2 liter plastic bottles

I havent read or seen anywhere about anyone using a 2 liter plastic pop bottle to use for bottling. Was wondering if it was anything to try or if there were problems with it.
Has anyone read or tried doing this? Pop is carbonated as much as beer soni would think it would work but dont want to waste 2 liters of beer testing. Lol

I'm used smaller 750ml plastic soda bottles... they work great.

Once you open it, you're committed to drinking 2 liters of beer reasonably soon. For some people (or beers), that's not a problem, but's it's a consideration.

For a fun experiment, I bottled a couple in half-liter water bottles. Put them in their own tupperware boxed in case they exploded; haha! Turns out it worked just fine.

That said... it was more just silly fun than anything...... because you really don't want the oxygenation that comes with plastic (which is why glass bottles and aluminum cans are the real choice -- if it was viable in plastic bottles, long term, don't you think breweries would save the money and do it that way?). You can also have a lot more problems with temperature control, light control, etc...

Bottom line: possible, yes... recommended, no.

P.S. -- some beers DO have plastic bottles for places like the beach and such... but typically a different quality plastic than soda or water bottles - and not clear.

Use 2l bottles with a carbonator cap to sample what won't fit in the keg. Never had a problem charging them @ 30psi.

Light is the only real problem, not oxygen.

edit to say:
Some of the beginner kits come with brown plastic bottles.

AZBeerNut said:

For a fun experiment, I bottled a couple in half-liter water bottles.

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And there's your problem right there. Water bottles won't hold pressure. Soda bottle caps are able to hold carbonation pressure just fine.

I wouldn't put an alcoholic beverage in a container that wasn't designed for it... Never know what the alcohol might leach out of the plastic.

AZBeerNut said:

For a fun experiment, I bottled a couple in half-liter water bottles. Put them in their own tupperware boxed in case they exploded; haha! Turns out it worked just fine.

That said... it was more just silly fun than anything...... because you really don't want the oxygenation that comes with plastic (which is why glass bottles and aluminum cans are the real choice -- if it was viable in plastic bottles, long term, don't you think breweries would save the money and do it that way?). You can also have a lot more problems with temperature control, light control, etc...

Bottom line: possible, yes... recommended, no.

P.S. -- some beers DO have plastic bottles for places like the beach and such... but typically a different quality plastic than soda or water bottles - and not clear.

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Carbonated drinks come in PET bottles and are absolutely fine for beer. The light issue is a concern but can be overcome with a little bit of dark colored cloth.

Jayslay said:

I wouldn't put an alcoholic beverage in a container that wasn't designed for it... Never know what the alcohol might leach out of the plastic.

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With all due respect, that's silly. PET bottles used for soda are perfectly safe for beer. Homebrew stores even sell them for beer.

When I was in college (early 80's) I used them many, many times. Of course, back then, they were all emptied within weeks. They worked superbly. I still use them today. Pitcher of beer, anyone?

Jayslay said:

I wouldn't put an alcoholic beverage in a container that wasn't designed for it... Never know what the alcohol might leach out of the plastic.

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I doubt alcohol is going to leach out any chemical that coca cola wouldn't.

I use 3 litre bottles with a cool little tap I got off a Wal Mart slim line water jug.



Fits perfect on the 3 litre!! It doesn't stay carbed very long so I use it for traveling. As long as it's tilted and doesn't get shook up too much it works great.

Jayslay said:

I wouldn't put an alcoholic beverage in a container that wasn't designed for it... Never know what the alcohol might leach out of the plastic.

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My grandparents all lived long and healthy lives and ate greasy food every day, smoked like chimneys and drank alot and you are worried about some minuscule amount of something leaching out of food grade plastic. Wow

grem135 said:

My grandparents all lived long and healthy lives and ate greasy food every day, smoked like chimneys and drank alot and you are worried about some minuscule amount of something leaching out of food grade plastic. Wow

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Did your grandparents use plastic bottles for their drinks? Probably not right? Most of our older generations had better food and less processed garbage in their lives. Then again they used asbestos and lead alot haha.

Plastic bottles are a more modern item that may not be safe, and actually have been proven in many instances (with BPA) to be toxic, especially when people put acidic drinks or liquids not designed for the container.

