Defective bottles

[Joerg]

To those of you who recycle commercial beer bottles for brewing:

I had one bottle grenade in the kitchen. Huge mess. Probably due in part
to using 5oz of cane sugar for carbonating a 5 gallon batch. I now toned
that down to 4oz. However, by now I have another hunch. My wife just
showed me the third 12oz bottle that had clearly visible internal fault
lines. The kind that is just waiting to crack upon pressure.

[Joerg]

Post by Joerg
I had one bottle grenade in the kitchen. Huge mess. Probably due in part
to using 5oz of cane sugar for carbonating a 5 gallon batch. I now toned
that down to 4oz. However, by now I have another hunch. My wife just
showed me the third 12oz bottle that had clearly visible internal fault
lines. The kind that is just waiting to crack upon pressure.

To see these fault lines just hold the bottle against a diffuse light
source such as a regular fluorescent lamp.

[Tom Biasi]

Post by Joerg

Post by Joerg
I had one bottle grenade in the kitchen. Huge mess. Probably due in part
to using 5oz of cane sugar for carbonating a 5 gallon batch. I now toned
that down to 4oz. However, by now I have another hunch. My wife just
showed me the third 12oz bottle that had clearly visible internal fault
lines. The kind that is just waiting to crack upon pressure.

To see these fault lines just hold the bottle against a diffuse light
source such as a regular fluorescent lamp.

Not saying you did this but I have seen these cracks when someone
sterilized them in the oven.

[baloonon]

Post by Tom Biasi

Post by Joerg
To see these fault lines just hold the bottle against a diffuse light
source such as a regular fluorescent lamp.

Not saying you did this but I have seen these cracks when someone
sterilized them in the oven.

I think it also can happen when beer freezes somewhat but not solid enough
to shatter the glass.

A barely visible scratch in the glass from the right source can also lead
to a bottle bursting, in the same way that a shallow cut from a glass
cutter makes it easy to snap a windowpane in half.

[Tom Biasi]

Post by baloonon

Post by Tom Biasi

Post by Joerg
To see these fault lines just hold the bottle against a diffuse light
source such as a regular fluorescent lamp.

Not saying you did this but I have seen these cracks when someone
sterilized them in the oven.

I think it also can happen when beer freezes somewhat but not solid enough
to shatter the glass.
A barely visible scratch in the glass from the right source can also lead
to a bottle bursting, in the same way that a shallow cut from a glass
cutter makes it easy to snap a windowpane in half.

Yes

[Joerg]

Post by Tom Biasi

Post by Joerg

Post by Joerg
I had one bottle grenade in the kitchen. Huge mess. Probably due in part
to using 5oz of cane sugar for carbonating a 5 gallon batch. I now toned
that down to 4oz. However, by now I have another hunch. My wife just
showed me the third 12oz bottle that had clearly visible internal fault
lines. The kind that is just waiting to crack upon pressure.

To see these fault lines just hold the bottle against a diffuse light
source such as a regular fluorescent lamp.

Not saying you did this but I have seen these cracks when someone
sterilized them in the oven.

We just wash them by hand, rinse them, and then on bottling day I
sanitize them with StarSan.

Yesterday when I bottles a Stout I had bottle #4 with crack lines. That
one you could even feel when going over the outside with a fingernail.
Got to really watch it.

[D Ash]

Post by Joerg

Post by Tom Biasi

Post by Joerg

Post by Joerg
I had one bottle grenade in the kitchen. Huge mess. Probably due in
part to using 5oz of cane sugar for carbonating a 5 gallon batch. I
now toned that down to 4oz. However, by now I have another hunch.
My wife just showed me the third 12oz bottle that had clearly
visible internal fault lines. The kind that is just waiting to
crack upon pressure.

To see these fault lines just hold the bottle against a diffuse
light source such as a regular fluorescent lamp.

Not saying you did this but I have seen these cracks when someone
sterilized them in the oven.

