Re-using Pet Bottle Tops

[govorko1974]

Hi all in brew land..hope you all had a great xmas and new year...with lots of beer involved...just a quick question for those brewers who use pet bottles...how many times can you re-use the tops...read on here somewhere and now cant find it, someone was getting 4-6 uses out of them if you put the original lid back on the same bottle when you re use it....have tried this and have re used my lids 3 times now...have got a mixture of brew cellar and coopers bottles...although the latest batch seems to be a bit flatter than the previous ones and i put it down to the lids losing there seal....so was wondering how many times others have use them for
cheers
matt

 

[mwd]

Can't say I have had any problems with caps used multiple times and not matched to the same bottles. I visually inspect them while sanitising though. Still got a spare bag of caps unopened for the last two years.
I would imagine if you invert the bottles when you bottle and liquid seeps out then you can say the cap has had its day. I am heading away from PET and building up a supply of Coopers Longnecks and caps, beer seems to taste better out of real glass. :unsure:

 

[Yowster]

Likewise I have never had any problems reusing the lids, and also cannot guarantee they go back on the same bottle. Lids get thrown into a solution of keg glass and bottle wash while I wash and sanitise bottles. I then invert each bottle and check for leaks after I fill and seal the bottles and have never had an issue.

Mind you I would not have gotten over 5 rounds per cap, so maybe I am getting to a point where I'll start getting leaks

 

[brettprevans]

i couldnt tell you how many times ive reused mine. cant see why there would be any limit of reuse. id probabyl get rid of that little platstic bit in the lid as nasties might get stuck in there.

if you want new lids just clean tops from any PET bottle. they all fit. any extra lids i need i just take from PET bottles. obviously things like mineral water etc are easier to get rif of any lingering odour than say coke lids.

beer seems to taste better out of real glass...

at the risk of starting another PET v Glass riot. what a load of coddswallop

 

[Bubba]

Same here, use multiple times and on different bottles and no issues.

 

[bum]

The lids are cheap as chips and I don't bother re-using them at all.

id probabyl get rid of that little platstic bit in the lid as nasties might get stuck in there.

The bit actually in the lid? That's what makes the seal, innit?

 

[brettprevans]

The bit actually in the lid? That's what makes the seal, innit?

pretty sure half mine dont have them and they seal fine. i could be wrong i suppose. i dont really take that much notice

 

[Tanga]

Used multiple times and no problems with carbing so far. Did you know that the coopers carb drops have less sugar in them now though? Maybe it's that (if that's what you use).

Or you can re-use coke bottle lids (provided they've been washed, as above). If I'm missing a few lids (I usually am) that's what I do, and they seal well.

 

[Katherine]

The lids are cheap as chips and I don't bother re-using them at all.


The bit actually in the lid? That's what makes the seal, innit?

Yeah you dont need them. I always lost lids left them out and dust got in them. And never liked washing them as water would get under the plastic bit. So I always brought new lids and would cut the new seal off so I could get it on the bottle.

 

[bum]

Yeah, I mean the rubbery blue bit inside the lid (Coopers lids, different colours in other lids). Obviously, the tamper seal doesn't do anything really.

 

[Pennywise]

OP, if your new batch of brew is a little less carbed I doubt it's because the lids have lost their seal, otherwise they'd be dead flat. Do you use carb drops? they can be quite inconsistent, and even the little sugar measure things can get you off gaured if your not paying attention to the scoop packing down all the way. Anyway, regarding your question, I can't see any reason why they couldn't be used indefinatly, assuming they don't get scratch's and nicks on the inside of it.

 

[zebba]

And never liked washing them as water would get under the plastic bit.

I take those out of the lid and dunk them in no-rinse seperately, let them all drain a little on a plate or similar, then reassemble before putting them back on the bottles. It's a risk, as you have to put them back in which is santitationally dubious, but better than whatever got under there between last use and now...

The only reason I get new lids for PET's is 'cause I tend to lose my old ones...

 

[govorko1974]

thanks all for your replies...i have been using coopers carb drops tanga so that may well be the difference that i noticed...will continue using the same lids

 

[Sinfathisar]

The lids are cheap as chips and I don't bother re-using them at all.

I am using new lids each time also - they are dirt cheap and as I am writing info on my lids I need new ones every batch anyway.

 

[BEC26]

3+ years with original lids. They never die!