nOOb bottling questions

hi all,

we are just about ready to bottle first batch and i have a couple of dumb noob questions on bottle sanitation: this is described differently everywhere i read it. i have clean bottles ready to go, do i need to soak in sanitation solution then rinse (if using bleach)? or can i simply run the bottles through dishwasher (w/o detergent)? i've seen people use those screw-on bottle washers, but elsewhere i've seen that tap water is risky for rinsing bottles before bottling (although my beer was topped up with tap water - ours is pretty good).

i have a bottling wand thing and that, and the tube and bucket, will all get the bleach + rinse treatment. what to do with bottle caps? put them in the same weak bleach solution and thorough rinse.

tia, chris.

If your sanitation solution is properly mixed (not too weak, not too strong), you shouldn't have to rinse the bottles out before filling with beer. It'll actually say this on the bottle a lot of the time (No Rinse Sanitizer).

I let the caps sit in a bowl of the No Rinse Sanitizer until I bottle each beer.

If you're using a BLEACH solution, there may be an issue with having to rinse to remove the taste & smell... I'm not sure. You may want to do the bleach to *clean* and then rinse, then use the dish washer to sanitize...?

Definitely sanitize the bottles and caps along with the other equipment. Your dishwasher probably won't sanitize, and probably won't get to all the corners of your bottles if it does. Make sure you rinse VERY WELL when using bleach. Better yet, get a no-rinse sanitizer.

One thing to remember though, you now have beer and not wort, so the alcohol content should be enough to ward off most nasties. Don't over-do your sanitation, but don't skip it altogether. RDWHAHB.

Yeah, I would sanitize and rinse for sure. You can run them through the dishwasher if there is a heat cycle. However, then your bottles would likely be too hot to handle, and by the time they cooled, they would be at a risk for infection again.

Step a) sanitize with bleach
step b) rinse VERY thoroghly
step c) soak caps in bleach
step d) soak caps in water
step e) buy starsan

Thanks for the quick feedback. Looks like I just need to stop messing around with bleach and get some starsan or something. Is Iodophor the same kind of thing? I think my LHBS has some of that...

cd2448 said:

Thanks for the quick feedback. Looks like I just need to stop messing around with bleach and get some starsan or something. Is Iodophor the same kind of thing? I think my LHBS has some of that...

Click to expand...

Good idea. Iodophor is the same thing. Happy bottling

PS - just to answer one of the your other questions dont worry about rinsing your bottles with tap water. I have heard it aid before this can lead to infection - but thats hogwash. I like to torture myself and use a sanitizer on my bottles that i have to rinse - I double rinse in tap water and havent had in infection in over 350 bottles.

No need to run the dishwasher until you are finished bottling. I fill one side of the kitchen sink with Iodophor solution, dip the bottles in that for a minute or so, drain them, then place the bottles upside down on the dishwasher rack. I place my bottling bucket above the dishwasher, pull up a chair and use the dishwasher door as my work bench. Place some newspaper on the floor to catch any spillage. When you are done just close the door and turn the dishwasher on to clean up your mess.
I sanitize the caps in a little bowl of Iodophor then drain right before capping.
AP

APendejo said:

No need to run the dishwasher until you are finished bottling. I fill one side of the kitchen sink with Iodophor solution, dip the bottles in that for a minute or so, drain them, then place the bottles upside down on the dishwasher rack. I place my bottling bucket above the dishwasher, pull up a chair and use the dishwasher door as my work bench. Place some newspaper on the floor to catch any spillage. When you are done just close the door and turn the dishwasher on to clean up your mess.
I sanitize the caps in a little bowl of Iodophor then drain right before capping.
AP

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Very similar to what I do, except I use a bottle tree and a vinator. (http://www.thegrape.net/browse.cfm/4,9206.htm)

These sanitizers - is it really only a HBS that's going to stock them? I looked in our local pharmacy (CVS) this morning and they didn't have it - but if I could save 1hr+ on a run to the LHBS I'd be pretty pleased...

