Secure Bottle Tops

[neilb]

I used to brew a good drop in the days of old when you didnt screw the tops off bottles. I am considering doing it all again because of the cost these days of buying beer. It ridiculous.

What I want to know is, are the screw tops of today secure enough for home brewing, and can they be re-used. Or can you still get the capped type of top and will they fit onto the screwed bottles of today ?
Neil. :?

[TermiMonster]

I've been brewing for about 10 years. Not long after I started, the bloke in the brewing shop said the screw cap crown seals were not good for brewing, they didn't seal that well. (he them tried to sell me some screw cap bottles).
Being the type that needs to check things out for himself, I used the screw type crown seals and have for most of that 10 years, and have never had a problem.
Mind you, I prefer the grolsch swing tops, of which I now have quite a few:2tsup:
You make up your own mind:rolleyes:
Cheers,
TM

[Ramps]

Likewise
I have been using screw top stubbies for about 10 yrs without a prob. But you buy just the (now) normal crown seals as they all have the "thread" built into them when you use the normal capper ... wouldn't try to re use any caps though

[Dr Jan Itor]

Just to reinforce the previous posts, I also have never had a problem with using twist top bottles.

[echnidna]

screw on cap soft drink bottles work well

[Bluegum]

I use both crown seals and screw tops and never had a problem with them. I find that the screw tops seal realy well and I have never had a bad batch out of them.

[neilb]

Thanks for the comments, I feel more comfortable now with the screw tops. I was wondering though, about using the Plastic soft drink bottles ????
Neil.:?

[Ramps]

they're meant to work well.

I haven't for two resons

size ... when I want to crack one on the occasional evening I don't want to drink a litre (or 2 ... especially the 7.5% stout)

Plastic ... just a feeling, don't like the plastic bottles ... I also drink straight out of the stubby when I go put nicpicing ... imagine to look of drinking dark beer straight from a 1.25L plastic bottle:doh:

[Wood Butcher]

I bought a case of plastic 750ml home brew bottles from Big W a couple of years ago and they are alright to use except if you let them sit when empty with a bit of sediment in the bottom they are hard to clean because of the moulded 'feet'

[neilb]

I think I will start saving my empty plastic Coke bottles up. Does the clear plastic have any effects on the quality of the brews ?
Neil.

[Bluegum]

Yep they work just as well as any thing mate. In fact I had a Coopers plastic bottle blow out at the base not long ago but never a coke bottle. I may have over primed one of the bottles causing it to explode on me.

[Buzza]

I have a two-handed capper, and it crushes or chips the top of twist top bottles at the rate of one in a dozen. Now that I have my Coopers Bavarian ready to bottle, I have been given a heap of Coopers stubbies to use. Last night I tested the use of Coke tub red caps on these bottles. I put some coke into a bottle, screwed on the plastic cap and shook the Bejabers out of it. I then inverted the bottled and left it like that for an hour.

The result showed no leakeage, of either fluid or gas. A loud hiss and spray as I undid the top showed it worked okay.

Has anyone else done this trick with their second fermentation? :)

[Sir Stinkalot]

The sceptic in me would suggest that plastic bottles have found their way into the market as they are cheap to produce, don't break in transport and are light enough to transport. This allows one of the larger manufacturers to place their recommended bottles next to their off the shelf brew kit.

From my understanding the dark bottles are better as light can impact on the quality of the brew. I purchase long necks from the local recycling depot for about $2 for 20 or so. Stubbies are also available however I gave up on them as they take so long to clean and cap. A long neck is two glasses which is perfect.

If you are lucky you can get the old style long necks as they are often used to store sauces etc and occasionally get thrown out. These are perfect to cap.