How epic was this fail?

[knightnorth]

O today's bottling day. After throwing the sugar water in I start bottling. After 12 bottled I realize the store sold me 2 cases of wine bottles. I don't have any corks so I immediately sanitized the secondary (plastic bucket) and got everything back in there. I won't be able to get bottles/corks till maybe Tuesday. Did I screw the pooch too much here. What should I look for? Explosions?

 

[dpkim]

I'd say you'll be fine. You'll need to add priming sugar when you get your bottles.

 

[amandabab]

Its truly an epic level fail if you filled 12 bottles before realizing they were wine bottles.

Old school epic level, beyond "welfare purples" modern epic level.

The beer will be fine though, it'll ferment the priming sugar.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Did I screw the pooch too much here.

Its truly an epic level fail if you filled 12 bottles before realizing they were wine bottles.

Old school epic level, beyond "welfare purples" modern epic level.

The beer will be fine though, it'll ferment the priming sugar.

3 posts, two epic quotes! Slainte to you both!

I agree with the others, while this isn't ideal at all, you did the right thing and the beer will prevail. Your beer will surely dry out just a tad from the first dose of priming solution, but nothing worth worrying about. I'd make sure the gravity is stable again, it'll probably only drop a point or so, but still.... then reprime and bottle as normal.

p.s. If the bottle mistake was in fact the fault of your LHBS, next time you're there, slap the employee that made it on the back of the head. Gently, of course.

 

[Calder]

Unless they are Champagne bottles, they will not take the pressure of carbonated beer, so corking is not an option. I'd return the bottles. I'm sure they will take them back if you buy something else while you are there.

Beer will be fine, just remember to add more priming sugar when you bottle as the yeast will have devoured the sugar you have already added.

As NB noted, it will dry the beer slightly, but you will not notice it. I doubt it would even make a point difference.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

I doubt it would even make a point difference.

Yeah, I was thinking about that as I typed it. It's not like I've taken a gravity reading from most of my beers after bottle conditioning, but I have with a few just to see. And only once that I recall did I have a point or so of difference from the FG of the beer at bottling, and mind you I'm using a floating hydro so there's room for operator error. Obviously, the gravity will change a bit, but probably not even a measurable (or detectable) amount.