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G'day guys,

Been looking over the forums and sites and have not found the answer to this question yet so if anyone can help (or point me in the right direction) that would be great.

I have been making experimental batches of cider and ginger beer in plastic soft drink bottles (I know that this can be a sin in itself :) ).

When priming them i have been using the same ratio as in a 750 ml glass bottle. (1 teaspoon per 750 mls.) Ie. 2 tsp for 1.5 litres etc. I have found that this results in too much pressure due to the amount of sugar placed into the bottles.

Is there a formula that reduces the amount of sugar as the size of the container goes up? ( i assumed it was linear due to 1/2 tsp being used in a stubbie and 1 tsp in a 750ml) How much sugar should i place into a 2l and 1.25l bottle?

Cheers

Tony

There is no reduction in the amount of priming sugar used as the container goes up, but an increase. This increase is linear.

The problems that you are having with too much pressure may be due to the bottles being inappropriate for the pressure, or that your brew has not fully fermented. If the later is the case, you would be advised to let it sit in your fermenter until you get two identical hyrometer readings, or rack it.

The fermentation was finished and the containers were plastic PET bottles which can take a lot more pressure than glass.

They bottles were way too fizzy. I think i will experiment with it.

The problems that you are having with too much pressure may be due to the bottles being inappropriate for the pressure,

Can you explain this please??

Sounds to me that they weren't ready to be bottled maybe a bit more time in the fermenter was needed .
I've never made cider or ginger beer but I do bottle into PETs .
When I prime I go by the rule of 1 tsp per 750mls-2tsp per 1.5-3 tsp per 2.25 and have never had any trouble .

Skoti wrote:Sounds to me that they weren't ready to be bottled maybe a bit more time in the fermenter was needed .

exactly what i was thinking, my last Ginger Beer took 17 days with EC-1118 Champagne Yeast.

Soft drink bottles have thinner skin than say Coopers PET. This is simply because they are not designed for re-use.

As a result, they expand the plastic a few millimetres outward. When you come to open them, the bottles contract back (as the pressure is released), and force the contents out the top- fountain-style.