Plastic or glass bottles & priming a brew with carb drops?

[guyb]

Hello all, I have a Coopers Mexican Cerveza on the go made with a Coopers Brew Enhancer 2.

Just getting back into the brewing after about 15years, I decided to try carbonation drops (Coopers).

I've got some plastic pet bottles, these are 500ml ex sparkling water bottles (green) - as they held pressurised water I'd assume that they will be ok for bottling - would this be a correct assumption?

Also, I used to use glass Newcastle Brown Ale bottles, and crown them, but I wonder if the plastic ones will be ok instead?

Finally, I have been reading about priming, and most people's suggestion is to prime the brew in a secondary fv (less of a faff etc), could I use the Carbonation drops en masse in the fv at the right dosage (I was wondering if they would dissolve quickly enough), or should I use sugar in the fv, or carb drops in each bottle?

thanks for any advice

 

[Stunned Monkey]

With the carb drops, it's definitely less of a faff to go straight into the bottles, although getting the little buggers to dissolve is a bit more of a faff where a pinch of sugar wouldn't be. I'm in the camp of using a teaspoon and a funnel, it really doesn't take that long and you only have a teaspoon and funnel to clean afterwards...

 

[doghouse gav]

I use both glass and pet bottles and I'm very impressed with the pet bottles.
I have used coopers carb drops before and will again as I'm a lazy get and find it very easy. One drop per bottle. I wouldn't add loads of drops to the fv to batch prime. Far easyer and quicker to batch prime with sugar. Just my opinion tho.

 

[luckyeddie]

PET bottles are excellent now (perhaps they always have been). I'm using 0.5 litre and 1 litre PET bottles for storage and conditioning, and 5 litre water containers for low temperature lagering. I'm assured that the plastic bottles are actually pressure-rated higher than the equivalent glass bottles.

 

[bomberns127]

i dont think sparkling water bottles will be any good, luckyeddie hit the nail on the head, PET bottles are what you want, check on the bottle, it should have PET stamped on it somewhere, if not then it aint and they wont be any good, the bottoms will round under carbonation and nothing will stand up, i used to used 500ml coke bottles and fanta sprite etc, but now just use glass bottles.

 

[guyb]

Many many thanks for all the replies. On the ex sparkling water bottles thats a really good point. I will check for the PET stamp, just had a flashback to the rounding bottle bottom! :thumb:

 

[shearclass]

could I use the Carbonation drops en masse in the fv at the right dosage

That would be crazyness in my book.

If you are struggling to light the BBQ, do you roll up a bit of newspaper to use as a firelight, or do you get your wallet out your back pocket, roll up a few tenners, and light them?

Carbonation drops are an expensive way of buying sugar. They have benefits if used in bottles but there is no point in buying them jsut to chuck into an fv in my opinion, might as well just use normal sugar, will be far cheaper and just as effective i think.

I'm in the camp of using a teaspoon and a funnel

:thumb:

I have my bag of sugar on top of some electronic scales, have a funnel ready, and a spoon, and it's easy to get the desired amount of sugar into each bottle.

 

[guyb]

That would be crazyness in my book.

If you are struggling to light the BBQ, do you roll up a bit of newspaper to use as a firelight, or do you get your wallet out your back pocket, roll up a few tenners, and light them?

Carbonation drops are an expensive way of buying sugar. They have benefits if used in bottles but there is no point in buying them jsut to chuck into an fv in my opinion, might as well just use normal sugar, will be far cheaper and just as effective i think.

Ah you see, that's why I asked the question, as previously when I'd brewed 15years ago, I hadn't heard of carb drops, and I was wondering if they were better than sugar per se - hence the question.

I have both sugar and drops, so I'll choose the best method for the job.

I have used sugar and a funnel in the past also.


And besides, I have an autolight bbq :grin:

 

[adrianmole72]

And besides, I have an autolight bbq :grin:

Cor, it's another world !!

Stephen

 

[luckyeddie]

I've got an autolight BBQ too.

It's called 'the missus'. I take over when the charcoal's white, the guests arrive and the beer starts to flow.

 

[guyb]

Hehe, I was rumbled! :

 

[shearclass]

Sorry I came over as a tw@ yesterday, was just trying (and failing) to he humourous.

I am a newbie myself, you prob know more about this than me anyway.

 

[Muddy Funker]

I've been using the clear 1L pet bottles for around a year now and have had no issues at all.

I've actually made a couple of real cock ups with overpriming and they've stayed in one piece.

:thumb:

 

[Aleman]

I've been using the clear 1L pet bottles for around a year now and have had no issues at all.

I've actually made a couple of real cock ups with overpriming and they've stayed in one piece.

I'm not surprised . . . I know a couple of 'friends' that hooked one up to a CO2 cylinder . . . They tend to fail at around 200-250 psi. . . . . :whistle: :whistle:

 

[luckyeddie]

I've been using the clear 1L pet bottles for around a year now and have had no issues at all.

I've actually made a couple of real cock ups with overpriming and they've stayed in one piece.

I'm not surprised . . . I know a couple of 'friends' that hooked one up to a CO2 cylinder . . . They tend to fail at around 200-250 psi. . . . . :whistle: :whistle:

I'm sure I've seen that youtube video :grin:

 

[guyb]

Sorry I came over as a tw@ yesterday, was just trying (and failing) to he humourous.

I am a newbie myself, you prob know more about this than me anyway.

No worries mate, no big deal. We all learn off each other :

 

[GazOC]

I find sugar cubes are a cheap alternative to carbonation drops, they don't always fit in the neck of glass bottles but the PETS are fine.