twist-off bottles

[spam]

a while back I had asked a friend to save me his empty bottles. He gave them to me today and several of them wear twist-off type. Well I did not have the heart to throw them away so I did a little test on one. I took a fresh beer and poured about 3/4 into one of the twist off bottles and put a cap on it with my capping device,I then shook the bottle and let it sit for a few, Then I popped the top,and it had held the pressure! I don"t see why the twist-off bottles will not work. Does any body use the twist-off bottles in a pinch???

 

[AMISHE]

Also interested in this answer. What does BMC and the like use that allows them to make twist-off work? The cap seems like it would just need something to grab at the crimps to allow a tight pull against the lip and the threads on twist-off bottles seem to allow it to seat using conventional tools.

 

[phidelt1499]

I think you can use twist-off bottles, but you need a bench capper, not a two-handled one that most beer kits come with

 

[NICK_M]

I wouldn't risk it since higher pressure can build up after bottling. (Higher pressure then just shaking the bottle.)

 

[jonmohno]

I had capped those and broke them trying to cap them, i would stay away from them.aBoulevard bottles to be exact.

 

[Mquezada]

I use twist off as much as possible which right now makes up about half my bottle stock. I don't have a bench capper, I only have the standard two-hand capper from the Brewers Best kit. I have not had any incidents with bottles exploding. The glass on twistoffs is thinner so you must be careful using the hand capper, it can break the neck if the pressure is not applied evenly.

Even a non twistoff bottle can leak pressure if the cap is not applied properly so just pay attention and do it right. Twistoffs are a bit less forgiving because of the thinner neck glass but once you get a handle on capping them it is not hard at all.

If your beer builds enough pressure to crack a twistoff then the recipe needs adjustment. If you have proper carbonation this should not be an issue even with the slightly thinner twistoff glass.

I enjoy the convenience.

Salud!

 

[unionrdr]

Me,my wife,& our older son drink Leinenkugel's,which are twist offs. We pitch the bottles into the recycle can. I get all those nice,sturdy 12 pack boxes that also have some great separators in them. I use them for my good bottles,empty or full. Makes for a smaller stack of boxes when you have a couple hundred of them. I wish the Little Kings bottles were pop top. They'd be just right for a glass worth of barley wine,Burton ale,etc.

 

[TzeentchPlayer]

I've had success using twist offs with a wing capper. I just tried it for the hell of it and it held the pressure fine.

 

[Rob_B]

I occasionally have some twist off's that find their way into the rest of my bottles. I sometimes catch the mistake after they are all carbed and conditioned. They seem to hold the pressure fine but they pry off a lot easier than the non twist variety. I'll pitch them to the recycle bin when I find one like this since I don't trust the weaker hold, espesially for transporting them.

Oh, and I use a wing capper too.

 

[crazyseany]

I don't think it's a matter of the pressure ... It's when capping and busting the top off... Not sure if they'd get weaker wirh more uses (wouldnt think so)

I think it's just a matter of "it could happen"

 

[Fennis]

They do work, but just be careful. I used them in my first few batches of beer I made, the first batch I had no problems, but the second one, I shattered 8 of them with the wing capper, one of them sent shards of glass into my hand. I never had that problem with pop top bottles. I think the necks of screw tops are weaker. I would use them in a pinch so I have a place to put my beer, but I would be looking to replace them as soon as possible.

 

[chriscraig]

I tried using a wing capper on twist off bottles about a year ago. I crushed the neck of about 4 or 5 of them when capping, and I remember a couple more breaking just from opening them later on!

I know where I live, you can buy bottles back from the redemption center for a quarter a piece. Get yourself some pop top pint bottles. $20 will get you enough to bottle 2 full batches.

 

[cullen]

I've used both a bench capper and a hammer capper with twist-off bottles, and it worked fine. Since the "threads" are fairly thin, I'd think those would tend to break more easily than others.

 

[spam]

Well I tried a few more and the seem to be fine,,,but I think I will put most of the twist-off ones aside for when I run out of good bottles and really NEED them.

 

[spam]

o yea thanks!!

 

[rico567]

I've read too many unpleasant threads here and on other forums about attempts to use twist-offs. Why, when there are plenty of pry-off bottles out there? I have over 500, and each one is a commercial disposable longneck, and all emptied on the premises. Didn't cost a nickel, and I've refilled some of those a half-dozen times. If we buy some beer in twist-offs, we just recycle those. If you have a friendly bartender at a local bar that sells craft brews, I'll bet he'd set aside the pry-offs for you if you picked them up regularly.

 

[jonmohno]

Yeah i agree, these are the only ones i broke trying to cap, and they were bottle conditioned also. Plus i dont get why some of thes pry tops are twist shaped when they dont even twist off.Ive notice some that are like this.

 

[Fennis]

rico567 when you are just starting out brewing, we are new to the craft and don't have all the answers. When I started out, I didn't know any better, I collected about 60 bottles from myself and friends, and I had some that were pry off and some were twist off. I didn't think anything different and used all the bottles, as they worked. After the first few batches, I came to my own conclusion that while twist off bottles worked, the necks and glass were weaker. After a few times in the dish waster and being capped, the necks just shattered under the pressure. So I only collected pry off bottles from that point onward. Its a learning experience, like anything else in brewing. Being condescending about it doesn't really help anyone.

 

[Gridlocked]

Any of you try to bottle condition in plastic twist-off bottles?

I have ~12 that I use to fill from the keg and bring with me places where I can't bring glass. I filled one of them the last time I was loading bottles and it has not blown yet. Just figured I would throw it out there.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

Any of you try to bottle condition in plastic twist-off bottles?

I have ~12 that I use to fill from the keg and bring with me places where I can't bring glass. I filled one of them the last time I was loading bottles and it has not blown yet. Just figured I would throw it out there.

I did a batch of root beer for the kids. Did 1 6er to test and the rest in reclaimed 2L soda bottles. The only time I've had a bottle burst was one of the glass pop top bottles. The spoda bottles really swelled; I could actually detect an increase in the bottle diameter. Short answer, plastic soda bottles will take the pressure.

 

[unionrdr]

I have some 45 Cooper's 25oz PET bottles for back ups,should I actually get enough beer bottled to need them. I have a couple hundred glass pop tops I use most often. But the Cooper's PET's are great. They have a coating on the inside to help prevent o2 absorption.