Bottles DO wear out

[Ward Chillington]

Just something to keep in mind if you are a bottler like me.

I don't known if there is a way to track my bottles' lives...hafta think about that one...It stands to reason that this was a "younger" bottle as I've been doing this for 5 years now and I've got cases of empties that haven't been touched for years as well. Maybe it's time to just fill a case or 2 from these current batches and send them off to the big glass smelter in the sky? Kinda amazing that it still primed!

 

[Minbari]

I bottled for 7 years. Broke a few over the years. But not enough to bother replacing them

 

[Ward Chillington]

I bottled for 7 years. Broke a few over the years. But not enough to bother replacing them

Noted! How often would thus happen...right?

 

[Sandy Feet]

I tried not to drink out of my bottles (used glasses to pour into). I tried to immediately wash them out when I could. If two or three dishwasher cycles didn't clean the bottom then I threw them out. I still have 36 or more bombers from when I was bottling.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

Been there, done that.

I had a spell where I broke a bunch over the course of 2-3 batches. I strongly suspect it was the brand of bottle caps I had switched to because that was the only thing that changed. Before and after those bottle caps I'd break maybe one bottle a year. It could have been age related bottle failure but, I have a hard time believing I was grabbing old fragile bottles at the same time I switched to a new brand of bottle caps. I'm more careful now as well. As I pull cases of empties before cleaning them I hold them up to a light and check for hairline cracks.

 

[Ward Chillington]

I had a spell where I broke a bunch over the course of 2-3 batches.

So after changing out to a different crown, the breaks stopped? How much do you think that style of capper had an affect on the stress of the bottle?

 

[Minbari]

So after changing out to a different crown, the breaks stopped? How much do you think that style of capper had an affect on the stress of the bottle?

I have one like it. you absolutely can crush it! lol

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

So after changing out to a different crown, the breaks stopped? How much do you think that style of capper had an affect on the stress of the bottle?

I haven't had any problems with other brands before or after. While I was having the breakage problem I did switch back to my wing capper and I still had problems. So I don't think the bench capper caused more failures. However, I do think downward pressure is why the bottle shattered rather than just the neck cracking off like occurred with the wing capper. The only reason I switched to the bench capper was that the wing capper was just getting too much for my wrists.

 

[Donoroto]

I haven't had any problems with other brands before or after. While I was having the breakage problem I did switch back to my wing capper and I still had problems. So I don't think the bench capper caused more failures. However, I do think downward pressure is why the bottle shattered rather than just the neck cracking off like occurred with the wing capper. The only reason I switched to the bench capper was that the wing capper was just getting too much for my wrists.

Why I keg...

 

[Daniel Parshley]

Just something to keep in mind if you are a bottler like me.

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I don't known if there is a way to track my bottles' lives...hafta think about that one...It stands to reason that this was a "younger" bottle as I've been doing this for 5 years now and I've got cases of empties that haven't been touched for years as well. Maybe it's time to just fill a case or 2 from these current batches and send them off to the big glass smelter in the sky? Kinda amazing that it still primed!

I like bottling, too. Only one "bottle bomb" so far. A chunk of glass blew out of the side of the bottle. Depending on the bottle cool down cycle when made and other factors, a bottle can have stresses and flaws already present.

 

[Mont Y. Märzen]

As I pull cases of empties before cleaning them I hold them up to a light and check for hairline cracks.

I think this is more likely the case and the key. I soak & brush every bottle and rinse with a jet bottle washer. Then I hold up to light/sun and check for cracks and stubborn debris spots. I've tossed several at the stage I set them in the drying rack, long before sanitizing and bottling.

Since checking every bottle when cleaning, I've (knock on wood) yet to have a bottle break when capping, opening, or conditioning. (and of course I carefully calculate priming sugar)

 

[Daniel Parshley]

I think this is more likely the case and the key. I soak & brush every bottle and rinse with a jet bottle washer. Then I hold up to light/sun and check for cracks and stubborn debris spots. I've tossed several at the stage I set them in the drying rack, long before sanitizing and bottling.

Since checking every bottle when cleaning, I've (knock on wood) yet to have a bottle break when capping, opening, or conditioning. (and of course I carefully calculate priming sugar)

Yep, some folks get lucky. Your turn is coming, as my beer mentor told me. I use the same cleaning and inspection routine. Its just one of those mindless "work yourself out of a job routines". A nice cold one makes the time seem to fly by and then your on to bottling before you know it.

 

[Minbari]

I think this is more likely the case and the key. I soak & brush every bottle and rinse with a jet bottle washer. Then I hold up to light/sun and check for cracks and stubborn debris spots. I've tossed several at the stage I set them in the drying rack, long before sanitizing and bottling.

Since checking every bottle when cleaning, I've (knock on wood) yet to have a bottle break when capping, opening, or conditioning. (and of course I carefully calculate priming sugar)

just not worth my time for a $0.80 bottle. I have had a couple break, you chuck em and grab the next one.

had commercial bottles break too. so you never really know.

 

[Ward Chillington]

Your turn is coming

Lol....yeah that's the way to look at it...it's a numbers game!