CKing

Recipes 

Received a big box of brown Grolsch swing tops this weekend that have been stored for who knows how long. Old style with the real ceramic tops.
Most are absolutely filthy on the inside with what looks to be caked on sediment, mold/growth, and insect matter.

What's the best way to get these usable again?

Can these be placed into boiling water?
Thought about starting off with putting them in the boiling water, then maybe soaking in a tub of water with oxiclean or something similar.

mountainman13

Recipes 

Soak them in a tub of Oxyclean or PBW for a week or so.
Sounds like a good score!

lou2row

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Cold bottle hits boiling water can cause breaking. Hot water with oxyclean should work. I'd do it once, rinse, then do it all over again. Then follow with a bottle brush and do some finish cleaning.

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DPBISME

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I got some that my cousin brought back from Germany 30 years ago...

They were stored for 20 in the attick of the garage and had everything in them, mold, "butts", and other gunk.

I got a gallon of bleach and filled each one of them half way, closed the top, and shook the hell out of them.

I then poured it out through a plastic "strainer" and then repeated with the next batch (10 cases).

It cut everything out, I then rinsed them, and as suggested above OxyCleaned them.

Wear gloves and old clothes, wash up when done....

dinnerstick

Recipes 

won't bleach corrode the metal if you soak the whole bottle for long periods? oxyclean won't anyways. i'd get them big ugly dishwasher gloves first. here you can buy the whole cage and top assembly new, but it's with crappy plastic lids. dunno if you can just get the metal and bend it onto your old caps. new seals are a must and should be easy to get

CKing

Recipes 

^ Good feedback so far.
Wasn't sure about boiling water, but agree it could compromise the glass.
Rubber seals were all dried out so they've already been removed, and I can get replacements at a shop down the road.

Bleach 1st then oxiclean / one step sounds like a good start.

The cages and ceramic tops are all in nice condition, it's all the creepy stuff inside the bottom of the bottles that needs cleaned out.

Dynachrome

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I've done this with very good results. I don't ever remember ciggybutts in any of mine though.

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twalte

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Wow...nice score!!! I'd love to get my hands on some of the old BROWN Grolsch bottles. You can buy replacement gaskets and metal flip tops if needed...the bottles are the score.

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Wayne1

Recipes 

I would suggest getting a



Jet bottle and carboy rinser to connect to your faucet. You may need an adapter to mate to the threads on your particular faucet.

Rinse out the bottles with the Jet. Soak them in PBW, not Oxiclean, for a couple of days and then rinse again. Oxiclean does leave quite a residue behind. PBW rinses cleaner.

When you go to fill, use StarSan or Saniclean to sanitize the bottles.

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osagedr

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PBW in very hot water has always worked great for me. Only took one use of PBW for me to switch from oxiclean.

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