Some people reported that these green swing top bottles of ginger ale exploded. The new report didn't mention if the glass was defective or if the soda was over carbonated. I wouldn't choose green glass for beer anyway, but maybe for cider.
Trader Joe's "bottle bomb" recall...
- Thread starter Hoppy2bmerry
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Pretty interesting development.... I work at Trader Joe's and recently got back into homebrewing so I've been asking co-workers to save these bottles for me to package up xmas "gifts" (possible bombs for my loved ones?)...
I have about 10 gallons of IPA bottled up and conditioning in these bottles as I type. The glass is THICK, but that may not equate to strength.
We shall see I suppose!
I have about 10 gallons of IPA bottled up and conditioning in these bottles as I type. The glass is THICK, but that may not equate to strength.
We shall see I suppose!
For the record on two points:
1. Bottles didn't start exploding until my beer had already been packaged.
2. I know green glass is weak sauce but I imagine the beers I gift will be gone the day I gift them or the day after and stored in a dark wrapping of paper.
Cheers!
1. Bottles didn't start exploding until my beer had already been packaged.
2. I know green glass is weak sauce but I imagine the beers I gift will be gone the day I gift them or the day after and stored in a dark wrapping of paper.
Cheers!
kev211
Well-Known Member
Nothing says "Merry Christmas!" like a million shards of glass to the face
I picked up a few of these hoping to use them to bottle beer. It seems to me that the glass is to thin for bottle conditioning. I have some other swing tops that are noticeably thicker that I use. Also in the ingredients it says carbonated water. That tells me that they didn't feel safe enough to bottle condition in these either. I think I'm gonna use them to store my homemade chocolate sauce.
Biscuits
Well-Known Member
I have some, they didn't explode...I will use them to bottle beer from my keg for transport..I suppose I like to live dangerously.
BrewSavage
Well-Known Member
Here's one theory:
http://gizmodo.com/we-think-we-know-why-trader-joes-bottles-of-ginger-beer-1748748760
According to the articles it turns out that ginger "beer", unlike ginger "ale", undergoes a fermentation, and still remains non-alcholic, but they had unplanned re-fermentation in the bottle.
I'm very surprised these bottles explode because they are so very heavy compared to other flip tops. It isn't easy being green...but I just keep them out of the light at all times, and if I make cider I always use green bottles for that.
http://gizmodo.com/we-think-we-know-why-trader-joes-bottles-of-ginger-beer-1748748760
According to the articles it turns out that ginger "beer", unlike ginger "ale", undergoes a fermentation, and still remains non-alcholic, but they had unplanned re-fermentation in the bottle.
I'm very surprised these bottles explode because they are so very heavy compared to other flip tops. It isn't easy being green...but I just keep them out of the light at all times, and if I make cider I always use green bottles for that.
Biscuits
Well-Known Member
I'll just wrap the bottle with some vinyl or something.
Unplanned refermentation in the bottle would do it. Considering how sweet the beverage is, there would definately be enough sugar to cause some bombs.
My guess is that the glass itself is no weaker than any other swing top.
My guess is that the glass itself is no weaker than any other swing top.
BrewSavage
Well-Known Member
I weighed a few different types of bottles, just to get a sense of the mass of glass used in these things.
TJ ginger beer bottle, 750 ml, 23.05 oz including the swing wire and plastic cap.
Belgian 750ml, the kind that takes the wire and champagne type cork: 19.5 oz
750 ml bottle "French Limonade" , including the swing top, 21.0 oz
750 ml bottle pinot grigio - holding still wine 14.8 oz not really in the same class of course but I had an empty one handy so I weighed it.
All these bottle are different shapes so the comparison isn't the best, but the first three bottles all hold 750ml under pressure. Unfortunately I didn't have an empty champagne bottle nearby.
TJ ginger beer bottle, 750 ml, 23.05 oz including the swing wire and plastic cap.
Belgian 750ml, the kind that takes the wire and champagne type cork: 19.5 oz
750 ml bottle "French Limonade" , including the swing top, 21.0 oz
750 ml bottle pinot grigio - holding still wine 14.8 oz not really in the same class of course but I had an empty one handy so I weighed it.
All these bottle are different shapes so the comparison isn't the best, but the first three bottles all hold 750ml under pressure. Unfortunately I didn't have an empty champagne bottle nearby.
Light affects hop oils. I don't think that ginger beer has hops (?). So, green is OK.
Since it's a low-alcohol bev, it hasn't fermented, thus it's got unfermented sugars. I'd say for certain the bottle bombs were from unexpected fermentation in the bottle.
I've had very heavy belgian bottles explode.
Since it's a low-alcohol bev, it hasn't fermented, thus it's got unfermented sugars. I'd say for certain the bottle bombs were from unexpected fermentation in the bottle.
I've had very heavy belgian bottles explode.
BrewSavage
Well-Known Member
People here on HBT on a bottle thread are intending to re-use the bottles for beer.
Haha, right, derp. I guess you could use for cider though.
dyqik
Well-Known Member
The carbonation level of ginger beer is significantly higher than typically used in beer (maybe not some wheat beers etc.). Also, the ginger beer contains sugar, and so might undergo unwanted fermentation - the product will be intended to be sterile and force carbed for consistency and to get a short time to the shelf and a long shelf life. Bottle infection or other spontaneous (re)fermentation of this product would probably cause bottle-bombs in any glass container due to the sugar content here.
That said, simple over-carbing due to the wrong regulator setting, and filling cold, could conceivably cause this issue as well - the bottles are sold warm on shop shelves, and might get warmer still in cars, at home, etc.
I wouldn't worry about using these bottles for regular beer bottle-conditioning, apart from the green glass, anyway. Particularly if it does turn out to be (re)fermentation in the bottle that caused the issue.
That said, simple over-carbing due to the wrong regulator setting, and filling cold, could conceivably cause this issue as well - the bottles are sold warm on shop shelves, and might get warmer still in cars, at home, etc.
I wouldn't worry about using these bottles for regular beer bottle-conditioning, apart from the green glass, anyway. Particularly if it does turn out to be (re)fermentation in the bottle that caused the issue.
MrFoodScientist
Well-Known Member
Trader Joe's doesn't allow any artificial preservatives in their products. The most common perservatives in soda, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate, are on their Unacceptable Ingredient List. I know that for a fact because the list is sitting in front of me on my desk.
That said, the only way that I'm aware of to keep these from spontaneously fermenting (bottle conditioned or not) would be a pasteurization step, which apparently either wasn't validated by the manufacturer, was somehow inadequate, or the operator of the pasteurizing tunnel missed a safety check or something. "Faulty" bottles would likely get weeded out in the pasteurization process.
This is all speculation, but I would guess that the thickness of the glass was meant to withstand the pasteurization process, but maybe that prevented it from being fully effective. There is a possibility that the process could weaken the bottles, but if that were the case I would expect there would have been issues in shipping/distribution, and it probably wouldn't have made it as far as the shelves.
That said, the only way that I'm aware of to keep these from spontaneously fermenting (bottle conditioned or not) would be a pasteurization step, which apparently either wasn't validated by the manufacturer, was somehow inadequate, or the operator of the pasteurizing tunnel missed a safety check or something. "Faulty" bottles would likely get weeded out in the pasteurization process.
This is all speculation, but I would guess that the thickness of the glass was meant to withstand the pasteurization process, but maybe that prevented it from being fully effective. There is a possibility that the process could weaken the bottles, but if that were the case I would expect there would have been issues in shipping/distribution, and it probably wouldn't have made it as far as the shelves.
