Is it alcohol?

[captaincrunk]

Last week when i was brewing my wort chiller sprung a leak, so i ended up with extra wort. I put it in 1 gallon jugs and they swelled and got bubbly. I bottled them before i pitched so there is not yeast in them. Will they contain alcohol?

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[stevo4361]

Without yeast, no. Unless it picked up some wild yeast somewhere along the way.

 

[captaincrunk]

K thats what i thought. Just confused as to why sugar water was swelling the jugs.

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[CBMbrewer]

Since the jugs seemed to present some signs of fermentation it is likely that some wild yeast or bacteria converted some of the sugars and alcohol is present. The only way to tell is with a gravity reading before and after the signs of fermentation. Either way, if it was some wild yeast, it might end up tasting like vinegar.
You could try putting them in a 32F degree environment. If, after 12 hours or so, there is still some liquid in it, you know there is alcohol. Don't do it in sealed bottles though, or they will most likely burst. If you harvest that liquid it is also technicality ice distillation, which is legal, but some get huffy about it.