Just some food for thought

This hobby is fun & enjoyable, but it is not tiddlywinks. Be safe!

Moderator: Site Moderator

Post Reply
CarolinaShiner
Novice
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:54 am
Location: Carolina

Just some food for thought

Post by CarolinaShiner »

I've been reading posts religiously for the last few weeks. Usually a few hours a day atleast. 1 thing that is definately agreed upon is that storing alcohol in plastic is bad.. right? I've read many posts about it here and I agree with this too, but my question is why do commercial distilleries do this? Mostly all pint bottles at the liquor store are plastic as well as some fifth bottles. I'm not disputing that plastic is bad for storage, but why are the people that should be more regulated (legal distilleries) still doing this?
rad14701
retired
Posts: 20865
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:46 pm
Location: New York, USA

Re: Just some food for thought

Post by rad14701 »

The lower proof spirits aren't as dangerous and the industry has thrown caution to the wind in favor of profit margin... It's all about keeping the bean counters in the accounting department happy... They could give a rats ass about the end consumers just as long as they buy the product... We strive to have higher standards than the majority of commercial guys...
User avatar
moosemilk
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 2661
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 10:47 am

Re: Just some food for thought

Post by moosemilk »

Show me a good top shelf bourbon in a plastic bottle and screw on cap no cork. The ones that care about their product do it from start to finish.
CarolinaShiner
Novice
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:54 am
Location: Carolina

Re: Just some food for thought

Post by CarolinaShiner »

Makes good sense Rad. Idk about those top shelf bourbons Moose. If I buy from the store its usually good ole Jim Beam. Maybe I just don't have a very discernable pallet as far as liquor goes but I have always been a fan of Jim. Thats actually what sparked my question.. Jim Beam pints in the plastic with screw on lids
User avatar
still_stirrin
Master of Distillation
Posts: 10344
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:01 am
Location: where the buffalo roam, and the deer & antelope play

Re: Just some food for thought

Post by still_stirrin »

Jim Beam is more of a consumer's whiskey. Makers Mark will always be in glass, although their pints and 1/2 pints have plastic caps in lieu of corks. Plastic just doesn't cut it for my whiskey tho.

Consumer vodkas are very often in plastic for the pints and 1/2 pints. But Everclear is always in glass even in pints and 1/2 pints.
ss
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
Hound Dog
Master of Distillation
Posts: 3002
Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2013 4:45 pm
Location: Hounds Hollow, VA

Re: Just some food for thought

Post by Hound Dog »

still_stirrin wrote:But Everclear is always in glass even in pints and 1/2 pints.
ss
Not according to the Luxco website (makers of Everclear, Pearl vodka, Arrow liquors and many other brands). They put a variety of sizes of 190 proof Everclear in PET bottles. If you can get the link to work, you might have to use the drop down to get to Everclear.

https://www.luxco.com/trade/product-spe ... =EVERCLEAR" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
LM Still Operating Instructions
Cranky's New Distiller's Advice
Using Google Search

Drinking Rum before noon makes you a Pirate not an alcoholic.
Gleedaniel13
Novice
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Jun 11, 2013 9:05 pm

Re: Just some food for thought

Post by Gleedaniel13 »

I've been reading posts religiously for the last few weeks. Usually a few hours a day atleast. 1 thing that is definately agreed upon is that storing alcohol in plastic is bad.. right? I've read many posts about it here and I agree with this too, but my question is why do commercial distilleries do this? Mostly all pint bottles at the liquor store are plastic as well as some fifth bottles. I'm not disputing that plastic is bad for storage, but why are the people that should be more regulated (legal distilleries) still doing this?
I agree with this. Storing at plastics is not bad but using it as a storage for alcohol is not appropriate as the chemical content may be affected by the result of chemical reaction.
User avatar
DAD300
Master of Distillation
Posts: 2839
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2011 11:46 am
Location: Southern U.S.

Re: Just some food for thought

Post by DAD300 »

First, I agree the BIG BOYS don't care about consumers.

Currently companies produces high-barrier PET bottles, with technology that deposits a layer of thin carbon film on the inside of the bottle,... Companies that sell bottles to the spirits industry, sure do show plastic bottles with carbon coatings on the interior and tout their safety. And admit the lack of sales.

But second the word "plastic" is really a generic label these days. There are Plastic appearing bottles that can safely contain Ethanol.

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 7&start=15

The biggest problem for us is...if I show you a dozen bottles...which is safe and which are not? Even If I say these are safe, for how long? Do plastic bottles suggest craft product? Does the fact that Everclear uses plastic bottles make you want to associate with them?
CCVM http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... d#p7104768" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Ethyl Carbamate Docs viewtopic.php?f=6&t=55219&p=7309262&hil ... e#p7309262
DSP-AR-20005
User avatar
moosemilk
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 2661
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 10:47 am

Re: Just some food for thought

Post by moosemilk »

There was other talk of this in another thread somewhere. I do remember a very valid point. Pick up a plastic bottle of water. Notice an expiry date. Water doesn't expire. But chemicals from the plastic leach over time, thus the expiry date. That's water. Think what alcohol would do.
Post Reply