Glass Vs Plastic Bottles

Have a question on how to keg your beer or just want some tips on bottling! Don't stick a cork in it until you ask the Borg!

Moderators: BlackDuck, Beer-lord, LouieMacGoo, philm00x, gwcr

User avatar
jivex5k
Fully Fermented
Fully Fermented
Posts: 470
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2013 1:27 pm

Glass Vs Plastic Bottles

Post by jivex5k »

So here are a quick list of pros/cons to each I decided to make now:

Glass Bottles
Pros:
- Seem to carbonate faster
- Cap threads don't wear out
- Longer re-usability life?? (speculation)
- Look and feel a bit nicer
- Easily obtained, usually with beer inside

Cons:
- Need a capper to use them
- Breakable!
- No seriously, they break man!
- Bottle Explosions are much more dangerous

Plastic Bottles
Pros:
- Not breakable! Well....harder to break than glass.
- Don't need a capper

Cons:
- Takes longer to carbonate
- Caps wear out


Ehhh, that's all I got, feel free to disagree or add/subtract points.
"The trouble with quotes on the internet is you can never be sure if they are true." - Walt Whitman
User avatar
JimH
Brew Master
Brew Master
Posts: 623
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:56 pm
Location: Bremerton, WA

Re: Glass Vs Plastic Bottles

Post by JimH »

Not sure if its a pro or a con, depends on who you are asking and it also depends on sizes, but I like 12 oz glass better than PET because the 12 oz size is a perfect serving. As a bonus, you get more beers from the LBK! 1L PET gets you 8 beers, 12 ounce gets you 22-24!
Jimbo Homebrew Co.
----------------------------------------
Drinking:
Keg1:
Keg2:
Keg3:
Bottled:
Nothing!
Fermenting:
Fermenter 1 (5 Gal Bucket): Empty :(
Fermenter 2 (1 gal.): Empty :(

On Deck:
Something?!
User avatar
jimjohson
Brewer of the Month
Brewer of the Month
Posts: 2603
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 9:14 pm
Location: Cusseta Ga
Contact:

Re: Glass Vs Plastic Bottles

Post by jimjohson »

yeah what JimH said feels like your gettin more
"Filled with mingled cream and amber
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."

Edgar Allan Poe
User avatar
gwcr
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1404
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2013 9:11 am
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA

Re: Glass Vs Plastic Bottles

Post by gwcr »

Yeah, but then I drink them three at a time :stout: (hic)
Fermenting: Bucket 1 - Fresh Squeezed IPA; Bucket 2 - Empty

Kegged: Keg 1 - Irish Red; Keg 2 - Cream Ale; Keg 3 - Amber Ale; Keg 4 - APA; Keg 5 - Empty; Keg 6 - Empty; Keg 7 - Empty
The reason why the above list is so small Home Theater Build
User avatar
jimjohson
Brewer of the Month
Brewer of the Month
Posts: 2603
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 9:14 pm
Location: Cusseta Ga
Contact:

Re: Glass Vs Plastic Bottles

Post by jimjohson »

this is a problem?
"Filled with mingled cream and amber
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."

Edgar Allan Poe
User avatar
gwcr
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1404
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2013 9:11 am
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA

Re: Glass Vs Plastic Bottles

Post by gwcr »

Only when I run out...
Fermenting: Bucket 1 - Fresh Squeezed IPA; Bucket 2 - Empty

Kegged: Keg 1 - Irish Red; Keg 2 - Cream Ale; Keg 3 - Amber Ale; Keg 4 - APA; Keg 5 - Empty; Keg 6 - Empty; Keg 7 - Empty
The reason why the above list is so small Home Theater Build
User avatar
FrozenInTime
FrozenInTime
FrozenInTime
Posts: 2800
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2013 10:19 pm
Location: Frozen Tundra

Re: Glass Vs Plastic Bottles

Post by FrozenInTime »

I prefer glass, tossed all the PETS. Bout to toss all the glass since I started kegging.
Life is short, live it to it's fullest!
User avatar
gwcr
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1404
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2013 9:11 am
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA

Re: Glass Vs Plastic Bottles

Post by gwcr »

Same here FIT. My next batch will be my first keg. Will probably keep a couple cases of glass around just in case though.
Fermenting: Bucket 1 - Fresh Squeezed IPA; Bucket 2 - Empty

Kegged: Keg 1 - Irish Red; Keg 2 - Cream Ale; Keg 3 - Amber Ale; Keg 4 - APA; Keg 5 - Empty; Keg 6 - Empty; Keg 7 - Empty
The reason why the above list is so small Home Theater Build
User avatar
DirtRacer
Brew Master
Brew Master
Posts: 517
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2013 3:14 pm
Location: Ohio

