bottle sanitation

jpb3 · 08-25-2007, 02:32 PM

Alright, I've been saving bottles for my first batch ever, rinsing them out. Now, the best way to sanitize? I know to clean them out with bottle brush, etc., but how do I make certain that no germs or anything get in there before the bottling occurs/ What are the best bottle sanitizing methods?

Willy Boner · 08-25-2007, 02:42 PM

StarSan

malkore · 08-25-2007, 02:50 PM

any no-rinse sanitizer. star-san is awesome. i like one-step for bottles....star-san for everything else. (mostly I don't want any foam overflowing and making a bigger mess than bottling already tends to be, plus star-san can be a little slick on glass and my wife is not so dexterous to begin with and she moves the bottles as I fill).

Beerrific · 08-25-2007, 03:42 PM

Iodophor is another good choice. I would not use anything other than no-rinse. Let the be in contact with the sanitizer as prescribed by the directions, drain them, and let them sit upside down until ready to use.

adx · 08-25-2007, 04:44 PM

I use StarSan and my dishwasher as a bottling rack. What I'll do is run the dishwasher the night before with the sanitizer (extra hot) setting turned on. Then the next day I'll mix up 5 gallons StarSan in my bottling bucket. I've found I can fit 12 bottles at a time in there to sanitize. Then I'll take them out of the bucket and onto the dishwasher racks to dry. After I'm done with the bottles, I'll sanitize the rest of the equipment I'll need. I also get a nicely sanitized bottling bucket out of the whole deal. By the time I rack into the bottling bucket and have everything setup to fill, the bottles will be dry.

lackofstyl · 08-25-2007, 07:11 PM

If you get a bottle tree, with a bottle washer on top full of a no rinse sanitizer you can save yourself a lot of time and effort. Check it out here http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/site_search.aspx?SearchStr=bottle%20tree

Focus · 08-25-2007, 08:19 PM

I sterilize mine in the oven. i'm suprised more people don't do this b/c it's super easy, effective, and next to zero residue.

The day before I bottle, I rinse my bottles one last time and load them in the oven. Then I bake at 250 for an hour and leave them there to cool overnight. The heat ensures that any germs will be killed and leaving them unmolested ensures no new floaties get in. sometimes there's water remaining from the rinse, but again, it's been brought to 250 for an hour so there's nothing alive in it.

Has worked for many, many batches,
Focus

homebrewer_99 · 08-25-2007, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adx

I use StarSan and my dishwasher as a bottling rack. What I'll do is run the dishwasher the night before with the sanitizer (extra hot) setting turned on. Then the next day I'll mix up 5 gallons StarSan in my bottling bucket. I've found I can fit 12 bottles at a time in there to sanitize. Then I'll take them out of the bucket and onto the dishwasher racks to dry. After I'm done with the bottles, I'll sanitize the rest of the equipment I'll need. I also get a nicely sanitized bottling bucket out of the whole deal. By the time I rack into the bottling bucket and have everything setup to fill, the bottles will be dry.

Why are you wasting so much of your time and energy?

Next time you make up a batch of Star San just fill a spray bottle with it and spray the rack before using it.

Same goes for a tree...spray from the top down though...

As for "taking them out of the bucket"...just submerge them enough to get a couple of teaspoons of SS in there and shake it up and dump. 30 seconds contact time right? As long as it's wet there's contact. This doesn't require submerging. The time it sits on the rack also counts because it's still wet..."contact time".

**rod** · 08-25-2007, 08:39 PM

a little starsan goes a long way - i mix up 2 litres in a glas jug and usually get 2 batches from it.
i put it in a spray bottle like hb99 says and sanitize on brew day - put it in a pump type bottle sanitizer for bottling day.

adx · 08-25-2007, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homebrewer_99

Why are you wasting so much of your time and energy?

Next time you make up a batch of Star San just fill a spray bottle with it and spray the rack before using it. Same goes for a tree...spray from the top down though...

As for "taking them out of the bucket"...just submerge them enough to get a couple of teaspoons of SS in there and shake it up and dump. 30 seconds contact time right? As long as it's wet there's contact. This doesn't require submerging. The time it sits on the rack also counts because it's still wet..."contact time".

It made it sound more complicated then it is. I run the dishwasher because there are usually dirty dishes in it

I just find the dishwasher works better to hold the bottles upside down then my tiny counter top. Also I don't let them sit in the bucket. I usually dump (literally from a 12 pack container) and then pull them right out. I mix up lots of StarSan use it over and over and keep it in a bucket with a lid on it as long as it's clear. So 5 gallons lasts me a long time.