PET bottles

[Classic Brewing Co]

3 hours ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

No worries, I stand corrected. 

All good Shamus, I must have had a Senior moment & was thinking the full scoop was 2 tsp & the 1/2 scoop 1 tsp, I was wrong & happy to admit it. 

As the scales show one full scoop of the sugar measure is clearly between 4 - 5gms - 1 tsp 4.1gms, so I guess unless you took the time to weigh each scoop ( which we wouldn't ) we have to assume that's OK. I have been getting excellent carbonation with the 1 scoop, it is interesting that you are actually using more.

Cheers.

[Classic Brewing Co]

4 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

Phil, you want to get yourself some of these mini Decor food containers if you don't have already.  I think I got them from Coles or Woolies, come in sets of 6 I think.

They are perfect for weighing out hops. whirlfloc granules and water salts etc.  Just stick the empty container on the scale minus the lid, tare it, then add your stuff to desired weight.

Way better than ingredients flying all over the shop and having to clean it up plus keeps your scales nice and clean not to mention sanitation risk from having to wash / wipe the scales down between different ingredients and batches.  I keep the lids on mine when in storage and always use the green ones for hops and the white ones for salts etc.

Hi Al,

Good one, nice scales by the way  yes I have many different containers for different ingredients, I am very fussy with hygiene, safe storage etc.

I have a pretty good system going with brew prep/making/bottling as I feel if you can minimise  time/effort it doesn't become so much of a chore & hey you can have a beer, chill out & just do it, it is all part of the brewing experience. 

OK, kegging is better, but ATM what I am doing works for me.

Cheers

Phil

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 hour ago, Breaktrainjack said:

i like traditional bottled beer

At least with bottles you are able to not only transport to your mates etc but also control the amount of booze served at your bar as I know if I had taps some of them would hang around until you called last drinks like they do at the Pub/RSL etc. I run a pretty tight ship here though. After years of cooking, drink waiting, barman duties & a bouncer for years I sort of get the message across, don't mess up at "Phil's Bar & Grill " 

[Breaktrainjack]

23 minutes ago, CLASSIC said:

At least with bottles you are able to not only transport to your mates etc but also control the amount of booze served at your bar as I know if I had taps some of them would hang around until you called last drinks like they do at the Pub/RSL etc. I run a pretty tight ship here though. After years of cooking, drink waiting, barman duties & a bouncer for years I sort of get the message across, don't mess up at "Phil's Bar & Grill " 

 Thats my kinda ship Phil 

[Stickers]

3 hours ago, MUZZY said:

Feeling rather crushed and unloved at the moment. Not one person has recommended the Muzzy method (Trademark, copyrights and patents pending) as a carbonation suggestion ie. 1 carbonation drop + 1 CSR sugar cube per 750ml bottle.

i did about 25 batches with the Muzzy Method, it is a really quick and foolproof method to getting a better fizz over carb drops alone

[Classic Brewing Co]

2 minutes ago, Stickers said:

i did about 25 batches with the Muzzy Method, it is a really quick and foolproof method to getting a better fizz over carb drops alone

I have no doubt it works fine, Muzzy has posted & used it with good results, I would actually like to try it but since I have ceased using carb drops & only white sugar my beers are working for me.

I guess finding  something that works for us it is better to stick to it. 

[Breaktrainjack]

2 hours ago, Stickers said:

i did about 25 batches with the Muzzy Method, it is a really quick and foolproof method to getting a better fizz over carb drops alone

25 batches regardless is nothing to snuff at thats for sure ..good job 

Edited June 25, 2021 by Breaktrainjack

[Spursman]

Guys, ( slightly off topic but relatable ) what is your most successful method of bottling PETs. I add the sugar to all bottles then fill a bottle, cap it and stack it without shaking or inverting then move on to the next bottle.

I believe some brewers agitate the just filled bottle before stacking but others reckon it is risky because it might oxidise. Others say to agitate after 10 days by inverting 5 or 6 times.

Holy crap this gets confusing!

[Malter White]

1 hour ago, Spursman said:

Guys, ( slightly off topic but relatable ) what is your most successful method of bottling PETs. I add the sugar to all bottles then fill a bottle, cap it and stack it without shaking or inverting then move on to the next bottle.

I believe some brewers agitate the just filled bottle before stacking but others reckon it is risky because it might oxidise. Others say to agitate after 10 days by inverting 5 or 6 times.

Holy crap this gets confusing!

I fill all bottles with wort first and leave them standing uncapped until they're all filled. Then prime with carb drops/cubes and cap one at a time in case of foam volcanoes. I find it too fiddly and slower process to fill, prime and cap them one at a time.

I prime after the bottle wand is withdrawn to reduce the airspace at the top of bottle. Oxygen is our enemy at this stage of brewing.

