32 oz Gatorade bottles are pretty awesome for bottle conditioning....

[grndslm]

I've tried a number of plastic bottles, and the 32 oz Gatorades are the only ones that hold their bottom and keep the lid sealed very well.

What's neat is that the lid is almost like an airlock of sorts. It lets excess carbonation out, but it still seals very well. I should know. My last batches were overcarbonated, likely because we used a "super yeast" from a local brewery.

But this could be a tipe for any n00bs who are just starting.

The benefits are:

(1) You can't possibly mess up the carbonation, altho moving to glass could prove otherwise.
(2) No bottle bombs.
(3) You can find 32 oz Gatorade bottles anywhere, sometimes on sale for $0.60 or so. Could probably pick 50 of them up for free at any school league baseball field with concession stand.
(4) You can take them out in public, on the beach, in the woods, or wherever... and not have to worry about broken glass.
(5) You can distribute them to friends and not even need to care if they wash them out and return them to you or not.
(6) If they do wash and return them, then the lids are reusable for what I would imagine would be a few years worth of use.

Since the 32oz bottoms stay flat, seal well, always carbonate properly, never causing bottle bombs, and they're reusable & virtually free.... I will probly always do one or two per batch from now on.

 

[bigbeergeek]

I don't like the idea of carbonating beer in something that can potentially vent off pressure. To each their own.

 

[TheMan]

Wait, you are carbonating in Gatorade bottles? These aren't built for carbonated beverages. I don't think this is a tip for new brewers at all. Try at your own discretion.

Soda bottles are a better option, and equally as cheap. I'd use them instead.

But like beergeek said, to each his own!

 

[user 84304]

The benefits are:

(1) You can't possibly mess up the carbonation, altho moving to glass could prove otherwise.

If anything, I would think you're more likely to "mess up the carbonation" than with a properly capped glass bottle. It's certainly possible to have it not carb properly.

 

[weirdboy]

Are you nuts? Gatorade is not carbonated, and gatorade bottles are not made to withstand the pressures you get when bottle conditioning. At the very least, use soda bottles.

"No bottle bombs" should come with the caveat "so far".

 

[bob1852]

I should know. My last batches were overcarbonated, likely because we used a "super yeast" from a local brewery.

Yeast type should have nothing to do with carbonation levels.


I personally do not recommend carbing in plastic gatorade bottles. We used to make dry ice bombs using plastic gatorade bottles, a small chunk of dry ice, and a teeny bit of water. It makes a loud noise when it explodes.

 

[Chad__]

Hahahaha

 

[TyTanium]

Hahahaha

Great first post.

 

[TyTanium]

...always carbonate properly, never causing bottle bombs...

What's your sample size?

 

[TheMan]

I do have to say, if the gatorade bottles let excess carbonation out, then that means they are not completely sealed. This means your beer will not carb properly since it is venting all the time.

Or you will get a foaming mess.

 

[deepsouth]

this doesn't sound like the best idea.

 

[tre9er]

This whole thing reminded me that I need to get some PET bottles. I'm tired of buying bottlecaps for glass bottles just for when I want to take a sixer with me. I'm also trying to think, are there dark colored plastic soda bottles (with soda in them) readily available?

 

[zachattack]

Exploding plastic can be just as dangerous as exploding glass or metal. Keep in mind that an exploding plastic keg recently killed a brewery worker. Bottle bombs are certainly still a possibility and it would certainly be a dangerous situation. Stick to the soda/seltzer bottles that others recommended.

 

[user 84304]

Exploding plastic can be just as dangerous as exploding glass or metal. Keep in mind that an exploding plastic keg recently killed a brewery worker. Bottle bombs are certainly still a possibility and it would certainly be a dangerous situation. Stick to the soda/seltzer bottles that others recommended.

This, times a bajillion

 

[roadymi]

This whole thing reminded me that I need to get some PET bottles. I'm tired of buying bottlecaps for glass bottles just for when I want to take a sixer with me. I'm also trying to think, are there dark colored plastic soda bottles (with soda in them) readily available?

A & W Root Beer

Frostop is available around here It is a very good root beer comes in 1 liter Brown bottles for 99 cents.

 

[grndslm]

If anything, I would think you're more likely to "mess up the carbonation" than with a properly capped glass bottle. It's certainly possible to have it not carb properly.

I don't think that it's possible for anyone to mess up carbonation in 32oz Gatorade bottles. That is my claim until anyone disproves me.

Try it and see for yourself.

Are you nuts? Gatorade is not carbonated, and gatorade bottles are not made to withstand the pressures you get when bottle conditioning. At the very least, use soda bottles.

"No bottle bombs" should come with the caveat "so far".

The 32 oz gatorades work very well. That's all there is to it.

The Powerade bottles might work even better??

The sides pop out and make it look a little "bulgier" than average... but I'm sure you could totally get away with having some apple juice in a recycled plastic bottle.

Yeast type should have nothing to do with carbonation levels.


I personally do not recommend carbing in plastic gatorade bottles. We used to make dry ice bombs using plastic gatorade bottles, a small chunk of dry ice, and a teeny bit of water. It makes a loud noise when it explodes.

It's not yeast "type" I'm referring to. It's yeast viability and vitality. :fro: This yeast we got was the freshest possible yeast we could get, and I've heard that breweries could potentially be breeding super yeasts.

Or perhaps I put 80% viability in Mr. Malty?? When it should have been 99%?

And the bit about dry ice is not really a fair comparison to carbonation pressures and the . It's commonly repeated that the plastic bottles hold twice as much pressure as any glass bottle.

The 32oz Gatorade seals WILL NOT leak. I can guarantee it. The only time it will leak is in my situation, in which we had super yeast or improper pitch count or something else that led to overcarbonation.

What's your sample size?

Hmm....

Let's see here...

two 24oz bottles
-and-
one 32oz bottle

I do have to say, if the gatorade bottles let excess carbonation out, then that means they are not completely sealed. This means your beer will not carb properly since it is venting all the time.

Or you will get a foaming mess.

They are completely sealed until you reach unrealeastic pressures.

Exploding plastic can be just as dangerous as exploding glass or metal. Keep in mind that an exploding plastic keg recently killed a brewery worker. Bottle bombs are certainly still a possibility and it would certainly be a dangerous situation. Stick to the soda/seltzer bottles that others recommended.

Nope.

Show me one beer do that. Until then, I will not believe you.

 

[amandabab]

The sides pop out and make it look a little "bulgier" than average...

this does not inspire confidence.

 

[zachattack]

You can do whatever dangerous, stupid things you want, just don't come here and tell others that it's safe. Keep that crap to yourself.

 

[BradleyBrew]

Cell count does not determine carbonation... its the amount of sugar that the yeast have to consume. If your yeast viability is 50% or 100% and you have x amount of sugar over time the beer would be equally carbonated. The higher viability might create carbonation quicker but would eventually meet an equilibrium.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

It's dangerous to bottle condition in containers not meant to hold pressure. That is a fact, not opinion. We've been down this road before, OP. Closed.