We just wash them by hand, rinse them, and then on bottling day I
sanitize them with StarSan.
Yesterday when I bottles a Stout I had bottle #4 with crack lines.
That one you could even feel when going over the outside with a
fingernail. Got to really watch it.

I would be starting to consider a different source for my bottles if this
happened in my bottling line. I have also found that longneck 12s are a
better choice than stubbies-- seem to be thicker, stronger glass.

[Joerg]

Post by D Ash

Post by Joerg

Post by Tom Biasi

Post by Joerg

Post by Joerg
I had one bottle grenade in the kitchen. Huge mess. Probably due in
part to using 5oz of cane sugar for carbonating a 5 gallon batch. I
now toned that down to 4oz. However, by now I have another hunch.
My wife just showed me the third 12oz bottle that had clearly
visible internal fault lines. The kind that is just waiting to
crack upon pressure.

To see these fault lines just hold the bottle against a diffuse
light source such as a regular fluorescent lamp.

Not saying you did this but I have seen these cracks when someone
sterilized them in the oven.

We just wash them by hand, rinse them, and then on bottling day I
sanitize them with StarSan.
Yesterday when I bottles a Stout I had bottle #4 with crack lines.
That one you could even feel when going over the outside with a
fingernail. Got to really watch it.

I would be starting to consider a different source for my bottles if this
happened in my bottling line.

Well, we like a variety and so they come from all kinds of breweries. We
don't buy our bottles but recycle ones from commercial beers.

Post by D Ash
... I have also found that longneck 12s are a
better choice than stubbies-- seem to be thicker, stronger glass.

It depends, can also be the other way around. For example, I found
Longboard bottles which are taller ones not to be quite as sturdy as
some stubby bottles. On one I even had a head crack off 1/2" below the
top when using the hand capper. However, the beer that came in there
tasted good.

My favorite bottles are Grolsch. No caps needed. I can get them at
Forklift for around $50 per 24-bottle box. Sounds pricey but it's sturdy
flip-top bottles and for that price they come with beer in there. We
still have to drink almost a whole box and the problem is that I became
a "serial brewer" so with all our own beer we don't get a chance to
drink the Grolsch.

BTW, Midwest has a veterans Day sale, 11% off and free shipping.
Couldn't resist and ordered nine recipe kits plus a stainless wort
chiller coil. Now I'll have to figure out how to install a hose
connection down there.

[D Ash]

Post by Joerg

Post by D Ash

Post by Joerg

Post by Tom Biasi

Post by Joerg

Post by Joerg
I had one bottle grenade in the kitchen. Huge mess. Probably due
in part to using 5oz of cane sugar for carbonating a 5 gallon
batch. I now toned that down to 4oz. However, by now I have
another hunch. My wife just showed me the third 12oz bottle that
had clearly visible internal fault lines. The kind that is just
waiting to crack upon pressure.

To see these fault lines just hold the bottle against a diffuse
light source such as a regular fluorescent lamp.

Not saying you did this but I have seen these cracks when someone
sterilized them in the oven.

We just wash them by hand, rinse them, and then on bottling day I
sanitize them with StarSan.
Yesterday when I bottles a Stout I had bottle #4 with crack lines.
That one you could even feel when going over the outside with a
fingernail. Got to really watch it.

I would be starting to consider a different source for my bottles if
this happened in my bottling line.

Well, we like a variety and so they come from all kinds of breweries.
We don't buy our bottles but recycle ones from commercial beers.

Post by D Ash
... I have also found that longneck 12s are a
better choice than stubbies-- seem to be thicker, stronger glass.

