Brew has gone flat can I re-prime?

[Robjess]

Hey guys..

I have some brew that has been sitting in those Coopers PET Bottles for over 12 months, I finally opened a few the other day to find that they were flat.. I recall hearing somewhere (probably on these forums) that the gas can slowly leak from the PET bottles. Is that right?

My question is this, is it possible to re-prime the brew in the bottles by dropping some sugar back in them? And if so, how long should I leave them to regas before they will be ready?

Or should I tip my brew down the drain?

[timmy]

I reckon the yeast should still be viable, but you're running the risk of both infections and oxidisation.

But if you're going to chuck them anyway I suppose it can't hurt to try.

[geoffclifton]

I did tho the brew was not as old.
1 tsp sugar and recap quickly as it will foam.
The foam was much reduced by liquifying the sugar by boiling in minimal water and cooling.
Tried after one week and the result was excellent.
I've not tested this yet but I've a feeling that if you chill the beer first it may reduce faoming. Good luck.

Cheers, Geoff.

[Robjess]

Actually, half of my brew has been sitting in the fridge.. so I will give it a go.

As always, thanks for the quick responses guys.. I will let you know how I get on..

[gregb]

...that the gas can slowly leak from the PET bottles. Is that right?

Debate rages. Some people are using the Coopers PET Bottles and getting really good longevity out of them. Were the lids new, were they on tight etc.

My experience with PET was in Ginger Beer bottles, and they lost gas after about six months, new and old lids, tight as they go.

Cheers,
Greg

[Robjess]

Bloody hell fancy that!! I have a mix of Beer and Ginger Beer in these bottles, to be honest the _only_ ones that I tested which had lost gas were the Ginger Beer ones.. I havent tried any of the Beers yet.

[Tickstar]

according to coopers the PET bottles are lined with a special membrane to prevent the loss of Co2 through osmosis. Normal PET will eventually lose it's gas I believe. Could have been dodgy caps?

[timmy]

All plastic bottles will lose pressure over time due to the make-up of the plastic. I think the lining that Coopers use is PVC but even then they only recommend 18 months- 2 years before significant pressure loss.

[lethaldog]

Thats a damn site longer than 6-12 months though, ive had brews in them for up to 12 months as not to many of mine last longer than that but they were fine, i will have to leave a few for extended periods and see what happens

[Noodles]

Hey guys..
Or should I tip my brew down the drain?

Definitely don't tip them out.

I had a flat brew which I shandied 50/50 with a nicely carbonated brew, turned out to be a very tasty drop.

Tipping out should the resort you turn to only after the last resort.

[Lucky Phils]

Rob,

I had some in twist tops that when open were flat and as Geoff did I added dextrose using the small scoop on the priming thingy, recapped them and left for a month and they turned out fine.