Opinions on PET bottles?

[AZ_Brew_Dude]

Can some of the more experienced members here post their opinions on using PET bottles instead of glass? I still think it's a bit odd to drink beer out of a plastic bottle, but perhaps they're worth it.

Potential advantages I can think of are:
1.) Easier to handle/transport than glass.
2.) Better resistance to "bottle bombs" due to the flexibility of plastic??? And even if they did explode, they probably wouldn't be as dangerous as glass shrapnel.

Potential disadvantages:
1.) Not as good of a seal with a screw on cap. C02 loss?
2.) Harder to clean and reuse?

Those are just theories - feel free to shoot those ideas down. Thanks!

 

[Kai]

I'm not terribly experienced, but I bottle in PET about half the time.

In addition to the advantages you mentioned, might I add:

-500ml size gives you about a pint, none of this inconvenient 12/22oz stuff.
-You can give 'em a little squeeze to see how carbonated they are.

In response to your disadvantages:
-The first batch I bottled in these about half of them I didn't seal properly, and it was a pain. Since then, I've checked that the inner seal was intact and really screwed the caps on palm-blisteringly hard, and I've had no problems.
-I haven't found them harder to clean. I've had one or two warp in my dishwasher, but I think those were freaks. It's not happened much.

The things I'm worried are oxygen permeability, flavour leaching, and general classiness.

By the way - you really ought not to be drinking your homebrew out of the bottle. Every time you swig you're mixing the yeast sediment up into your beer, so you're drinking sedimenty yeast soup. Further, homebrew is delicious, and deserves to be appreciated in a glass even if Blue doesn't.

 

[bradsul]

I exclusively use PET when I bottle (I have 12 cases of 24x500ml). I love them, they're basically indestructable and they're easy to clean. I've never had an issue with the caps not sealing (even on a bottle bomb I made with a gusher infection).

I have some imperial stouts that have been in PET bottles for over a year now and no off-flavours at all.

..By the way - you really ought not to be drinking your homebrew out of the bottle. Every time you swig you're mixing the yeast sediment up into your beer, so you're drinking sedimenty yeast soup. Further, homebrew is delicious, and deserves to be appreciated in a glass even if Blue doesn't.

+1 - enjoy your homebrew in all it's glory! Your first taste is how it looks afterall!

 

[AZ_Brew_Dude]

By the way - you really ought not to be drinking your homebrew out of the bottle. Every time you swig you're mixing the yeast sediment up into your beer, so you're drinking sedimenty yeast soup. Further, homebrew is delicious, and deserves to be appreciated in a glass even if Blue doesn't.

I agree - I wasn't referring to homebrew out of a bottle, but more like the new plastic bottles that Miller Lite recently came out with. And before anyone gives me crap about drinking Miller Lite... I only drink it when nothing else is available!

 

[AFAJ Brew Guy]

You know I just realized how much I am going to enjoy this forum. I am getting ready to brew my first batch and have the PET bottles. I was reading one of the other posts and thought to myself, "Jeeze I wonder if I will be a laughing stock for using plastic!"

Thanks for all the answers, you have eased my mind a bit.

 

[Geordiepete]

I love the plastic bottles, not sure what size mine are I think there about a 3rd of a litre cause 24 do a 40 pint batch. There just so easy to store and look after. Only used mine once so far, the caps that came with them seemed to seal themselves so that the first time they were unscrewed they left the lower ring of plastic below if you know what I mean, I think you can use new caps each time as my LHBS sells them seperate.

 

[bradsul]

You know I just realized how much I am going to enjoy this forum. I am getting ready to brew my first batch and have the PET bottles. I was reading one of the other posts and thought to myself, "Jeeze I wonder if I will be a laughing stock for using plastic!"

Thanks for all the answers, you have eased my mind a bit.

There is good natured ribbing here, but nobody would make you a laughing stock, believe me. In the end we're all about making great beer and as long as you want to do that too, you'll get all the help you can handle.

 

[cheezydemon]

I am going to add to my sig that I ALWAYS drink the yeast sediment....KAI! lol it is good for you and I have never noticed any grainyness or other possible detriment. In fact it is good for you...did I already say that? I swirl the last bit to get the yeast out. Anyone who wants it "Clear" or "Smooth" or "COLD FILTERED!!"(whatever the F that means) CAN DRINK A BUD ICE AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED!lol.
Don't fear that beautiful yeast!