It depends, can also be the other way around. For example, I found
Longboard bottles which are taller ones not to be quite as sturdy as
some stubby bottles. On one I even had a head crack off 1/2" below the
top when using the hand capper. However, the beer that came in there
tasted good.
My favorite bottles are Grolsch. No caps needed. I can get them at
Forklift for around $50 per 24-bottle box. Sounds pricey but it's
sturdy flip-top bottles and for that price they come with beer in
there. We still have to drink almost a whole box and the problem is
that I became a "serial brewer" so with all our own beer we don't get
a chance to drink the Grolsch.
BTW, Midwest has a veterans Day sale, 11% off and free shipping.
Couldn't resist and ordered nine recipe kits plus a stainless wort
chiller coil. Now I'll have to figure out how to install a hose
connection down there.

Not actually intended to be a pun, but . . . very cool!

[Ecnerwal]

Some of the commercial bottles are very wimpy, since virtually none are
refillables these days (the long-neck 12's used to be, at least with
some breweries - they were sturdier bottles that came in better cases as
a direct result of that.)

This is one reason I have gravitated to the thicker green cider and
"normal crown-cap sized" champagne bottles - they are a better bottle.
The oversized crown cap champagnes are also good bottles, but the larger
capping bell and over-priced over-sized caps are an expense I can't
justify. Corks are not even in the running. The champagne bottles
(whatever the cap size) are built for pressures way over what any
reasonable beer will have.

I also have some 20+ year old refillable Coke bottles that I still use,
though a few of those have developed cracks (generally noticeable before
I fill them.)

Green or clear is not an issue for my beer storage as I keep it in the
dark.

The bottles that Samuel Smith's beers in the US come in have also been
good for me (and I like drinking the original contents, too.) There are
a few others that work well, and I tend to purge (or not collect in the
first place) bottles that don't work well or simply seem too thin for
repeated handling.

[Joerg]

Post by Ecnerwal
Some of the commercial bottles are very wimpy, since virtually none are
refillables these days (the long-neck 12's used to be, at least with
some breweries - they were sturdier bottles that came in better cases as
a direct result of that.)
This is one reason I have gravitated to the thicker green cider and
"normal crown-cap sized" champagne bottles - they are a better bottle.

Where do you get those? The problem might be that we are neither
champagne nor cider fans.

I was thinking about plastic growlers which look quite pressure-tolerant
but then we'd have to drink the same beer all evening in order to finish
one.

Hopka is good stuff, hop-based but not in competition with beer. It
comes in thick 750ml bottles with flip-tops.

Post by Ecnerwal
The oversized crown cap champagnes are also good bottles, but the larger
capping bell and over-priced over-sized caps are an expense I can't
justify. Corks are not even in the running. The champagne bottles
(whatever the cap size) are built for pressures way over what any
reasonable beer will have.
I also have some 20+ year old refillable Coke bottles that I still use,
though a few of those have developed cracks (generally noticeable before
I fill them.)
Green or clear is not an issue for my beer storage as I keep it in the
dark.

It won't even have a chance to go stale out here :-)

Post by Ecnerwal
The bottles that Samuel Smith's beers in the US come in have also been
good for me (and I like drinking the original contents, too.) There are
a few others that work well, and I tend to purge (or not collect in the
first place) bottles that don't work well or simply seem too thin for
repeated handling.

I found that ever since I started homebrewing again almost any
store-bought beer tastes bland. Even the pricier ones. We still have >20
Grolsch bottles waiting to be emptied. That used to be my house beer
when living in the Netherlands but now that there is homemade Pale Ale,
IPA, Koelsch, Belgian Witbier, Cream Ale, Autumn Amber and Stout my wife
and I like those more.

[Ecnerwal]

Post by Joerg

Post by Ecnerwal
This is one reason I have gravitated to the thicker green cider and
"normal crown-cap sized" champagne bottles - they are a better bottle.

Where do you get those? The problem might be that we are neither
champagne nor cider fans.

