of those blue sealing disks from the inside of the cap come astray. Basically if the cap is stuffed I just bite the bullet and put the whole bottle in the recycling. :angry:

 

[bum]

I beleive you can get new caps but the problem is that the cap comes in two parts, the upper cap and a lower ring.

The bottom ring pulls off quite easily before you use it (i.e. leave the old ring on the bottle still). I replace mine every 3 brews or so - cheap as chips and no need to find out the hard way that some seals are failing.

 

[secaboy]

Hey guys, could i also soak the botttles in some no sect bleach for sanitizing ? or do i have to get some other stuff...
Thanks

 

[Bribie G]

Oxygen based bleach products are best, napisan is good. It contains 30% sodium percarbonate. It is possible to get 100% sod perc which is what God uses for sanitising his brewing equipment. Then rinse well and finish off with no rinse sanitiser like Starsan.

 

[bum]

It is possible to get 100% sod perc which is what God uses for sanitising his brewing equipment.

Wouldn't He have to dilute it down to the same level as that made by the 30% we mere mortals use anyway?

 

[Bribie G]

Wouldn't He have to dilute it down to the same level as that made by the 30% we mere mortals use anyway?

Yup but at around three bucks a kilo as opposed to four bucks a kilo for napisan = around 14 dollars for the equivalent perc amount and all that nasty detergenty fillers and flouro shyte to make the nappies look snowy white etc, the pure perc does a much cleaner and cheaper job. If you can track some down in your area of course, I got mine in a bulk buy and not sure where they sourced it.

 

[bum]

God works in mysteriously efficient and frugal ways.

Cheers. Will keep an eye out for some.

 

[Bribie G]

God works in mysteriously efficient and frugal ways.

Cheers. Will keep an eye out for some.

I reckon a Melbourne bulk buy would be a roaring success (if the Mods allow one via this forum, that is ). Ten kilos would literally last for a few years.

 

[ben_sa]

the coopers PET caps are about $3.20 from Kmart for a bag of 30.......

 

[dbod]

I'm not a very experienced homebrewer, been going only a year or two. But one thing I have learnt in that small time is that PET bottles are rubbish!

If you insist on using them, clean them when you empty them! Far and away the easiest method! Even if just rinse and put a bit of detergent and water and shake and leave until later.

You can pick up a bench capper for next to nothing on ebay (c.$25) and be bottling beer in glass in no time, no added confusion, just better beer.

PET bottles leech gases, not good for fizzy drinks such as beer.

If anyone wants 15 clean, used PET bottles and an opened bag of caps for them (about 70 in there I would think) you are welcome to them for free from the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, just come and get them!

I can't be bothered to ebay them, I recommend staying clear of PET bottles Just PM for them if anyone wants to arrange to pick them up...

 

[bum]

Wait, I'm confused.

They're rubbish because they need to be cleaned? And that they're no good for carbonated beverages?

My responses to these issues raised are "EW! Never having a beer 'round your's," and "Someone tell Coca-Cola Amatil."

 

[manticle]

I'm not a very experienced homebrewer, been going only a year or two. But one thing I have learnt in that small time is that PET bottles are rubbish!

If you insist on using them, clean them when you empty them! Far and away the easiest method! Even if just rinse and put a bit of detergent and water and shake and leave until later.

You can pick up a bench capper for next to nothing on ebay (c.$25) and be bottling beer in glass in no time, no added confusion, just better beer.

PET bottles leech gases, not good for fizzy drinks such as beer.

If anyone wants 15 clean, used PET bottles and an opened bag of caps for them (about 70 in there I would think) you are welcome to them for free from the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, just come and get them!

I can't be bothered to ebay them, I recommend staying clear of PET bottles Just PM for them if anyone wants to arrange to pick them up...

To be fair, any bottle needs to be cleaned whether glass or PET and the sooner after drinking the better.

My understanding is that the PET bottles that are specifically developed for homebrew (eg coopers pet bottles) are much better at resisting oxygen permeation. Possibly not suitable if you're aiming for a 2 year old barley wine but fine for most types of beer.

I'm generally a glass bottle user (actually exclusively now) but that's more to do with preference for a certain 'feel'.

 

[dbod]

I'm sure this is a long-standing debate somewhere on these Forums and bottom line is if it works for you, then it works for you..


I meant PET bottles are rubbish as the beer inside never tastes as good as beer bottled in glass imho. It definitely won't last either.
You're welcome to compare the same beer in a PET bottle and in glass and decide for yourself.


re: cleaning. Glass is easier to clean as you can put them in the dishwasher.

Good luck cleaning them.

 

[jonocarroll]

I meant PET bottles are rubbish as the beer inside never tastes as good as beer bottled in glass imho.

This may have something to do with it...

Even if just rinse and put a bit of detergent and water and shake and leave until later.

:blink:

 

[Yeastie Beastie]

I'm generally a glass bottle user (actually exclusively now) but that's more to do with preference for a certain 'feel'.

Certain things belong together, such as beer and glass.
I have never used PET but believe it would be like having a chocolate milk from an aluminium can....it's just not right.

 

[bum]

You're welcome to compare the same beer in a PET bottle and in glass and decide for yourself.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity, kind sir. It is my grave duty to inform you, however, that I have undertaken this experiment prior to gaining your approval (I hope you'll forgive my temerity) and found that, for my far from competition winning beers, there is no difference to be detected. I hope one day to get my beer to the level of excellence that so much flavour and character are gone so that I can taste from the serving glass whether the beer was poured from a plastic or glass bottle.

 

[dbod]

Thank you for giving me this opportunity, kind sir. It is my grave duty to inform you, however, that I have undertaken this experiment prior to gaining your approval (I hope you'll forgive my temerity) and found that, for my far from competition winning beers, there is no difference to be detected. I hope one day to get my beer to the level of excellence that so much flavour and character are gone so that I can taste from the serving glass whether the beer was poured from a plastic or glass bottle.

Thanks for the sarcasm. Like I said, if it works for you, it works for you. I just think beer comes in glass bottles for a reason and I think it seems a waste to go to all the trouble of making beer to put it in plastic bottles.