guiness bottles

[flynpa]

Hello all. Can anyone tell me if there is a way to remove the CO2 widgets out of Guiness bottles?

Thanks,

Stuart

[grizzlymike]

break them :)

[Jeff]

Curiosity forces me to ask this question: why?:)

[flynpa]

I recently moved from Arizona to Texas. I didn't want to move all my bottles so I gave them away to my brewing buddies. Now I am ready to get started again but have no bottles. A coworker said that he just bought two cases of Guiness for a party and would save them for me but they have those thingys in them. Can they be removed?

Thanks,

Stuart

[stronk]

No. Trust me, I've tried!

[P-Train]

Time to buy new bottles!

Or go 'dumpster dive' in the recycle bin at the grocery store.

:D

[toneyc]

Actually, I think you can remove them. I used either a pair of hemostats or a pair of needle nose pliers. Invert the bottle, grab the widget, twist and pull. I only did it once, though, so it may be a pita. I just used regular Guinness bottles after that.

:)
Toney.

[wortchillergoal]

How about dumping in a solvent of some kind to eat the plastic? You would want to wash those bottles a couple of 100 times after that perhaps but would be rid of the plastic widget.

[flynpa]

Thanks everyone. I think I will try to pull a few out just to cure my curiosity but I guess I will have to just drink a couple cases myself. Dang.:D

[ray m]

Ummm.....who says those things have to be removed? I would think that if one wanted to reuse Guinness bottles, a good rinsing immediately after use, followed by a PBW soak then a StarSan application when you were ready to use them would render the bottles quite ready & proper for use, no??:)

[davesarman]

I've removed them. I liked the shape of the bottles, so I did as toneyc said and used a needle nose pliers on a six pack. Had to yank a bit, but they came out. Decided it was only worth doing once.

[mdblu1]

I used needle-nose pliers too, but a friend said he bent a wire hanger to have a hook at one end, and used that to pull it out.

[burritosandbeer]

i have two cases of these bottles cause I loved the shape.

they were easy to remove

1. cut the label off the bottle with a pen knife, be careful not to slice yourself up

2. swing the bottle so the widget gets stuck in the neck

3. with a pair of needle nose pliers grab the widget

4. pull

its EAZY and like i said i love the shape of those bottles.