Bottle Conditioning Question

[jtf3456]

I bottled my first batch on Saturday. I bottled in 1L soda bottles. I felt the bottles today and they already feel very hard. They don't give at all, they feel like they felt when I got them from the store. Should they be fine, or should I be worried?

 

[finlayj]

You really shouldn't use soda bottles for bottling purposes. They won't seal as well.

As far as being worried...possibly. Do some searching on here. I'm sure someone else has tried this before.

 

[jtf3456]

@

 

[william_shakes_beer]

If you're worries about bursting bottles. place them in a rubbermaid container with a lid. If they burst, it will make cleanup much easier.

 

[Clann]

You will be fine. they will work and seal fine. Upgrade to glass bottles as soon as you can. Plastic ones are not good for ageing beer for long periods.

 

[Yooper]

You really shouldn't use soda bottles for bottling purposes. They won't seal as well.

As far as being worried...possibly. Do some searching on here. I'm sure someone else has tried this before.

You can use soda bottles just fine. Just make sure you screw the lids on tight. Many people do it. It's great for when you want to take beer someplace where "no glass" rules apply. We take plastic soda bottles out on the boat and to the beaches all the time.

If you're really worried that they are overcarbed, a rubbermaid tote is a great idea. Stick on in the fridge overnight, and then sample it. That will give you an indication of how carbed up they are.

 

[finlayj]

Guess I was wrong. Sorry guys!

 

[jtf3456]

I plan on trying one this weekend.

 

[jtf3456]

I know they need to be in the dark while conditioning, but what about when they are done conditioning, do they still need to be kept somewhere dark?

 

[wailingguitar]

It would take a pretty overcarbed beer to burst a soda bottle. Soda has a much higher level of carbonation that the average home brewed beer. (around 3.75 +/- volumes as opposed to around 2.4)

And yes, after conditioning they need to stay in the dark. The reason is that if they get light struck, particularly on a lighter beer, they can get skunky.