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Bump plastic bottles
i went out and bought myself a two cases of 1L plastic bottles to use on my low-life-expectancy beers, so anything i was going to age could live in the good glass swing tops.
well, i have used them on three batches (i think, maybe four) and none of them have come out perfect. i have had carbonation issues with all of them, capping problems, off tastes, etc.
at first i attributed the off tastes to the experimental nature of the brews i was doing in them, but i am now beginning to suspect it is due to the plastic.
the carbonation issues are due 100% to the crappy ass caps. every method i have tried has produced at least a 50% uncarbonated and 20% barely carbonated result.this last batch i cranked on using pliers! still, lids not on tight enough to seal. what a pain in the rear!
i am going to go out and buy a whole new set of caps and try one more batch, after that, these babies get pitched.
all in all, i have to say i am extremely disappointed in the plastic bottles. they were to be my salvation; instead they have become my doom.
I've never had your problems with platic bottles and I just hand tighten....maybe you are overtightening and damaging the seal.....I also only use two or three per batch so I don't know how it would go for a whole batch....
krausenator wrote:
i am going to go out and buy a whole new set of caps and try one more batch, after that, these babies get pitched.
.
You sure love to punish yourself....The definition of insanity is-...
I think you may be overtightening......a plastic bottle cap, to keep whatever liquid carbonated only needs to be hand tightened, and then maybe a few degrees more, but that's it. Too much, and it will compromise the seal integrity by crushing it.....
that's just it, i have been trying everything under the sun. with each batch i have increased the amount of torque used in tightening the caps. the first batch i used new caps with the tamper rings on them. not know i could reuse them, i tossed the caps as i consumed the brew.
then i bought these caps i knew to be re-usable, that were reccommended by brewshop lacky. these are the ones that have had such a dismal failure rate. i have tried loosely capping, moderately tight capping, and cranking...no luck. hence the one more attempt. i am going to truck my happy ass up north and buy the original caps i used, with which i only experienced probably a 25% loss, and try one more brew with them.
if i am more successful, i will continue using them. it is just my luck as been so abysmal i am at the end of my rope. as my highschool bus driver used to say "you are working my last nerve!"
You know, I almost feel like I know you well enough to tease you about learning to screw caps on... or maybe comment on "lefty lucy, righty tighty" but I'll wait a while (whoops.. did I say that with my outside voice?)
Ever think of maybe checking the threads? Inside the caps or on the bottles themselves? I don't know for certain (never messed with plastic bottling) but it occurs to me that if the threads are dirty or scratched ect they might have an integrity issue... Does that make any sense? Teflon tape maybe?
i have a crap ton of silicon tape, but i can't imagine bottling and taping off the neck of every bottle. what a pain in the arse!
i think that i just have crap caps. i am buying new ones and giving it one more go.
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