mixed a batch the other day and it is happily bubbling away. However mt
batch was not big enough for a 3rd 1 gallon bottle so I put the excess into
a 2 liter plastic soda bottle and fitted it with an airlock. The 2 liter
bottle is also fermenting just like the gallon jugs. Is there a problem
doing this in plastic? I am concerned about any alcohol effect on the
plastic. I had intended to use the 2 liter to top off the gallons when I
rack them. Also, I see some distilled spirits like vodka and others in
plastic bottles. Are they a different kind of plastic that would be ok for
small amounts of fermenting wine? I did some ginger beer in 2 liter
bottles once and it got nasty. I don't know why? Bottles or
method/ingredients?

Pat Kennedy wrote:

> mixed a batch the other day and it is happily bubbling away. However mt
> batch was not big enough for a 3rd 1 gallon bottle so I put the excess into
> a 2 liter plastic soda bottle and fitted it with an airlock. The 2 liter
> bottle is also fermenting just like the gallon jugs. Is there a problem
> doing this in plastic? I am concerned about any alcohol effect on the
> plastic. I had intended to use the 2 liter to top off the gallons when I
> rack them. Also, I see some distilled spirits like vodka and others in
> plastic bottles. Are they a different kind of plastic that would be ok for
> small amounts of fermenting wine? I did some ginger beer in 2 liter
> bottles once and it got nasty. I don't know why? Bottles or
> method/ingredients?

IMHO, you can get away with using your 2 liter soda bottle, but you will
get a little flavor from whatever was previously in the bottle. Mild
flavored sodas or club soda /tonic water bottles minimize this
cross-contamination of flavors. I cold stabilize some of my small
experimental batches of wine in the refrigerator in 2 liter club soda
bottles.

I've also cold stabilized fruit wines in 1/2 gallon white cranberry
juice plastic bottles, but I wanted a touch of cranberry flavor anyway.

Please also keep in mind that the plastic soda bottles contain very
small amounts of partially polymerized plastic (intentional, needed to
keep the PET plastic soft... they do that in lieu of adding other
plasticizers). The alcohol in the wine will extract traces of the
partially polymerized stuff, so I wouldn't choose to keep wine in
plastic soda bottles on a regular basis. I keep some 48 ounce glass
juice bottles for my excess storage. No contamination, and the wider
mouth makes it easier to fill and empty.

BTW, what reason do you choose for not using an open top fermenter for
your primary fermentation? A new, 5 gallon, food grade plastic bucket
would work well too (i.e. NSF rated HDPE bucket).

Gene

gene > wrote in :

> Pat Kennedy wrote:
>
>> mixed a batch the other day and it is happily bubbling away. However
>> mt batch was not big enough for a 3rd 1 gallon bottle so I put the
>> excess into a 2 liter plastic soda bottle and fitted it with an
>> airlock. The 2 liter bottle is also fermenting just like the gallon
>> jugs. Is there a problem doing this in plastic? I am concerned
>> about any alcohol effect on the plastic. I had intended to use the 2
>> liter to top off the gallons when I rack them. Also, I see some
>> distilled spirits like vodka and others in plastic bottles. Are they
>> a different kind of plastic that would be ok for small amounts of
>> fermenting wine? I did some ginger beer in 2 liter bottles once and
>> it got nasty. I don't know why? Bottles or method/ingredients?
>
> IMHO, you can get away with using your 2 liter soda bottle, but you
> will get a little flavor from whatever was previously in the bottle.
> Mild flavored sodas or club soda /tonic water bottles minimize this
> cross-contamination of flavors. I cold stabilize some of my small
> experimental batches of wine in the refrigerator in 2 liter club soda
> bottles.
>
> I've also cold stabilized fruit wines in 1/2 gallon white cranberry
> juice plastic bottles, but I wanted a touch of cranberry flavor
> anyway.
>
> Please also keep in mind that the plastic soda bottles contain very
> small amounts of partially polymerized plastic (intentional, needed to
> keep the PET plastic soft... they do that in lieu of adding other
> plasticizers). The alcohol in the wine will extract traces of the
> partially polymerized stuff, so I wouldn't choose to keep wine in
> plastic soda bottles on a regular basis. I keep some 48 ounce glass
> juice bottles for my excess storage. No contamination, and the wider
> mouth makes it easier to fill and empty.
>
> BTW, what reason do you choose for not using an open top fermenter for
> your primary fermentation? A new, 5 gallon, food grade plastic bucket
> would work well too (i.e. NSF rated HDPE bucket).
>
> Gene
>

I have a very damp basement and I am concerned about mold getting into
anything that is not tight and the kitchen is the next best place to
ferment for me.

Pat Kennedy > wrote:
> gene > wrote:
>> Pat Kennedy wrote:

>>> mixed a batch the other day and it is happily bubbling away. However
>>> mt batch was not big enough for a 3rd 1 gallon bottle so I put the
>>> excess into a 2 liter plastic soda bottle and fitted it with an
>>> airlock. The 2 liter bottle is also fermenting just like the gallon
>>> jugs. Is there a problem doing this in plastic? I am concerned
>>> about any alcohol effect on the plastic. I had intended to use the 2
>>> liter to top off the gallons when I rack them. Also, I see some
>>> distilled spirits like vodka and others in plastic bottles. Are they
>>> a different kind of plastic that would be ok for small amounts of
>>> fermenting wine?

