homebrewandbeer.com

Hi all
I have just started my first brew yesterday and was wondering what is better to use when ready too bottle,glass or plastic bottles.
can anyone help with the pros and cons for each
Cheers

Plastic: lighter, less fragile, let out gas extremely slowly (like over a year), can allow the beer to be light-struck if they're not brown, don't require a capper, can tell how carbonated they are by squeezing.

Glass: better seal, brown ones stop light strike, crown seals are cheaper than screw tops, just seems right to be drinking beer out of glass.

Beer out of plastic just doesnt seem right to me...

When I bottled, I would do plastic for "everyday" drinking brews and glass for ones that needed longer maturation time.

The plastic ones are very convenient.

I normally use plastic for situations when they might get rought treatment, like throwing them in a box to take on a trip or something

Yeah they are good for that, and you can throw them away. That's a lot harder to do with glass.

the ol glass bottles seem to hold the temp for longer too.... so they dont tend to warm up quite so quickly as plastic....

the plastic bottles only come in the one size... where as the glass ones are large and small... Brown glass bottles are more readily available than brown plastic bottles (as in you are more likely to get empty glass bottles from your neighbours and friends than plastic).

I do however use plastic bottles for my ginger beer. as i tend to overprime them a little...

Thanks for the tips.I think I might make the first brew with the plastic and then go to glass.Only time will tell.

Chris know's the way to go...

I've started using glass the past few brews, as these were both destined to last for many years. (Barleywine, Stout - Both with alcohol content above 9%) Plastic is fine, there's nothing wrong with beer from a plastic bottle, despite any aesthetic grievances you may have against beer out of a plastic bottle.

Coopers plastic has been very forgiving for me as a learning home brewer, and easy to obtain on bottling day. Only negative is the price of the bottle caps (which can be re-used at your discretion)

I believe a combination of glass and plastic is the best path for intermediate brewers.

Trizza.

Trizza wrote:Chris know's the way to go...

I've started using glass the past few brews, as these were both destined to last for many years. (Barleywine, Stout - Both with alcohol content above 9%) Plastic is fine, there's nothing wrong with beer from a plastic bottle, despite any aesthetic grievances you may have against beer out of a plastic bottle.

Coopers plastic has been very forgiving for me as a learning home brewer, and easy to obtain on bottling day. Only negative is the price of the bottle caps (which can be re-used at your discretion)

I believe a combination of glass and plastic is the best path for intermediate brewers.

Trizza.

Well said

Yes, you can re-use the plastic caps. You can also re-use caps and bottles from softdrink, eg coca-cola. Just make sure you remove any of those plastic security rings left on the bottle after you open the plastic tops. If you don't do that, it's more difficult to get a good seal.

I've still got a few coke bottles full of beer in the shed, tightly boxed away from the light. Someone once said about 3 months they recommend before the gas starts to escape. i reckon mine are still ok after rouoghly 4 months.
Better drink them just in case though!!

At the moment I put beer into Glass and ciders and ginger beers into plastic.
Like many others, it just doesn;t feel right to me drinking beer out of plastic. But thats just a personal preference.

My beer all goes into a glass jug prior to drinking anyway, so I've never drunk out of plastic per se.

I couldn't drink from plastic myself.
Thought i'd clarify that, always from a glass.

I have re used plastic caps on my 40th brew so far
Not a problem

That's pretty good value for money.

Trizza wrote:Chris know's the way to go...

I've started using glass the past few brews, as these were both destined to last for many years. (Barleywine, Stout - Both with alcohol content above 9%) Plastic is fine, there's nothing wrong with beer from a plastic bottle, despite any aesthetic grievances you may have against beer out of a plastic bottle.

Coopers plastic has been very forgiving for me as a learning home brewer, and easy to obtain on bottling day. Only negative is the price of the bottle caps (which can be re-used at your discretion)

I believe a combination of glass and plastic is the best path for intermediate brewers.

Trizza.

Good call agreed!

I know that plastic is made from baby vinyls and which being a nature lover I'm against it.
I know that glass is made from sand and which being a conservationalist I'm against it.

Anyhow.

My primary, secondary and bulk primer are plastic.
My racking hose, bottler, airlock & blow off tube (careful with that) are plastic.
My scales, measuring bowls & jugs and stirring spoon are plastic.
I chill my brew water in plastic milk bottles.
I use brown PET bottles and have never replaced a cap in 60 brews.
I decant, if I have to, into a plastic jug and I drink from a plastic (glass).

The only thing I have in glass is the hydrometer.
Also my can opener is part metal and plastic.

If I take the grandkids to a club's play area. I have to drink out of plastic anyway.

Before I get flamed, I do put eight out of each batch in glass bottles to mature.

The rest go in a week anyway.

Everyone to their own.

Best post on this site in months.