I drink and smoke a ton and still would rather not put beer in crappy plastic bottles because I value it more than that. My beer has a few ingredients that I add and they are the only ones I need filling my manly body with joy. I don't need any leached plastic BS in me. You go right ahead and use plastic bottles, sure it will work. My parents started with 2L when they brewed beer, and it was disgusting, ghetto and unappealing. Thats why Im jaded.

Instead of carb caps i bought some valve stems and an air chuck from a auto parts store. I full up the 2 ltr bottle with beer and attach the air chuck to my gas line and carb away. Cost about $6 total. I usually only do this when im bringing beer somewhere.

christopherrburns said:

Instead of carb caps i bought some valve stems and an air chuck from a auto parts store . . . Cost about $6 total.

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If you're lazy this is cheaper than the Carbonator Cap. Cost about the same as your DIY.

Caps
Disconnect

Contrary to what some people may believe, 2-liter pop bottles are just fine for bottling/bottle conditioning. The only...I repeat...ONLY problem is with sunlight, since the plastic is clear. Keep the beer in a dark location and it will be just fine.

About two years ago, I bottled some of Ed Wort's apfelwein into 2-liter bottles. The soda formerly inside them was carbonated at a higher level than the apfelwein. I still have 2-3 bottles of that in storage, and I have experienced NO leaks whatsoever. And I reused the screw-on caps from the bottles, as well.

glenn514

I started brewing in December 2011 with the Cooper's DIY kit. This kit included 30 brown 750ml PET bottles and 30 caps. Currently in July 2013 I am still using these bottle and caps (along side glass bottles I have collected in the meanwhile). I have not experienced any loss of carbonation or any leaking.

I also have a growing collection of 710ml and 1l Sprite and 7-Up PET bottles that I use. Once again the is no leaking or ruptures and the carbonation is fine. These green bottles would be a little more vulnerable to light but I store all my beer out of direct light so it isn't a problem anyway.

AnOldUR said:

If you're lazy this is cheaper than the Carbonator Cap. Cost about the same as your DIY.

Caps
Disconnect

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I am a horribly lazy human being, that being said the minimal effort resulted in two carb caps. That was the smallest quantity of valve stems that was for sale. The whole thing took less then 10 minutes to make.

I always fill one 20 oz soda bottle when bottling to serve as a sort of carb tester for the batch. Since the plastic is squeezable, I can gage when the batch is carbed by the resistance in the bottle. I just wrap it in a piece of denim to block the light.

Long story short, I've done this with every batch I've made without issues, explosions, or off-flavors. Granted, this one is usually the first one of the batch I drink, but as mentioned above, as long as you're using soda quality bottles, you should be OK. Soda is just as acidic as beer if not even more so, so leaching shouldn't be a problem. I would avoid Hi-C, Hawaiin Punch, or Lipton bottles just to be safe.

Just a follow up. If you are drinking by yourself I suggest NOT using a 2 liter bottle when brewing high gravity. You open the bottle you gotta finish it or it will go flat. And 2 liters is a lot of 7% beer. Whoa. Stick with 1 liter or 1.5. Or get a friend to drink it with. In the end plastic pop bottles work great though.

You naysayers realize that Beer & cider is commonly sold in Europe in 2-Liter plastic PET bottles?

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=274093728

MC

Misplaced_Canuck said:

You naysayers realize that Beer & cider is commonly sold in Europe in 2-Liter plastic PET bottles?

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=274093728

MC

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1) what nay sayers?
2) why would they're doing it in Europe be an incentive?

The only objections people are making to 2-liter plastic bottles is:

a). They are 2-liter and
b). They are plastic

No amount of European knowledge is gooing to change either of those

My argument wasnt about whether its doable or not. The plastic did the job. Just when you open it you really need to drink it that night because it will lose carbonation. And I drink my beer alone for the most part. Its 7% and I got toasted. Had nothing to do with the bottle other than the size. Lol

danmaddux said:

My argument wasnt about whether its doable or not. The plastic did the job. Just when you open it you really need to drink it that night because it will lose carbonation. And I drink my beer alone for the most part. Its 7% and I got toasted. Had nothing to do with the bottle other than the size. Lol

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Could alway put a carbonator cap and re-pressurize it...

MC