Best Way to Clean Bottles?

thewarmachine · 01-17-2012, 07:22 PM

I have seen a few different methods for cleaning bottles before bottling a batch, but wanted to know what you all suggest as the most efficient and fastest way? Thanks!

HappyLoon · 01-17-2012, 08:44 PM

I typically rinse my bottles out after each use and then store them with my equipment. When I need them again, I put them in the dishwasher on full cycle with no detergent. This cleans and sanitizes them with little hassle. Just make sure there is no detergent or you might get stains, particles, and off-scents in the bottle. Not to mention soap and detergent are known to hinder head retention.

**ThickHead** · 01-17-2012, 08:48 PM

I always rinse them with with hot tap water, drain, and store. When I am ready to use I give them a soak in Star San and hang 'em on my bottling tree. Works a treat.

**snccoulter** · 01-17-2012, 08:49 PM

Make your kids do it for you.

**megalomani** · 01-17-2012, 08:51 PM

Fastest and most efficient; don't do it at all and instead use a keg.

I know that is not really what you are asking but I don't really know of a fast and efficient way to clean bottles. I used to obsessively save bottles even if had some crud in them. I have probably spent the equivalent of a full 40 hour work week meticulously cleaning bottles if you added it all together. Eventually I decided to only save bottles that I was able to rinse immediately. Now I have gotten rid of all my 12 ounce bottles and only kept 22oz bombers.

When I do bottle, my method is oxyclean soak, hot water rinse then I use the spray thing on the top of the bottle tree to sanitize them. Definitely is not a quick process, that is why I ended up investing in some corny kegs. Even using kegs it seems about a two hour process to clean, sanitize, rack to corny, and clean up the carboy and other mess. When I bottled an entire batch, the process was easily twice that to make sure i used non-contaminated equipment and bottles.

If you have a dishwasher with a sanitize cycle that would work but the bottles are difficult to keep from falling over, and really they still need to be clean before going in. If I ever need to bottle 12oz again I am just going to buy brand new bottles and not worry about it.

**unionrdr** · 01-17-2012, 09:19 PM

And we have a winner! someone always comes into a bottling thread & says how kegging is faster. you still have to clean & sanitize it,the lines,taps,etc.
Anyway,at least you gave a regime for bottling. I take my newly emptied bottles & toss'em in a waiting bucket of PBW for 2 hours to soak. Then take a bottle brush to'em,rinse,& onto the bottle tree to dry. Then into covered boxes till needed.

**mux** · 01-17-2012, 09:38 PM

Rinse after use, then before I bottle I run them in the dishwasher with no soap.y dishwasher has a sanitize setting. Works great.

badbrew · 01-17-2012, 10:09 PM

Whatever you do, don't over apply oxyclean to clean them. The film dust will coat the bottles and make you paranoid. Didn't ruin the taste when I did it, but probably isn't smart.

**JoshuaW** · 01-18-2012, 06:03 PM

I rinse them when I am done with it, let them soak in hot water (our hot water heater is HOT! like 135*). When they have cooled down, I dump the water out, and pump a squirt of Starsan into the bottle, wipe the outside down, put it in a box. When it is time to use them, I rinse them in hot water again, then a few squirts of Starsan, then let them dry.

corn · 01-18-2012, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badbrew

Whatever you do, don't over apply oxyclean to clean them. The film dust will coat the bottles and make you paranoid. Didn't ruin the taste when I did it, but probably isn't smart.

this happened to me on my secondary, I have a batch in there now. will this residue come off with proper cleaning? the dust is on outside and definitely had made me second guess, check and recheck to make sure that the beer isn't cloudy.