Review on 🍺 Coopers DIY Beer Bottling Set – 15 Qty, 740ml Oxygen Barrier, for Home Brewing Perfection by Sara Lutz

I brew beer in 5-6 gallon batches which makes about 55 12 oz bottles. Bottles are easy to come by: drink a few cases of unscrew-top beer and save the bottles; Metal caps are easily accessible. What I find annoying is the capping. You can buy flip-top bottles ($160 for 55); Bottle caps save ($1.25 for 55) plus capper ($13-150); or plastic bottles/caps ($30 for 30 25-ounce bottles). Shutdown, to me, is capping: Capping 55 reusable glass bottles with metal caps is a labor-intensive task fraught with error, not to mention abusive hands. . In my hands at least 10% of the caps are messed up and I have to redo them; some I don't catch and the beer is flat. Desktop bottle cappers do a better job, but for $100 or more I'm not inclined. The metal caps are out! Spending $150 or more on 55 flip-top bottles isn't my idea of smarts; It is also necessary to periodically replace the rubber seal on the lid - if you can find it. I originally bought a couple cases of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles from Coopers as a compromise: screw caps and only $30 for 30 25oz bottles. You need 5-6 liters of beer. I won't go into detail (Google PET bottles) but the latest formulations/coatings of PET bottles have overcome most objections to long term storage in plastic bottles. Each bottle holds 740cc (24.7 oz or two 12 oz bottles of beer); the caps provided are safety screw caps commonly used on soft drink bottles. To complete the brewing process, pour 25-30 bottles (v. 55) and be sure to unscrew the cork. As an added bonus, I've easily reused the caps (leave the used safety ring on the bottle), although it is possible to purchase the caps for $6/$75 (with the added hassle of removing the safety ring from a new cap or bottle) . Since plastic caps come with a squeezable plastic liner, I found that I could drink a glass of beer and close the bottle and the beer wasn't empty after a day or so. Clean PET bottles with the bristle brush I use for glass bottles for fear of scratching (and makes cleaning/sterilization problematic). Once I've emptied the bottle, I rinse it thoroughly, close the lid, and then rinse with hot water to taste. completely flat but composed of 5 bulges or "fingers". On a flat surface (table/desk) is normal; on the grill grate in the fridge they wobble a bit and tip over easily - more annoying than problematic. In the end, my compromise turned out to be quite different: modest cost, convenience, speed, and great results make this a reasonable buy.