Reusable plastic bottle tops

[Flathead]

I've been re-using the PET Oxygen Barrier bottles (ox-bar) which come originally with tamper proof lids. After the initial use I've simply been sterilising the bottles and lids before using them again. So far they've been fine, holding in the carbonation fully, but I'm wondering if they will function reliably like this indefinitely ? Is there a particular lifespan both for the bottles and the lids or, like my mother-in-law, will they just go on and on ?

I have used carbonation drops to date on my newbe beers and ciders. On a wheat beer, 2 drops seem to give a lot of head while on an Australian Bitter it is a lot more subdued with 2 drops (granted the bitter is only in the bottle for 4/5 weeks).

QUESTIONS :  Is there any guidance on how many drops to use for different brews ?  Any idea what the sugar equivalent of a carbonation drop is ?  If I was making up my own sugary primer and using a syringe to prime my bottles, would anybody have a suggestion on how much sugar or dextrose to use in each 500 cl bottle ?

[Bzfeale80]

Flathead up to now I have also used and reused coopers ox-bar 500ml pet bottles and they have done the job pretty well along with carbonation drops. If its coopers carbonation drops you are using there is information on the packet for guidance on bottling. As far as I remember it recommends 1 carb drop per 375ml bottle and 2 carb drops for a 710ml bottle (australian bottle sizes) therefore going by that it would be 1.5 carb drops per 500ml bottle roughly.

There are plenty of bottle carbonation calculators on the internet and with some you can also select the style of beer and it will give a guide to the recommended carbonation level. http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/recipator/recipator/carbonation.html

As far as i know the packet of coopers carb drops also has information on the equivalent amount of sugar per carb drop

[LordEoin]

PET caps function reliably like this indefinitely ? - no, they'll eventually wear and need to be replaced. they're cheap though : http://www.homebrewwest.ie/spare-caps-for-coopers-pet-and-ox-bar-bottles-pack-of-24-984-p.asp

Is there any guidance on how many drops to use for different brews ?  Coopers recommend 2 per 750ml bottle. I find that 1 per 500ml suits me. 1.5 per 500ml for fizzy but then you're stuck splitting drops.
Any idea what the sugar equivalent of a carbonation drop is ?  3grams
How much sugar or dextrose to use in each 500 cl bottle? personal preference = 2.5g stout, 3g ale, 4g lager

But if you have a second FV or a bottling bucket, batch/bulk priming is more convenient and consistent.

[Flathead]

Thanks for advice above. Any idea how many uses the bottles and caps are good for? For bulk priming, is it simply a matter of doing the sums on the number of half litres to be bottled multiplied by the number of grammes per bottle ?  Are there any downsides to using household sugar as primer ?

[LordEoin]

how many uses the bottles and caps are good for?  - depends how you treat them.  For example if you over tighten or wrongly thread one you it might not seal well. I'd buy a bag of spare caps and just replace them when you notice one looking a bit worse for wear.
The bottles will last a long time provided you don't expose them to too much heat. If you notice the inside lamination peeling or bubbling, replace them. Same if they warp.
bulk priming? - even easier. check how many liters of beer you have and work out the sugar in one bulk addition. eg if you have 23Liters of Ale and you want to prime it at 6grams per liter : 23*6=138grams.
Put it in a saucepan, ad a pint of water, heat and stir until it's all disolved. put it in your bottling bucket, rack onto of it, give it a gentle stir to make sure it's evenly spread.
It doesn't matter how many/what size bottles you use then, they'll all be primed evenly.
downsides to using household sugar? - not really, it's recommended. you can also use DME but you'll need about 50% extra for the same carbonation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_We91VuYH0M

[Metattron]

For bulk priming, is it simply a matter of doing the sums on the number of half litres to be bottled multiplied by the number of grammes per bottle ? 

Or use a handy calculator:

http://bigbrewing.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/primecalc.html

[LordEoin]

I hate those calculators.
'volume of co2' to me is like 'miles to the gallon'
they just grate on me