Glass or Coopers PET bottles

[rpt]

The Coopers PET bottles are cheaper to buy than glass bottles but is there any disadvantage? Do they last as long or affect the taste of the beer? Even if I collect used glass bottles for free I need to buy caps and a capper, neither of which is needed for the plastic bottles.

 

[DirtyCaner]

Up to you mate, whichever you prefer, but paying for empty bottles is a no brainer IMHO...

Capper is a good investment and caps are only 1.50 ish for 25. You can even reuse the ones you get off your bought (full) beer bottles if you really want. But I wouldn't do it more than once...

DirtyC

 

[Moley]

Capper is a good investment and caps are only 1.50 ish for 25.

Bloody hell DC, where are you buying your caps from? :shock:

I think I pay £1.55 or £1.60 for 100 from my LHBS.

But to rpt: As DC says, it's up to you mate. A capping tool is a worthwhile investment if you're likely to be doing a few brews.

Personally, I always use 2-3 PETs for every brew so I can squeeze them and see how carbonation pressure is building, but apart from that I use glass, and have never bought an empty bottle in my life.

 

[joconn]

I use Grolsh bottles. I get them for three dollars per dozen at my local redemption center. No problems so far.
: Joe.

 

[Moley]

:rofl: That's probably not a great deal of help to someone living in Yorkshire, England

What is a redemption centre?

However it works, swingtops @ $3 per dozen sounds excellent :thumb:

We might occasionally find them on ebay but swingtops are relatively scarce over here and their residual value is much higher.

 

[Stihler]

Using PET bottles in a pinch is not bad idea but they do have one disadvantage.

Unlike glass bottles PET bottles are permeable to oxygen.

Unless the beer is consumed quickly beer stored in PET bottles can develop off-flavors associated with oxidation.

- Scott

 

[mattrickl06]

However the new "improved" Cooper's bottles have a dual layer which apparently stops any air from permeating through the bottle.

 

[Stihler]

Cool!

Thanks for the correction.

I'd heard about working being done in that regard but I did not realize they were out yet.

Here is an article about PET bottles and the work being done to improve them: http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=351.

Sorry for the incorrect information regarding oxidation and PET bottles.

- Scott

 

[Andyhull]

However the new "improved" Cooper's bottles have a dual layer which apparently stops any air from permeating through the bottle.

This is true!

I got 48 Coopers PET bottles with my starter kit and found them absolutely fine and will continue to use them.
I have now managed to aquire around 150 brown glass bottles and use these along with the PET's i use 24 PET's (thats a box) and use the rest in glass for each brew.
I do think the glass with a label on looks and feels alot better, especially when your taking them arounnd to someones house for sampling but Coopers PET's IMO are just as good storage wise.

 

[wilsoa1111]

having recently ordered 3 boxes worth ive gotta say ive been suitably impressed with them, they offer some advantages over the traditional glass, namely they cant explode-ever-v useful as made a rather carbonated wheat beer that wouldnt have done if was using glass, also cappers can wear out (apparently- i suspect u need to bottle alot) but sound like a bit of faff to me. Also if u need 2 brews worth of bottles u got them instantly-and they only need a bit of starsan and ur away. cost wise they are an issue- i reasoned however that once capper, caps and heavy duty gloves aquired (for "reclaiming") bottles from the local bottle banks im still about even...also they bounce when you drop them :lol:

 

[calumscott]

I've got a stock of coopers PET's for ciders, ginger beer etc. where I want a really fizzy result - they can take any pressure you want to throw at them.

All my beer however goes in glass. And I haven't scavenged any of my collection of several hundred... :drink:

 

[rpt]

All my beer however goes in glass.

Is there a reason for this?

 

[calumscott]

All my beer however goes in glass.

Is there a reason for this?

Yes, a very good one too.

It feels nicer.

 

[DirtyCaner]

I'm getting my caps from tesco! But I'll get Rob to bung some in with my next order I think.

Cheers,

DC

 

[PD]

and..............PET bottles . when it comes to cleaning, just throw/tip/chuck them en mass into the bath to soak in VWP.
Try throwing in some glass bottles..... :twisted:

but whatever you do...dont line them up all nice and neat where a gust of wind can get to them....after trying to re capture 40 bottles blowing off a table on my drive,bouncing and rolling down the street to the delight of my neighbours......and they do bounce and roll well.

 

[joconn]

For Moley. A redemption center is where you take your unwanted bottles and get cash for them. Did not realise Grolsh bottles would be scarce in England.
: Joe in New Brunswick, Canada.

 

[Moley]

For Moley. A redemption center is where you take your unwanted bottles and get cash for them.

Thanks Joe, is it just glass or can you redeem other forms of waste? Do you pay an extra charge on the bottles you buy?

Back when I was a lad (and I'm now in my 50s) all glass beer and soda bottles in England had a deposit charge levied on them. Quite often our parents would give us the empty bottles, we would redeem them at the bar or the store and that would be our pocket money. If we found bottles which others had discarded in public places we took those back too and made a few extra pennies.

Nowadays the bottle cost is just a part of the purchase price but everything is "no deposit, no return". We are encouraged to dispose of them responsibly and there are community recycling centres or we have kerbside collections for glass, cans, plastics and paper, but we can't get any money back for them.

Grolsch is just about the only beer here which is commonly available in swing top bottles, but while it was trendy when it was first introduced, I don't think it's a big seller now. It's significantly cheaper in cans.

 

[joconn]

We can cash in plastic bottles and aluminum cans as well, Moley. There is a surcharge on some. Grolsh not popular here either.

: and happy drinking,
Joe.