I never shake bottles since I saw a YouTube video by Gash Slug. He actually did a comparison between two bottles from the same brew. One shaken, one not. The video showed the shaken beer had a darker colour, a sign of oxidation. He claimed it didn't taste as good also. That was enough evidence for me to not shake.

Furthermore, I doubt whether Coopers shake their bottles for commercial sale and their beer goes OK.

Edited June 25, 2021 by MUZZY

[Classic Brewing Co]

My method is a little different but it works for me, I usually prime 25-30 Longnecks with sugar & then fill them, cap them & put them in a box. They are dated, labelled & that's it.

[Barramullafella]

I bottle similar to Classic's method but do invert the bottle three times or so to help disperse the prime sugar, and to check if any leaks as the bottle expands a little.

[fredpace]

does anybody use pet bottles other than those sold by coopers?

thankyou for your thoughts.

[Classic Brewing Co]

8 minutes ago, fredpace said:

does anybody use pet bottles other than those sold by coopers?

thankyou for your thoughts.

I use Morgan's which are actually 750ml, I have Mangrove Jacks but mainly Coopers as they are available at BigW instead of going to LHBS also Dan Murphy's sell them.

They all do the same job some with different colours & lids.

[fredpace]

55 minutes ago, CLASSIC said:

I use Morgan's which are actually 750ml, I have Mangrove Jacks but mainly Coopers as they are available at BigW instead of going to LHBS also Dan Murphy's sell them.

They all do the same job some with different colours & lids.

thank you

[fredpace]

i was meaning used ,cleansoda water bottles etc?

 

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 minute ago, fredpace said:

i was meaning used ,cleansoda water bottles etc?

 

OK, well you can but I haven't bothered as the PET bottles for brewing are especially designed to keep sunlight out & probably a lot stronger & more reliable than the others.

I know some of our members have mentioned they have used them in the past.

[fredpace]

thank you

[Spursman]

5 hours ago, Barramullafella said:

I bottle similar to Classic's method but do invert the bottle three times or so to help disperse the prime sugar, and to check if any leaks as the bottle expands a little.

Hey Barra,

I used to do the same but figured that the flow from the filling wand was enough to get the sugar moving around. Just move the wand around the bottle to get to all of the sugar stirred up.

[Classic Brewing Co]

2 minutes ago, Spursman said:

Hey Barra,

I used to do the same but figured that the flow from the filling wand was enough to get the sugar moving around. Just move the wand around the bottle to get to all of the sugar stirred up.

I agree, a Brewer who now owns an actual Brewery told me that by adding the sugar before you fill the bottles with wort, that is enough to prime the bottle before sealing.

I guess everybody will have different methods & opinions but I have always done that & have success with it.

[Shamus O'Sean]

9 hours ago, Spursman said:

I add the sugar to all bottles then fill a bottle, cap it and stack it without shaking or inverting then move on to the next bottle.

That's exactly how I do it.

[Spursman]

[Spursman]

Got a softie this a.m. Checked the top as above - distorted. Checked the bottle - heavily stoved in on one side.

Interesting. 

Apologies for the pic quality.

[Coopers DIY Beer Team]

On 6/23/2021 at 1:16 PM, CLASSIC said:

Well for what it's worth I remove the bottom ring when re-bottling which allows you to screw the cap down nice & tight, if it is a brand new cap going on a bottle with the ring already removed that's different. I have never had a problem as the used cap ring on the bottom serves no purpose. 

I agree Classic. The tamper-evident collar serves no purpose, unless the caps are being used on a commercial product intended for sale. Given that the collar has to be removed when the cap is eventually replaced and the process of cutting it off is fraught for someone as clumsy as me, I remove the collars before I use the caps for the first time.   

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 minute ago, Coopers DIY Beer Team said:

I agree Classic. The tamper-evident collar serves no purpose, unless the caps are being used on a commercial product intended for sale. Given that the collar has to be removed when the cap is eventually replaced and the process of cutting it off is fraught for someone as clumsy as me, I remove the collars before I use the caps for the first time.   

I have also done that in the past, however I have developed a system that works, I have a large pair of  scissors with thin blades & serrated edges & before filling I check to see how many collars have to be removed & simply slide the blade upwards ( away from me ) & cut through the collar. Once the bottles have been rotated a few times there is no need. I find with care the bottle & same caps can be used continuously.

Cheers

Phil

[Tricky Micky]

I have been contacted by Coopers DIY Beer Team Admin asking for the return of the two 740ml PET bottles which may have issues regarding the cap and the its ability to tighten fully on the screw top of the bottle. Clearly they monitor our threads closely so thanks Coopers Admin Team. They've kindly offered to replace the faulty bottles and it does sound like they're interested in having a look at the issue.

Thought I'd let you guys and gal's know.

Cheers Mick