 

[Geordiepete]

Its very good for you if your feeling a bit constipated

 

[sTango]

Can you re-use plastic 2-litre soda pop bottles and their lids, or should you buy new lids? i like the idea of bottling a few batches in these big bottles, and resealing them inbetween pours.

 

[Geordiepete]

Don't see why not, and you can certainly buy new lids

 

[bradsul]

I re-use my caps 3 times before replacing them. They're nice and cheap so it's not a huge expense. I know a couple people that use them 8-10 times but I think that's probably pushing your luck a bit.

Also make sure you snap off the lock-rings before you put them on your bottles. They are all about showing commerically bought products haven't been tampered with and have absolutely nothing to do with keeping the lid on. Cutting them off after the fact is annoying.

 

[Germey]

Anyone have a good source for 500ml PET brown bottles? All the online sources I've seen are $1 a bottle or more.

 

[Geordiepete]

Ah! To be honest I did wonder what they did?

 

[abracadabra]

Anyone have a good source for 500ml PET brown bottles? All the online sources I've seen are $1 a bottle or more.

Your best bet is to buy Miller Lite or Coors in the plastic bottles. Think of it as buying the bottles and getting a case of free beer. If you can't drink it yourself you can always throw a party. I give the beer to my mom and she cleans the bottles and gives the back to me.

 

[Germey]

For using the 2 or 3 liter soda bottles, you can buy the $14 Carbonator cap that will allow you to force carb in them, or add a little back in if you are filling off a keg. For cheap DIYers (like me), go to the auto parts store and get some replacement valve stems, Drill a small hole (whatever the valve stem specifies) in a soda bottle cap and pull the stem through. Now you can hook up a tire inflator to a CO2 tank and do the same thing.

 

[Germey]

Your best bet is to buy Miller Lite or Coors in the plastic bottles. Think of it as buying the bottles and getting a case of free beer. If you can't drink it yourself you can always throw a party. I give the beer to my mom and she cleans the bottles and gives the back to me.

I gotta get a few friends that drink BMC.

 

[bradsul]

Anyone have a good source for 500ml PET brown bottles? All the online sources I've seen are $1 a bottle or more.

None of my friends drink BMC (and I certainly won't) so I buy them from my LHBS. I get 48 bottles for about $30CAD.

 

[sudsmonkey]

20 oz. soda bottles work just fine if you keep them out of the light. I use 40 oz. Miller bottles. I can get them for $1.39 each. Only drawback is that I have to get rid of the beer in them. I manage to suffer through.

 

[AFAJ Brew Guy]

There is good natured ribbing here, but nobody would make you a laughing stock, believe me. In the end we're all about making great beer and as long as you want to do that too, you'll get all the help you can handle.

Oh was pretty sure that I wasn't really going to get laughed at, but hey who knows. Anyway thanks, I figure if you cant spend time to give someone a hard time, the other guys probably isn't worth to begin with!

I just cant wit till I get my kit on Saturday and start my first batch. I am SO looking forward to it. Thanks to all, I have really enjoyed this forum and I am learning more with each read. Thanks!

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

I gotta get a few friends that drink BMC.

If you are giving away BMC, I predict you will make a lot of friends....

 

[ArcaneXor]

Never heard of Miller Lite in PET bottles. Are those widely available? How are they packaged?

 

[SuperiorBrew]

There are some 20 & 24 oz soda bottle in most grocery stores that come in amber plastic, A&W is one that comes to mind. I think its cheaper to buy them and have you kids drink the soda

 

[Yooper]

Never heard of Miller Lite in PET bottles. Are those widely available? How are they packaged?

Um, they come in PET bottles,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


I've only seen them at events. I see them at Miller Park all the time. I guess they don't want to give drunks glass bottles. I think I saw them a couple of years ago in some gas stations, though. I think that was a test market. I heard they had some recycling problems, because it was amber colored plastic, and they want clear plastic for recycling. No one has ever really confirmed this, though.

 

[eriktlupus]

check beer stores by beaches. the ones here don't allow glass bottles

 

[Jeffro]

I can use PLASTIC?

Damn... And all this time I could have been throwing those glass bottles in the garbage?

Next thing you know somebody will say we can use aluminum cans for our beer.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I, for one, do not put my pets in plastic bottles...

 

[King of the Swill]

I use amber PET 16oz bottles and they work great. No off flavors, reusable many, many times, no broken glass, No capping problems. Easy to clean.

 

[PeteOz77]

Yet another great, informative topic!

I got 30 X 750ml (25oz) brown PET bottles with my starter kit. I was very dubious to use them, but now I will give them a try...

Cheers!