Do bottles have to be dry?

Making first batch of beer. Im cleaning bottles for my husband to get ready. Do the bottles have to be dry to start bottling

No.

What did you sanitize them with?

After the bottles are cleaned, they must be sanitized. Rinse with starsan, and bottle while still wet.

if you're using star san, keep 'em wet with the solution.
if you're using iodine, make sure they're dry before bottling.

I'm new to this, so new in fact, I haven't bottled yet. Just two weeks into my first batch. Don't take this as gospel, but as long as your bottles were cleaned and sanitized you should be good to go. Good luck.

no but you should shoot some star san or one step into them and just empty them out to sanitize them first. dont worry about being dry after that. bottle away. oh and congrats to you for entering the greatest hobby around. oh and have fun.

No. They HAVE to be sanitary though! So when you drain them don't set the mouth of the bottles on anything that hasn't been sanitized. I use the rack of my dishwasher, but I sanitize the posts of the rack with a paper towel dipped in sani solution. This method has never failed me yet. I have never had a bad batch of bottles brew this way. Also you can buy a drying rack from any supply source. They are in expensive, but my dishwasher works just as good and I already have that! Good luck.
Sinisterbrew

Star san, vinator, and bottle tree (attachement for vinator). This is the best way.

+1 on that one

Also, you may be the perfect spouse. Not sure, lots of other factors to consider, but off to a good start.
mine are only dry when waiting to be filled with starsan.

passedpawn said:

Star san, vinator, and bottle tree (attachement for vinator). This is the best way.

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this, my friend, is a great idea! one of the best investments i've made. cuts down on bottling time a lot.

NordeastBrewer77 said:

if you're using star san, keep 'em wet with the solution.
if you're using iodine, make sure they're dry before bottling.

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Getting close to bottling my first batch and I've got iodophor. Why would you have to wait for it to dry? I didn't do that in my initial sanitizing and I haven't seen any sign of infection. Did I just dodge a bullet?

welcome to the board and enjoy the wait..after bottling the brew it will take three weeks.. min

Fizzycist said:

Getting close to bottling my first batch and I've got iodophor. Why would you have to wait for it to dry? I didn't do that in my initial sanitizing and I haven't seen any sign of infection. Did I just dodge a bullet?

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same here...

When I used iodophor, I never let them dry. I mixed up per the instructions and used it as a no-rinse sanitizer.

Thanks everyone! Can't wait to get started!

I use iodopher as well. Normally I scrub the inside of the bottle with iodopher solution to verify all the nasties have been scrubbed out and then I put them on a drying rack. Very seldom are the bottles completely dry before I bottle. I've never had off flavors or infection due to the bottles.

My wife is another unsung hero of homebrew. She delabels and cleans all my bottles! I didn't even have to ask! Bottle reclaiming imo is the most tedious part of the hobby, so God bless my wife and God bless you good lady!

For Starsan it is best if it is not dry. It is crucial that it is not rinsed off.

sinisterbrew said:

No. They HAVE to be sanitary though! So when you drain them don't set the mouth of the bottles on anything that hasn't been sanitized. I use the rack of my dishwasher, but I sanitize the posts of the rack with a paper towel dipped in sani solution. This method has never failed me yet. I have never had a bad batch of bottles brew this way. Also you can buy a drying rack from any supply source. They are in expensive, but my dishwasher works just as good and I already have that! Good luck.
Sinisterbrew

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I use my dishwasher as a drying rack as well. You should just put starsan in a spray bottle and spray the dishwasher rack with it. It's a lot easier than wiping it down with a towel..

passedpawn said:

Star san, vinator, and bottle tree (attachement for vinator). This is the best way.

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+1 on the vinator! It makes quick work of sanitizing!

I use Starsan also with the tree and Vinator also. To the original question, if your using starsan, it is designed to be used wet but if it drys during the bottling process you'll be fine.
I some times use the dishwasher to hold extra bottles. If the dishwasher is clean(especially if you use the "sanitize" function) I see no reason to spray the rack but it certainly can't hurt. My thoughts are if it's clean and I'm putting bottles that still have Starsan dripping out of them I'm not concerned.
I sanitize all the bottles before I start. If they dry before I fill them I'm not concerned. They were sanitized and placed upside down while wet and it's highly unlikely they will pick something up between the rack and the bottling wand.

kh54s10 said:

For Starsan it is best if it is not dry. It is crucial that it is not rinsed off.

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This always seems counter-intuitive to me. It feels like i'm mixing starsan into my beer.

Assuming they're already clean, I always just sanitize my bottles upside-down in the dishwasher (no soap, heated dry). Works perfectly every time.

Ceetar said:

This always seems counter-intuitive to me. It feels like i'm mixing starsan into my beer.

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kh54 is right,do not rinse starsan off,it's a wet contact sanitizer. What little is left on the bottle breaks down into yeast nutrient. That's why they say don't fear the foam...

Fizzycist said:

Getting close to bottling my first batch and I've got iodophor. Why would you have to wait for it to dry? I didn't do that in my initial sanitizing and I haven't seen any sign of infection. Did I just dodge a bullet?

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roxy35 said:

same here...

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if i remember correctly, and it's been awhile since used iodine as a sanitizer, but i remember something about not getting it into the beer. i think in the small amount we're talking about here it really isn't an issue, but iodine isn't like star san, it's not something you want in your brew in any sizable amount. when i used iodophor, i always let my bottles drip dry on the tree before filling. the theory is the opposite with star san: 'don't fear the foam'

beccabeelime said:

Thanks everyone! Can't wait to get started!

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no prob, enjoy this greatest of all hobbies!