Soda bottles

[Painter]

I have been hearing about people using plastic soda bottles for bottling beer and cider. Other than the fact that they are clear, how well do they do compared to bottles with crown caps? I'm thinking about using some for my cider to avoid bottle bombs, but might want to put some beer in a couple of quart bottles.

 

[Homercidal]

For cider they will be excellent. Clean and sanitize as usual for bottles. The biggest drawback when compared to glass bottles is the susceptibility to sunlight, which causes skunking. Cider generally doesn't have hops, so it's not susceptible to skunking.

I'd still keep in a dark place as usual, but other than that, they work fine for the average beer/cider providing you manage the light.

Oh, and I don't think I'd use them for extended aging, like for wines of very big beers that might sit for a year or more. That's just me, but there is probably some O2 permeability in the plastic and I'd rather only use them for stuff that I'd be drinking in a few weeks.

As far as glass goes, don't fear the bottle bombs! Study up on the process and choose a method that prevents bottle bombs. It's not hard. Unless you backsweeten your cider there shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Happywanderer]

I'm probably going to buy some of these to share beer with.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0164KDNDK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20