Re: Glass Vs Plastic Bottles

Post by DirtRacer »

I've been using mostly plastic and yes, I don't care for the 1L size so I've saved myself some smaller plastic soda bottles(12-16oz.). While I haven't had any problems with plastics, it still just doesn't feel right drinking a beer from a plastic bottle. I have used a few glass ones, they were twist offs and I re-used the caps from the bottles before I read about the no-no of twist off bottles. Fortunately for me I was able to get the caps to seal well enough to properly carb and the beer was fine. I did not bother to re-re-use them. I have used swing tops a few times and won't bother with them again. They didn't carb well at all despite my attempts to properly seat the cap. Going to look into a capper here in the next month and so if I enjoy using glass enough, out go the plastics.
Good judgment comes from experience, which comes from poor judgment.
User avatar
gwcr
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1404
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2013 9:11 am
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA

Re: Glass Vs Plastic Bottles

Post by gwcr »

I would recommend a bench capper. Much more stable than the 2 handed version IMO.
Fermenting: Bucket 1 - Fresh Squeezed IPA; Bucket 2 - Empty

Kegged: Keg 1 - Irish Red; Keg 2 - Cream Ale; Keg 3 - Amber Ale; Keg 4 - APA; Keg 5 - Empty; Keg 6 - Empty; Keg 7 - Empty
The reason why the above list is so small Home Theater Build
User avatar
jimjohson
Brewer of the Month
Brewer of the Month
Posts: 2603
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 9:14 pm
Location: Cusseta Ga
Contact:

Re: Glass Vs Plastic Bottles

Post by jimjohson »

+1 on the bench capper
"Filled with mingled cream and amber
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."

Edgar Allan Poe
User avatar
DirtRacer
Brew Master
Brew Master
Posts: 517
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2013 3:14 pm
Location: Ohio

Re: Glass Vs Plastic Bottles

Post by DirtRacer »

gwcr wrote:I would recommend a bench capper. Much more stable than the 2 handed version IMO.
That's the plan. I have read that people had more bottles break with the 2 handed cappers than with bench cappers.
Good judgment comes from experience, which comes from poor judgment.
User avatar
Gymrat
Brew Guru
Brew Guru
Posts: 2155
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2013 9:49 pm

Re: Glass Vs Plastic Bottles

Post by Gymrat »

I had several break while capping with a wing capper.
User avatar
RickBeer
Brew Guru
Brew Guru
Posts: 3099
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2013 1:21 pm
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan (Go Blue!)

Re: Glass Vs Plastic Bottles

Post by RickBeer »

I switched to glass when I needed more bottles because the cost to buy that much PET was too high. Ideally, I'd have 16 ounce bottles. I find 12 oz isn't enough. I do 1 PET per batch to test for carbonation, the rest glass, unless I run out as I did recently when I was making my son a batch of Blue Moon for his birthday - had to use a bunch of PET for my Moosedrool clone.

I bought a bench capper - wing capper to me isn't worth the hassle. Break 1 or 2 and be frustrated? Nope.
I have over 9,000 posts on "another forum", which means absolutely nothing. Mr. Beer January 2014 Brewer of the Month with all the pomp and circumstance that comes with it...

Certificate in Brewing and Distillation Technology

Sites to find beer making supplies: Adventures in Homebrewing - Mr. Beer - MoreBeer
My Beer - click to reveal
Currently using 6 LBKs.

Beers I regularly brew:
Bell's Best Brown clone
Irish Hills Red - I call this "Ann Arbor Red"
Mackinac Island Red - I call this "Michigan Red"
Oatmeal Stout - I call this Not Fat, Stout - Oatmeal Stout

Bottled 5 gallons of Ann Arbor Red on 4/18/17. Bottled 5 gallons of Michigan Red on 5/8/17.

Brewed in 2017 - 22.13 gallons (19.91 in 2012, 48.06 in 2013, 61.39 in 2014, 84.26 in 2015,46.39 in 2016)
Brewed in lifetime - 282.14 gallons
Drinkable beer on hand -  13.58 cases, with 6.11 cases ready in May and early June.
Average cost per 12 pack through all beer brewed - $6.27(ingredients only)
User avatar
haerbob3
Braumeister
Braumeister
Posts: 840
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2013 2:10 pm
Location: NW SE MI

Re: Glass Vs Plastic Bottles

Post by haerbob3 »

If you also make wine, bottle Belgiums in 750 ml with the traditional cork & cage I would go with this one

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/colo ... orker.html

I have had it for 6 years now works great very versatile
im Leben Geduld ist eine Tugend
in Brau-es ist eine Anforderung

in life patience is a virtue
in brewing it is a requirement


You are stronger than you think you are!!!!
~~Andy Wesley 1973 -- 2013
Post Reply