Yes, I would think that only LHBS would carry no-rinse sanitizers. But a drug store would carry iodine. I think Idophor is iodine but you'd have to do some research on that to make sure it's not different.

cd2448 said:

Thanks for the quick feedback. Looks like I just need to stop messing around with bleach and get some starsan or something. Is Iodophor the same kind of thing? I think my LHBS has some of that...

Click to expand...

I’m old school. Here’s my process, assuming the bottles have been cleaned of junk:

Always rinse bottles vigorously under hot tap water,
Fill shop (or kitchen) sink 2/3 full with hot water and ¼ cup of bleach.
Submerge bottles and let soak for ten minutes.
Remove bottles 1 or 2 at a time and shake out water and rinse thoroughly 2-3 times each under warm tap water.
Place bottles upside down in a carton or other container with paper towels in the bottom.
Allow to dry and store in closed container, upside down until ready to fill. (This can be up to several months for me.)

I’ve never had a problem with using a mild bleach solution for sanitizing. And it kinda goes against my nature not to rinse something.

@BierMuncher

when you are ready to bottle, do you sanitize again?

i don't have time to go to the (not so local) HBS today so i'm going to use the mild bleach + heavy rinse approach. will pick up or order some no-rinse stuff next time i put an order in to the HBS.

cd2448 said:

@BierMuncher

when you are ready to bottle, do you sanitize again?

i don't have time to go to the (not so local) HBS today so i'm going to use the mild bleach + heavy rinse approach. will pick up or order some no-rinse stuff next time i put an order in to the HBS.

Click to expand...

Nope. As long as they've been stored upside town to prevent dust from settling inside, and as long as your stored them on a clean paper towel...you're fine.

My bottling procedures.

1) Clean the bottles days or weeks before bottling.
2) Sanitizes bottles and caps in the dishwasher on a long rinse setting (no soap), using heat dry. The heat and steam from the dishwasher will sanitize the bottles.
3) Boil 2 cups water and priming sugar.
4) Use bleach solution (1tsp per gallon) to sanitize bottling bucket, racking cane, tubing and bottling wand.
5) Pour boiled priming sugar into bottling bucket and rack beer on top of it so that it is properly mixed.
6) Move bottling bucket on to counter right above the dishwasher.
7) Open dishwasher and place bottles right on the open door for bottling. Any spillover stays in the door so there is no mess to clean up.
8) Fill the bottles that are on the door. I don't cap any of them until all of the bottles on the door are filled.
9) Cap the bottles and wipe them off with a wet cloth.
Repeat steps 7-9 with the remaining bottles that didn't fit on the dishwasher door the first time.

The only time I had any problems with this method is when I skipped step 1. The dishwasher does not CLEAN the bottles, but the heat and steam will kill any bugs that might harm your beer.

CP - yea dnt worry dude just make sure your bottles are nice and clean - use the bleach solution and make sure to rinse the bottles good. They will be as good as new - if not better

bottling completed - not as arduous a process as i'd imagined. sadly the beer, my first ever attempt, has the cardboard taste because of me leaving the lid on during the boil - honestly i had no idea you weren't supposed to do that! that and possibly over-aeration during the move to secondary.

but minor issues - i made some beer. and the next batch (already underway) will be better. and the next etc. etc. and then the switch to AG. the sky is indeed the limit

:rockin:

Have any of you used plastic water bottles before, like Dasani? I know plastic is O2 permeable after some time, but for transporting and party type situations where you are filling from a keg prior to leaving for the party, do/would you guys use plastic?

I think it would be fine for moving from a keg to a party, as long as the beer wasn't in the plastic for more than a couple of hours.

The new Mr. Beer type kits they sell all have plastic bottles now (not that that means anything). Maybe the Coors plastic bottles have a special liner or something. I really think these would be handy for mailing "yeast samples" to my friends. I need to do an experiment it sounds like and see if plastic can stand up to the task.

Don't use a sanitizer on your caps if they have those special o-rings that inhibit oxygen from getting in. The sanitizer damages the rings. If you buy them in a sealed bag then they will be clean enough to use.