Rinsing agent in dishwasher??

I have always run my bottles (for beer, wine, or mead) through the dishwasher with no soap to sanitize them prior to bottling... but recently SWMBO put some rinsing agent in the dishwasher that's supposed to last like 30 cycles.

Question – can I still run my bottles through the dishwasher, or am I forced to hand-sanitize?

I wouldn't do it. You might be ok, but if you're anything like me, you'll bottle a fresh batch and taste something funky in it and think "hmmm, I wonder if that rinse agent in the dishwarsher is causing my funk". If you're not to choosy about what you drink or don't care how good your beer tastes then I say go for it.

FWIW, I use rinse agent in my dish warsher, and while I don't bottle, I do clean my pint glasses with it and have not residual funk or off flavors from it. Plus it leaves my glasses crisp and clean. Oh, and I still get great head.

I have been using white vinegar in the rinse aid( jet dry) dispenser inside the dishwasher. It's dirt cheap, doesn't leave any residue, and seems to work great.

I sanitized bottles in my DW for years with the rinse agent in there. I never had any problem with head retention. I think this one is myth.