moose5330

Recipes 

How do you clean and sanitize bottles without a rack?

metanoia

Recipes 

My method is as follows:
Clean them by soaking overnight in PBW/Oxyclean and then rinsing the next day (also helps take the labels off, if necessary).
Sanitize with a vinator and dry them in a bottling tree. Those two items have made my miserable bottling days a whole lot easier.

Without a rack, I'd assume you just let them air dry, but if you're using something like StarSan it doesn't matter if there's a little liquid/bubbles left inside, it's all safe.

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Gertrude Street Brewing
Primary: SMaSHing Bitters [ESB], Hefeweizen
Bottled: Gingerbread Brown Ale, Two Hearted Ale clone
On Deck:

Thinking about racking to a secondary? Read this first.

Revvy

Recipes 

I don't have a rack. I just either soak the bottles in oxyclean and hot water if they're in need of a deep cleanse then rinse heavily OR just rinse them with hot water if there's nothing gunked on the bottom.

I like to use the jet bottle and carboy rinser for high pressure cleaning.



You can find bottle washers at any brewshop or online. Try to find the ones made by the "jet Bottle and carboy company" of Traverse city, Michigan. Theirs comes with a lifetime warranty, if it breaks send it in and they'll replace it. Mine died after 7 years of use, I mailed it in on a Thursday two weeks ago, and it arrived on black Friday. With a nice note saying they were sorry it broke...

To sanitize you can do the ole dunk and swish method but I find that the vintator is easier and quicker to use.



You can find more info and tips in my bottling sticky.

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Revvy's one of the cool reverends. He has a Harley and a t-shirt that says on the back "If you can read this, the bitch was Raptured. - Madman

I gotta tell ya, just between us girls, that Revvy is HOT. Very tall, gorgeous grey hair and a terrific smile. He's very good looking in person, with a charismatic personality... he drives like a ****ing maniac! - YooperBrew

beargrylls

Recipes 

i always run the dishwasher to sanitize it on bottling day, then rinse the bottles with iodophor solution and put them upside down on the clean dishwasher rack to drain until im ready to bottle

fluidmechanics

Recipes 

I soak in hot tap water and oxy clean over night which makes the labels fall off. Then I run them through the dishwasher on the hot cycle, which is hot enough to sanitize the bottles. I let them cool for 30 mins or so right in the dishwasher before I bottle.

dstranger99

Recipes 

^ This vinator, along with a bottling tree has made my whole bottling day a breeze, I can't believe I went so long without one......

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Primary: Blonde ale Experiment
Bottled: Amber Ale, West Coast Pale Ale, Raspberry Wheat, American Light, Murphy's Stout, Pumpkin Ale, Chocolate Stout, Boston Red, IPA Hoppy, Boysenberry,Cookie Brown Ale,Jakes Brown Ale (NB)
Upcoming: Cascade Blonde

I love Yooper........

beargrylls

Recipes 

also i rinse out the bottles really well with hot water right after drinking them, so i dont really need to clean them other than rinsing unless there is stuff stuck on the bottom

derbycitybrewer

Recipes 

I clean mine and let them soak in my tub the night before and use a bottle brush to get all the debris out of the bottles. Hot hot hot water with dish soap. Then I drain and rinse the bottles out very very well. I actually put my bottles in a milk crate upside down that night to drip dry/air dry. Then the day of I make up 2-3 gallons of starsan in a 5 gallon bucket. I will put 5-6 bottles in the bucket(fully submerging them) starsan takes 30 seconds to a minute to do its job. Then I take the bottle straight out if the starsan and empty it back into the bucket and go straight to my bottling wand to fill. Also put your bottle caps in a glass of starsan. This procedure works perfect and you will have no flaws. Starsan is a no rinse product so don't worry if you have some foam in the bottle before filling. It's a tasteless order less product. Cheers and I hope this information has helped you.

ajm163

Recipes 

rinse them out and put them in the dishwasher on "sanitize". Let them cool off and fill, never had any problem with that

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http://angryocelotbrewing.blogspot.com

RIC0

Recipes 

I usually already have clean bottles without labels and no crud in the bottom.

They go from a box in the basement to the kitchen.

Soak them in a sink of sanitizer for a few mins.

Take them out, turn upside down to drain, added back to box and then to the brewery to get filled up.

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*** Possum Trot Brewery ***

Beer Primary - Chittyday Stout - Belgian IPA Baby
Beer Secondary - Bubbies Belgian Tripel
Bottled - Imperial Coconut Stout - Rotten Red Ale - Bubbies Belgian Tripel - Spiced Scottish Ale - Ovaltine Stout - English Mild - Silly Scotty Ale - A Dirty Dubbell


Mead Primary - Nuttin
Bottled - Strawberry Trainwreck - Orange Spice - Blueberry Trainwreck

2013 Gallons Brewed 75