Onesie-twosie at the grocery store, full - many at a time, by not being
shy at any celebratory event with bubbly liquid, where most folks are
happy to have the empties removed, case and all. The cider bottles I use
in the main are non-alcoholic, mostly Martinelli's, and are very often
the "non-alcoholic option" at such celebratory events. For sparkling
wine / champagne, odds are slightly better for it being a standard size
if it's USA origin, but it's not a guarantee - check against a standard
crown cap, or measure it with your leatherman or pocket rule.

[D Ash]

Post by Ecnerwal
Some of the commercial bottles are very wimpy, since virtually none are
refillables these days (the long-neck 12's used to be, at least with
some breweries - they were sturdier bottles that came in better cases as
a direct result of that.)
This is one reason I have gravitated to the thicker green cider and
"normal crown-cap sized" champagne bottles - they are a better bottle.
The oversized crown cap champagnes are also good bottles, but the larger
capping bell and over-priced over-sized caps are an expense I can't
justify. Corks are not even in the running. The champagne bottles
(whatever the cap size) are built for pressures way over what any
reasonable beer will have.
I also have some 20+ year old refillable Coke bottles that I still use,
though a few of those have developed cracks (generally noticeable before
I fill them.)
Green or clear is not an issue for my beer storage as I keep it in the
dark.
The bottles that Samuel Smith's beers in the US come in have also been
good for me (and I like drinking the original contents, too.) There are
a few others that work well, and I tend to purge (or not collect in the
first place) bottles that don't work well or simply seem too thin for
repeated handling.

All the microbreweries here in Oregon use the old thick Bud longneck
style bottles. I (shudder to think!) occasionally buy a 12-bottle case
and empty it the old-fashioned way (to get an idea of style, of course),
then delabel the bottles and refill them in the brewery. Then, too, I
was digging in the storage unit the other day and came across my 4 cases
of Bud longnecks that I refilled so many times I lost count. They are
now in the bottle storage spot downstairs. I'm set.

[D Ash]

Post by Joerg
I had one bottle grenade in the kitchen. Huge mess. Probably due in part
to using 5oz of cane sugar for carbonating a 5 gallon batch. I now toned
that down to 4oz. However, by now I have another hunch. My wife just
showed me the third 12oz bottle that had clearly visible internal fault
lines. The kind that is just waiting to crack upon pressure.

I had another idea for you. Some of our Oregon beers must be available in
your area. If so, find out which distributor handles, oh, let's say, Full
Sail, or Deschutes. They both use hefty bottles and are widely distributed.
If the distributor has a facility anywhere close to you, you could probably
buy full 24-count case boxes full of empties for perhaps $0.10 per bottle.
Maybe less. That's how I got mine years back, anyhow. Just a thought.
(yes, Grolsch style are the best! but my wife, who is an herbalist, bought
and paid for them for her extracts and such and I can't use a single one
for anything but her robust porters! so says SWMBO!

[Joerg]

Post by D Ash

Post by Joerg
I had one bottle grenade in the kitchen. Huge mess. Probably due in part
to using 5oz of cane sugar for carbonating a 5 gallon batch. I now toned
that down to 4oz. However, by now I have another hunch. My wife just
showed me the third 12oz bottle that had clearly visible internal fault
lines. The kind that is just waiting to crack upon pressure.

I had another idea for you. Some of our Oregon beers must be available in
your area. If so, find out which distributor handles, oh, let's say, Full
Sail, or Deschutes. They both use hefty bottles and are widely distributed.
If the distributor has a facility anywhere close to you, you could probably
buy full 24-count case boxes full of empties for perhaps $0.10 per bottle.

I don't think they do that in our area. We can buy both Full Sail and
Deschutes here, good stuff..

Post by D Ash
Maybe less. That's how I got mine years back, anyhow. Just a thought.
(yes, Grolsch style are the best! but my wife, who is an herbalist, bought
and paid for them for her extracts and such and I can't use a single one
for anything but her robust porters! so says SWMBO!

My wife doesn't like Porter or Stout. So the Stout I just bottled will
be all mine :-)