Facing up to beer brewing logistics

[Tricky Micky]

On 11/30/2022 at 2:16 PM, Cult Of One said:

I have faced up to my logistics and went online to gumtree and brough 100 bottles for $55. half used and half brand new. Saved a bunch. Half were brown glass swing tops and the rest normal Coopers PET. 

The lovely lady who sold them to me sad her deceased husband would be happy to see them being put to good use.  

Hey there, COO, @Cult Of One if you're in Victoria I have a stack of PET's you can have. 

[Cult Of One]

35 minutes ago, Mickep said:

Hey there, COO, @Cult Of One if you're in Victoria I have a stack of PET's you can have. 

many thanks for the offer. I am in Vic but with my purchase I have more than I need.

Really appreciate it though. 

[Oldbloke]

On 8/27/2022 at 10:42 AM, Oldbloke said:

@jennyss 

Hi Jenny,

It sounds like your keeping the entire laundry warm? Not required. I have a small 5 fin oil heater. Uses 1000w. That's a lot. Don't use it. 

All I use is this DIY lamp. An old bed lamp will do the job. With a 25watt or 40w incandescent globe and if you put it all in a box or cubard, or some how wrap it up in a couple of old blankets you will only use about 10% of power what you are likely using now. If you use an inkbird, timer or some other way of controlling the temp even better. The trick is, those old globes are getting a bit hard to find now. I still have a few.

Just if you wrap it up in blankets be aware of possible fire hazard, don't let the globe touch the blankets.  I use ply wood for this.

Soo, I was just looking at power costs.

To run a 1000w Heater costs me:

Peak 33 cents an hour.

Off peak 19 cents per hour.

 

Assuming it's on 50% of the time @ average cost of 25 cents that comes to about $12 for 4 days to keep the bottles warm. 

 

I reckon my globe system or one that includes well insulated bottles with a heat mat would be no more than about $2 or $3 for 4 days. The trick of course it to ensure they are well insulated. 

[Pickles Jones]

On 11/30/2022 at 11:16 AM, Cult Of One said:

I have faced up to my logistics and went online to gumtree and brough 100 bottles for $55. half used and half brand new. Saved a bunch. Half were brown glass swing tops and the rest normal Coopers PET. 

The lovely lady who sold them to me sad her deceased husband would be happy to see them being put to good use.  

With the Swing Tops as well as the seal condition check, look at the piece of the top that protrudes through the hole in the seal, for hair line cracks.

Don't ever buy these, I did, as I thought they would be superior to the ones with the hole in them and would solve the problem of leakage through hair line cracks in the top its self. I had a 100% failure rate on Grolsch Swing Tops hair line crack or not.

 

[Cult Of One]

Just now, Pickles Jones said:

With the Swing Tops as well as the seal condition check, look at the piece of the top that protrudes through the hole in the seal, for hair line cracks.

Don't ever buy these, I did, as I thought they would be superior to the ones with the hole in them and would solve the problem of leakage through hair line cracks in the top its self. I had a 100% failure rate on Grolsch Swing Tops hair line crack or not.

 

I was lucky, mine were the ones you suggest and were still new in packet with the bottles still sealed in box.  Boxes were shed dusty but inside perfect

 

[Classic Brewing Co]

2 minutes ago, Pickles Jones said:

With the Swing Tops as well as the seal condition check, look at the piece of the top that protrudes through the hole in the seal, for hair line cracks.

Don't ever buy these, I did, as I thought they would be superior to the ones with the hole in them and would solve the problem of leakage through hair line cracks in the top its self. I had a 100% failure rate on Grolsch Swing Tops hair line crack or not.

 

That's interesting, I have been using Grolsch bottles for years with great success, only occasionally had a fail but PET bottles are worse. I still have about 200 hundred of them, in fact a few of them are the old 500ml, they are 450ml now, I replaced the seals in the older ones & they work fine.

I keg these days but occasionally I bottle the remaining beer from the keg into these, I have seen @Shamus O'Sean photos of his beers in them & as far as I recall he hasn't reported any failures.

[Shamus O'Sean]

4 hours ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

I keg these days but occasionally I bottle the remaining beer from the keg into these, I have seen @Shamus O'Sean photos of his beers in them & as far as I recall he hasn't reported any failures.

I am the same Phil.  I still have 3-4 dozen Grolsch bottles for the FV dregs.  I reckon I had 1 or 2 failures with them in 5 years.  The one thing I am careful of is not catching a grain of sugar on the rim of the bottle opening before sealing them.

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 minute ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

I am the same Phil.  I still have 3-4 dozen Grolsch bottles for the FV dregs.  I reckon I had 1 or 2 failures with them in 5 years.  The one thing I am careful of is not catching a grain of sugar on the rim of the bottle opening before sealing them.

Yeah, another thing some people forget is to make sure before you pull the clips down, make sure you have nailed a nice flat tight seal.

I think you know what I mean.