Using plastic alcohol bottles

[Oddmott]

We have typically used glass alcohol bottles with plastic lids for most of our syrup. We tried canning in mason/bernardine jars last year but after having the bottoms blow out of nearly 1 dozen jars, we'll never touch them again (no, they weren't overfilled. The jars would just crack, while sitting on shelves or counters, even after being opened and half empty).

However, plenty of friends, co-workers and family members constantly bring us plastic booze bottles along with all the glass ones. To date, I've simply recycled or returned the plastic bottles with the rest of my beer/booze empties.

But, could we actually be using these plastic ones to bottle syrup in as well?

[markct]

I doubt they would be a plastic designed to hotpack. As far as i know alchol is bottled cold, syrup jugs are more pricey cause they are a plastic that takes 200 deg without deforming or releasing bad chemicals

[Oddmott]

Thanks, i wasn't sure what temperature rye/rum/vodka is bottled at. I know it's heated at some point during its distilling... just not when.

[TerryEspo]

I would not use the plastic alcohol bottles unless you know for sure they can take the heat. Too much work involved to maybe have a plastic taste in your delicious syrup.

Surprised to hear about the glass jars blowing out, weird.

Good luck with your bottling.

[Clarkfield Farms]

Hey, Oddmott! The distilling IS the heating. Ethanol (and some other compounds, some good but most not so good at all) boil at a lower temperature than water. So, you're looking typically in the range of 173*F or so, but even then the collected (not all are "collected;" the foreshots, which contain the majority of the harmful compounds including but not limited to methanol, are either discarded or used for cleaning/disinfectants or burned) spirits are separated generally by heads, hearts, and tails, sampled, and blended (except in the case of a neutral spirit such as vodka), and by the time of bottling they're basically just room temperature. The fact that the ethanol is at a high enough proof ensures it is "safe," at least from pathogens.

More than 600 different things that can kill or sicken you can live in water; none known can live in beer or wine. :) Definitely none in distilled spirits.

- Tim, fka The YeastPimp :)

P.S. - yeah, don't use those bottles for syrup.

[Cabin]

Cracking mason jars?? By any chance did you put hot syrup into cool jars? That is the only way I know to crack the bottoms out of them.

[Oddmott]

Cracking mason jars?? By any chance did you put hot syrup into cool jars? That is the only way I know to crack the bottoms out of them.

We boil our jars right up till a couple moments before putting the syrup in. Nope, they're not cool jars. And they're cracking/blowing MONTHS later.

I heard mason and pyrex are being produced in China now and I'd lay money the quality/dependability has dropped.

[Cabin]

I do not like to boil my jars. I have found that placing them in the oven to bake at 250 degrees then setting the oven to keep them warm(180-200) works out well and I have not had any crack since. But then most of my jars are older than I am.

[Oddmott]

2102, we boiled, but used only alochol bottles. No breakage.
2013, we baked, and used a mix of alcohol bottles and mason jars. Plenty of jar breakage.
2014, we'll boil again, not for preference but because we'll be finishing in the new sugar shack and won't have an oven to bake in.

This year i'll just go to the liquor store and get more empties. They're cheaper than buying "real" maple syrup jars and (imo) come in more attractive designs.

[KevinS]

I could see filling a plastic booze bottle cold to go straight in the fridge and serve at my table. but hot fill? I will pass.
I did cold fill a couple glass whiskey bottles for a couple friends this year. and one for my fridge. I like it since it is flask shaped and cork stopper. the darn whiskey was good too and I am not really a drinker. BirdDog blackberry flavored whiskey.

[markct]

Just curious what alcohol comes in plastic bottles anyhow? a quick check of my vast collection in the sugarhouse shows all mine are glass, both beer and hard alcohol, and I cant recall seeing anything in the package store in plastic except the box of wine things?

[wnybassman]

Just curious what alcohol comes in plastic bottles anyhow? a quick check of my vast collection in the sugarhouse shows all mine are glass, both beer and hard alcohol, and I cant recall seeing anything in the package store in plastic except the box of wine things?

Last bottle of Bacardi rum we bought was in a plastic bottle.

[markct]

Interesting, I guess its just sorta tradition that its always been usualy glass no reason plastic cant work, a friend of mine who travels to Korea often for work has told me that nearly all the alcohol over there is in plastic like soda bottles, hard alcohol and beer etc.

[Oddmott]

Here in Ontario... pretty much every brand of hard alcohol can be found in plastic bottles, as well as glass. I don't know why the companies use both instead of one over the other.

I was just handed a bag of empties by a co-worker... 6 bottles, 2 glass (Gibson's Whiskey & Absolute Vodka) and 4 plastic (Lamb's Rum, Prince Igor Vodka & Captain Morgan Spiced).

Oh, another good source of attractive glass bottles are coffee shops who have those Torani and similar flavor shots.
9471
They clog up recycling bins really quickly and restaurants/cafes are happy to hand you a box every few days.

[ScottyWelden]

To the folks who re-use alcohol (or other) bottles: How do you cap them? Do you get a good seal? If not, do you have to refrigerate or use the syrup quickly?

[Daveg]

There are a lot of pathogens that can survive beer or wine that CAN sicken you. Hot pack into sterilized containers only.

[DrTimPerkins]

To the folks who re-use alcohol (or other) bottles: How do you cap them? Do you get a good seal? If not, do you have to refrigerate or use the syrup quickly?

In some jurisdictions it is not legal to pack into used containers. As Dave suggested, hot-packing is necessary regardless of what you pack into to prevent microbial contamination.

[bushmoose]

In some jurisdictions it is not legal to pack into used containers. As Dave suggested, hot-packing is necessary regardless of what you pack into to prevent microbial contamination.

That's the law here in Ontario also IF you're selling it? For personal and family use, I use the cheapest container possible. Whisky just happens to be my favorite. :lol:
10729