Will a 2 liter soda bottle contain the pressure of beer or a sparkling wine?

Yes, I've used them for cider. I believe they're rated to around 100 psi. Or in other words, much higher than you need to worry about in home brewing.

I've used plastic when in a pinch. Actually better for soda or extra carbonated things because it won't explode as easy as glass. Permeable to oxygen though so don't use for long term storage...

Eric, I imagine you are referring to the PET soda bottles we see just about everywhere these days. They are very strong & highly pressure resistant, over pressure is likely to be detected by an extremely tight feel of the bottle sides & some distortion. Gently releaseing the cap will give you excellent feedback. In my experience some leakage of gas from the screwcap seal can be expected before the bottles finally fail. I can't recall ever having a pressure failure of one of these bottles regardless of size & yes I have used the two litre type.

Pete

You should not have a problem with "pressure". Your problem will be possible "oxidation".

PET bottles are made to contain pressure. However, the oxidation barrier of PET bottles will break down over time. My policy is to use them for short-term storage of beer (I don't make wine.) Regardless of the number of times I use a PET bottle, I put them in the recycle bag three months after their first use.

I hate bottling for two reasons: 1) it's skut work and 2) friends seem to take forever to return the bottles. For the second, I use PET bottles for beer being given away.

Dick

If using the 2 litre bottles then after opening, draw off to a jug and pour out drinks from there, otherwise if just taking off a pint from the bottle, when you go back to it, it'll be cloudy as somehow it draws the yeast off the bottom.

You could also try 1 litre bottles and then have the right amount for a couple of pints.

plastic soda bottles have a design rating of 200 psi.

1 atmosphere is 14.7 psi

soda is around 55 psi (55/14.7 = 3.74 atmospheres)

beer is around 1 atmosphere (14.7psi)

If you make beer in plastic soda bottles you would be putting 14.7 psi in a bottle designed for 200 psi. Obviously, soda bottles are over engineered (200 psi rating to hold 55psi soda) so they don't break if banged around.

I once bottled ginger beer in 2-litre PET bottles. After a few days, it was pressurised to the extent that the caps started to dome up. Scary stuff. I don't expect that malt beer would generate anything like that amount of pressure - not with a mere teaspoon-full of priming sugar, anyway. Cheers Fraser