Bell Jar Bottling?

[mrphillips]

I was walking through Walmart yesterday and saw a wall of Bell Jars on sale. Since there is no off-switch to the homebrewers brain, I thought to myself if anyone had ever used them to bottle. It seems like they would hold up to the carbonation pressure well, and add a certain country charm to enjoying an IPA

 

[fearwig]

Oh my lord no.

Don't even store cakes in them in the fridge without loosening the ring. They are not pressureworthy.

 

[tele_dirtbag]

Oh my lord no.

Why? I don't see a problem as long as they hold pressure and you keep them away from light.

Edit:
Scratch that, just noticed the second part of your post.

 

[Kingbogart]

Some people have used these jars for bottling, but have had varying results. The issue with the jars seems to be that they seal by creating a vacuum. Put liquid in, heat it up to create a vacuum, and they seal. Beer when naturally carbonating does not create a vacuum. As the beer carbonates it creates outward pressure which attempts to break the seal. You could end up with blown out lids, or just flat beer.

 

[fearwig]

Yeah, sorry, notorious post editor here. The glass on these is quite thin, they don't even hold up to thermal shock well. At a buck each you're getting toward the cost of swing-tops anyway, those are your best bet.

 

[TyTanium]

They are designed for negative pressure. Positive pressure breaks the seal pretty easily.

I use them for storing hops and specialty grain instead.

 

[fearwig]

Oh, you can get a carbonation seal if you tighten the ring. Just ask the quart jar of old chicken stock I set out the other year, meaning to pour it out... Boom.

I've never seen a lid blow out, usually it's the sides. Yikes.

 

[BGBC]

Oh, you can get a carbonation seal if you tighten the ring. Just ask the quart jar of old chicken stock I set out the other year, meaning to pour it out... Boom.

I've never seen a lid blow out, usually it's the sides. Yikes.

Fizzy chicken stock, yum!

But seriously, I agree with others, those jars are meant for negative pressure, not positive.

 

[masteraviator]

Bell Jars -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bell_jar_apparatus_during_low-pressure_test.jpg

I've heard this a few times the last couple of months and I'm assuming a regional difference between what you're speaking of and what I'm hearing. I now assume you're talking about Mason Jars which are currently manufactured by Ball.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ball-Vintage-Blue-1-Pint-Jar/24653883

 

[mrphillips]

As usual, You've all saved me a lot of money and a huge mess. Haha! I never thought to compare "vacuum" against "carbonation" pressure.