Can I use regular soda bottles?

I am thinking about trying out making some root beer soda but it seems like buying new PET bottles can be a bit expensive. I am just renewing my interest in beer brewing and I am not set up for kegging and i have read about the exploding bottle problems encounterted using glass. Does anyone know of a reasonable supply source for PET bottles? If not, can I reuse 1/2 liter clear bottles?

Thanks...

Mick

I just buy soda pop from the store in 2 liter bottles and use that. Works out to about $1 a 2 liter sometimes less.

If you don't like soda pop from the store try buying carbonated spring water in 2 liter bottles. Then mix it with koolaid or drink it straight. Make sure you don't buy club soda or tonic water. yuck



-Nick

If you worried about exploding bottles use plastic. Plastic poses less chance of an "issue" if they explode. A case of bottle is about $16 at a local homebrew store or you can reuse soda bottles. I bought new ones from my local hombrew and use them over and over.

I do not worry about exploding bottles. I check my soda at about 24 hours. You will get use to knowing how to prevent them. I only need to allow the yeast to carb for about 26 hours and then the bottle are hard and carbed. The nice thing about plastic is you know when they are done because they are hard.

I usually push out all the air before I cap the bottle. This seems to get me more CO2 into the bottle because with the bottle is hard I know it is ALL C02.

The 48-72 hours people recommend cause issues for me in FL. That would be way to long for most of my recipes. I did the first time and I did have an explosion. I now put all my bottles in a cooler when carbing so if something does go wrong the cooler will contain the mess and no one will be around it.

I make soda during the day (not at night) so it will be done when I am at home (not sleeping). If you are in a cooler state you will have less issues with heat like I do in FL.

Oh and do not leave an closed soda out if you are not finished drinking it. It will start to carb back up and then you may have a mess. My neighbor had a kitchen covered in soda when she did this. LOL

Soda making is easy, fun and safe. I like it because less fruit in the frig and freezer go to waste. If I see something that may go back in the next few days I create a recipe and make a soda. The wife and kid will drink it up quick.

Kevin

Clear soda bottles are fine as long as you keep the beer out of sunlight.

I like PET bottles personally. If you want to use them, then the best way is to get your friends to buy their BMC in the PET bottles. They are brown coloured, therefore better for your beer. Another good source for brown PET bottles is A&W root beer.

Laughing_Gnome_Invisible said:

Clear soda bottles are fine as long as you keep the beer out of sunlight.

I like PET bottles personally. If you want to use them, then the best way is to get your friends to buy their BMC in the PET bottles. They are brown coloured, therefore better for your beer. Another good source for brown PET bottles is A&W root beer.

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This is great advice for those who put hops in their root beer.

Homercidal said:

This is great advice for those who put hops in their root beer.

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hmmmmm! Maybe.....nah!

Tried using regular soda bottles (24 oz plastic diet coke bottles) to bottle my first attempt at root beer and after a week there does not seem to be any increase in pressure inside the bottles. Not sure if it carbonated at all. I did squeeze some of the air out initailly before putting the caps on as recommended by one poster on this forum. Can I try anything to fix this or should I just use the flat rootbeer to make popsickles?

mick

What temp is the room they are in? Are they in the basement on a concrete floor?



-Nick

The first 3 days the bottles were upstairs at temp around 72 F. Then the bottles were in the basement and placed in a plastic tub in case of bottle bombs. The temp of the basement hovers between 66 and 68 F. I brought the bottles back upstairs 2 days ago and the bottles have not yet firmed up.

Any ideas..?

on this note...
like KevinJ I live in florida (central), and today I decided to try out making ginger beer for the first time after I was done racking my other stuff. I used a 2 liter that I'd cleaned out, this guy's recipie plus a little molassess and more ginger and minus a little lemon juice. I happened to have Cuvee on hand so I used that instead of the traditional bread yeast most people seem to use and um..I'm a little afraid to go to sleep in case this thing explodes XD

Is it necessarily detrimental to chill it now? The bottle is rock hard and goes back to rock hard seconds after I uncap re-cap it.

Dustwing said:

on this note...
like KevinJ I live in florida (central), and today I decided to try out making ginger beer for the first time after I was done racking my other stuff. I used a 2 liter that I'd cleaned out, this guy's recipie plus a little molassess and more ginger and minus a little lemon juice. I happened to have Cuvee on hand so I used that instead of the traditional bread yeast most people seem to use and um..I'm a little afraid to go to sleep in case this thing explodes XD

Is it necessarily detrimental to chill it now? The bottle is rock hard and goes back to rock hard seconds after I uncap re-cap it.

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Put it in the refrig ASAP. How long did you let it sit? Usually it takes me about 24 hours. If you refrig to early that only problem is maybe light carbonation (no biggie). If they are way to firm open an close them a few times. Then put them in the refrig.

BTW get off bread yeasts. You will get better results using some type of brewing yeast. Where are you located in Central FL.

Kevin

msa8967 said:

The first 3 days the bottles were upstairs at temp around 72 F. Then the bottles were in the basement and placed in a plastic tub in case of bottle bombs. The temp of the basement hovers between 66 and 68 F. I brought the bottles back upstairs 2 days ago and the bottles have not yet firmed up.

Any ideas..?

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Check the caps- maybe they've let out the co2? It should definitely be carbed up in 3 days! Do you have any yeast sediment in the bottom?

msa8967 said:

The first 3 days the bottles were upstairs at temp around 72 F. Then the bottles were in the basement and placed in a plastic tub in case of bottle bombs. The temp of the basement hovers between 66 and 68 F. I brought the bottles back upstairs 2 days ago and the bottles have not yet firmed up.

Any ideas..?

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How old is your yeast? Was it stored properly. You could have used some dead yeasts (RIP)

Kevin

KevinJ said:

Put it in the refrig ASAP. How long did you let it sit? Usually it takes me about 24 hours. If you refrig to early that only problem is maybe light carbonation (no biggie). If they are way to firm open an close them a few times. Then put them in the refrig.

BTW get off bread yeasts. You will get better results using some type of brewing yeast. Where are you located in Central FL.

Kevin

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Sarasota just down here a little while for college.

Thanks for the advice, I put the bottle in the fridge after venting it and when I woke up it was uber rock hard again, but the yeast seems to have dropped out and gone to the bottom. Woohoo!

Dustwing said:

Sarasota just down here a little while for college.

Thanks for the advice, I put the bottle in the fridge after venting it and when I woke up it was uber rock hard again, but the yeast seems to have dropped out and gone to the bottom. Woohoo!

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Those yeast are not dead and defiantly are not done making CO2. Put them in the fridge and they go to sleep. Bring them out, warm them up and they will starting eating, farting and burping. Ask may neighbor who forgot and left one out of the refrigerator (to drink later). A few hours later the curtains, cat, dog, floor, ceiling, etc were painted and smelled like cherry soda (which tasted pretty bad anyway - I can not seem to get a cherry soda that does not taste like nightquil) . If you take one out leave the cap off or enough to pass gas.

PS: If you leave it out to longer (a few days) and your kids get a hold of it. They will do the banana dance.

Kevin