PET bottles and Campden tabs

[Waterboy]

Serious newbie here so go easy.....

im franticly drinking and collecting all the 1.5-2l fizzy drink bottles in can get my hands on in preparation for my first ever brew. a john bull cider kit. i have hundreds of 1.5l PET water bottles at my disposal though, but dont know whether they could handle the pressure (im going to be adding priming suger to carbonate the drink to the bottles).

could someone tell me whether theyd be ok? ive read on here somewhere that the big 5l water bottles definately wouldent be suitable for holding pressure, but these are only 1.5. Ive put the lid on them and given them a good squeeze and they dont go pop so............????

also ive read many times now how people put campden tabs in bottles at second stage fermentation. but surely this would stop fermentation completely, so then youd never be able to carbonate your brew without serious co2 injection equiptment?
could someone clarify what this is all about? or do i have my wires crossed here?

loads of help wanted please.

more questions to follow. be afraid.

 

[klaus]

Only use PETs which have been used for pressurised drinks. Wine could go into normal water bottles.

If you are bottle conditioning you must not use CTs, stabiliser or similar stuff otherwise the minute number of yeast cells remaining will be killed and your cider will be flat.

Also, a more general point, I would recommend newcomers invest in a book or two as reference, wine & beer making is not that difficult. I know it quick to shoot off a few questions to the forum and many members will reply pretty soon but I personally find that most questions can easily be answered by using a book, or even by reading the instructions with the kit.

 

[Waterboy]

ok thanks klaus. rapid reply!! so its what i thought thanks for clarifying.
jon.