2L bottles are PET; wine and hard liquor plastic bottles are HDPE

>>> I did some ginger beer in 2 liter bottles once and
>>> it got nasty. I don't know why? Bottles or method/ingredients?

I choose method & ingredients.

>> IMHO, you can get away with using your 2 liter soda bottle, but you
>> will get a little flavor from whatever was previously in the bottle.

I strongly disagree with this. My 2L bottles get dosed in washed,
pressure rinsed, and sanitized. Never a residual taste.

>> .....
>>
>> Please also keep in mind that the plastic soda bottles contain very
>> small amounts of partially polymerized plastic (intentional, needed to
>> keep the PET plastic soft... they do that in lieu of adding other
>> plasticizers). The alcohol in the wine will extract traces of the
>> partially polymerized stuff, so I wouldn't choose to keep wine in
>> plastic soda bottles on a regular basis. I keep some 48 ounce glass
>> juice bottles for my excess storage. No contamination, and the wider
>> mouth makes it easier to fill and empty.

There is no question that glass is better than plastic. While I support
the use of PET bottles, I too would not keep any beer or wine in one for
more than a month - and a month is pushing it.

>> BTW, what reason do you choose for not using an open top fermenter for
>> your primary fermentation? A new, 5 gallon, food grade plastic bucket
>> would work well too (i.e. NSF rated HDPE bucket).

> I have a very damp basement and I am concerned about mold getting into
> anything that is not tight and the kitchen is the next best place to
> ferment for me.

I see no reason to use an open-top fermenter when a top with an airlock
is the alternative.

Dick

Dick Adams wrote:

> Pat Kennedy > wrote:
>
>>gene > wrote:
>>
>>>Pat Kennedy wrote:
>
>....

>>>IMHO, you can get away with using your 2 liter soda bottle, but you
>>>will get a little flavor from whatever was previously in the bottle.
>
>
> I strongly disagree with this. My 2L bottles get dosed in washed,
> pressure rinsed, and sanitized. Never a residual taste.


I guess your 2L bottle cleaning process is more efficient than mine, or
else my taste buds are hyper-sensitive
I'm glad your experience is better than mine.


>.....
>>>BTW, what reason do you choose for not using an open top fermenter for
>>>your primary fermentation? A new, 5 gallon, food grade plastic bucket
>>>would work well too (i.e. NSF rated HDPE bucket).
>
>
>>I have a very damp basement and I am concerned about mold getting into
>>anything that is not tight and the kitchen is the next best place to
>>ferment for me.
>
>
> I see no reason to use an open-top fermenter when a top with an airlock
> is the alternative.
>
> Dick
>

For white wines, no question that you are right, Dick. I'm curious,
though, for reds during primary fermentation... how do you do a
pump-over or cap punch-down through the small opening?

Gene

gene wrote:

> Pat Kennedy wrote:
>
>> mixed a batch the other day and it is happily bubbling away. However
>> mt batch was not big enough for a 3rd 1 gallon bottle so I put the
>> excess into a 2 liter plastic soda bottle and fitted it with an
>> airlock. The 2 liter bottle is also fermenting just like the gallon
>> jugs. Is there a problem doing this in plastic? I am concerned about
>> any alcohol effect on the plastic. I had intended to use the 2 liter
>> to top off the gallons when I rack them. Also, I see some distilled
>> spirits like vodka and others in plastic bottles. Are they a
>> different kind of plastic that would be ok for small amounts of
>> fermenting wine? I did some ginger beer in 2 liter bottles once and
>> it got nasty. I don't know why? Bottles or method/ingredients?
>
>
> IMHO, you can get away with using your 2 liter soda bottle, but you will
> get a little flavor from whatever was previously in the bottle. Mild
> flavored sodas or club soda /tonic water bottles minimize this
> cross-contamination of flavors. I cold stabilize some of my small
> experimental batches of wine in the refrigerator in 2 liter club soda
> bottles.
>
> I've also cold stabilized fruit wines in 1/2 gallon white cranberry
> juice plastic bottles, but I wanted a touch of cranberry flavor anyway.
>
> Please also keep in mind that the plastic soda bottles contain very
> small amounts of partially polymerized plastic (intentional, needed to
> keep the PET plastic soft... they do that in lieu of adding other
> plasticizers). The alcohol in the wine will extract traces of the
> partially polymerized stuff, so I wouldn't choose to keep wine in
> plastic soda bottles on a regular basis. I keep some 48 ounce glass
> juice bottles for my excess storage. No contamination, and the wider
> mouth makes it easier to fill and empty.
>
> BTW, what reason do you choose for not using an open top fermenter for
> your primary fermentation? A new, 5 gallon, food grade plastic bucket
> would work well too (i.e. NSF rated HDPE bucket).
>
> Gene
For short term storage (through the first or second racking) it may make
sense to use well-cleaned 2 liter bottles, but transfer the contents as
soon as you can to keep your larger carboys topped off. Oxygen will
penetrate soda bottles, I brought some bottles of Sprite from a small
general store that had been closed for a while when the elderly owner
was ill. After he died, his son cleared out the inventory and I got a
few 2 liter bottles that were a year old or so. The soda was flat, and
the Aspartame had decomposed and was tasteless. It is a shame that the 1
gallon glass bottles are not as common as they used to be.

Another alternative is to use the 1.75 and 3.5 liter bottles that many
inexpensive wines are packaged in.