Best practices for washing bottles... how do you do it?

I've been washing them in the dishwasher without soap and with heated dry. My buddy said that should get hot enough to sanitize them if I bottle right after they come out. Guess it's too early to tell if that's true or not, I've only bottled twice but I haven't detected problems yet. I may get a bottle washer but then the outside of the bottle isn't clean, does that mean I have to scrub the outside as well? And then rinse with a star-san solution after cleaning? Sounds like a lot more work... what's your method?

I just rinse my bottles immediately after use and store them. When I have 4 or five cases worth of these I make a batch of PBW or one-step and soak them. Rinse, let dry and cover top with small piece of foil. When I need to bottle, I bake them at 350F for an hour. This actually sterilizes them instead of just sanitizing. The only draw back to this is that you need to warm up and cool down the bottles slowly. If you go too fast in either direction you risk cracking the glass becasue the bottles aren't tempered like pyrex. Takes me about 30 min to get them up to temp and then to cool I just shut off the oven and leave them there for at least 6 hours.

i rinse each bottle after i pour out a beer, i mean right after, not later that night so there is no chance of any yeast drying out inside. after the bottle dries i store it in my bottle closet and at bottling time i give it a shot of star san with my vinator and i bottle, never had a problem. every so often i fill my oven with bottles in the morning and bake them at 350F for a couple of hrs (overkill) and let them cool all day. when i get home from work that night i bottle into the now sterilized bottles. i don't worry about the outside of the bottles but they are never really very dirty anyway.

I bottle all beer as I have no kegs. I like bottles anyway.
I buy bottle full of beer from craft brewers here in Michigan... lots to chose from, these I soak in oxyclean over night once I have 24 of them. That releases the label and I use a scrubby to clean them outside. I use a bottle brush to clean the inside. I rinse in hot water, twice. Store in clean environment (like my brew room). Just prior to use I will wash in very hot water and a little oxyclen with scrubby and brush and rinse in very hot water twice. To bottle I soak in starsan for 5 minutes then rinse in boiling water (yes I know not necessary but it makes me feel better) for 5 minutes and I mean the water is boiling and I time the 5 minutes. Use tongs and rubber gloves, fill and cap while bottle is hot. Work very well... for me. It seems a little overboard but it is my beer and I take no chances with my brew!!!

15 batches now using same approach and I think it is as efficient as I can get it. I do the following: pour the last little bit out after serving, fill to about 2 inches with hot water from the tap and swirl briskly, repeat three times. As the bottle sits, the remaining water runs down, so I pour out every so often. They are usually totally dry after a few days. On bottling day, I load the dish-machine, and as I do that, look into each bottle to ensure no growth or bugs. I have never come across growth, but have found a bug or two in the 800 bottles or so I've processed so far. My machine thankfully has a "sanitize" cycle. I bottle when the bottles are cool. I have my bottling bucket right next to the dish-machine and fill as I pull them out. No chemicals, no power rinsing of individual bottles. If anyone has a tip to streamline my process further, would love to hear it.

I rinse bottles the same day I drank the beer. Some time in the future, when I have enough bottles collected, I soak in hot water and oxiclearn for a short period of time, then rinse. On bottling day I run bottles face down through the dishwasher (no dishwasher soap) . The steam sanitizes the already clean bottles.

I just give them a good wash in hot water and soap. Prop them upside down in my dishwasher and let them dry competly. When I brew-up a batch that I want to bottle (I keg way more than I bottle). I get a spray bottle of Stanstar and give each bottle a real good blast. Let Stanstar soak for at least one min and fillem' up.

one thing you all might want to consider is storing your bottles upside down. then NOTHING can get in them. when it is time to bottle quick shot of StarSan. i have tried dishwasher, left food particles inside bottle;

brand new bottles i will soak about a dozen or so in a bucket with oxyclean and HOT water. labels fall off after about an hour or two. rinse and store upside down on clean bottling tree. once dry put them back in the 12pack holder upside down. also use file folder boxes to store bottles. Cheap, stackable and they hold about 30 bottles.

Keep them upside down.

I used to just rinse them with water and then in iodophor. I never had a problem at home. Now I rinse, brush, rinse and then iodophor.

The reason I changed it was because I sent some beer in a comp a state over from here and got excellent scores with no off flavors and brilliant clarity. I had to send examples of the same beers across the country and got negative comments about clarity and some clove phenol. Shipping unfiltered unpasteurized beer has been a problem since the beginning of bottled beer. I just blame my bottles for lack of a better thing to change.

smata67 said:

15 batches now using same approach and I think it is as efficient as I can get it. I do the following: pour the last little bit out after serving, fill to about 2 inches with hot water from the tap and swirl briskly, repeat three times. As the bottle sits, the remaining water runs down, so I pour out every so often. They are usually totally dry after a few days. On bottling day, I load the dish-machine, and as I do that, look into each bottle to ensure no growth or bugs. I have never come across growth, but have found a bug or two in the 800 bottles or so I've processed so far. My machine thankfully has a "sanitize" cycle. I bottle when the bottles are cool. I have my bottling bucket right next to the dish-machine and fill as I pull them out. No chemicals, no power rinsing of individual bottles. If anyone has a tip to streamline my process further, would love to hear it.

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When bottling, I do the exact same thing, only right before filling, I give them a little swirl of Star San (I would us a vinator if I had one). Done close to 10 five gallon batches this way, and have not had a problem yet.

For new bottles that I personally empty.. rinse with hot water uintil I am sure everything is out then store upside down until bottling day then starsan with a vinator and fill... old bottles from unknown sources...soak in oxyclean ....scrub with a brush and rinse...visibly inspect to make sure EVERYTHING is out. if clean rinse again and set to drain then store...if I see ANYTHING even a tenny tiny speck I bottle brush again and repeat until they are spotless.. if I have one that is way difficult I toss it.

I guess my question is: is rinsing right after drinking then running them through a dishwasher cycle enough to sanitize them? If not I shall buy a vinator and rinse with star-san, I just don't know if that's a necessity.

jpar345 said:

I guess my question is: is rinsing right after drinking then running them through a dishwasher cycle enough to sanitize them? If not I shall buy a vinator and rinse with star-san, I just don't know if that's a necessity.

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it is a TINY investment for peace of mind. yes I would buy one.

I collect bottles from different sources, but my process is the same for all. I have a big tub filled with Oxiclean solution. I rinse the bottles and put them in the tub to soak. Depending on how many bottles I have/need, they may be in the tub for a day or a couple of weeks. It's my "wet" storage. Once I have some time, I'll put the bottles in the sink, and remove the labels. I save the labels for new beers I've tried, and put the labels in a photo album. I scrub the bottles with a scotchbrite pad, and rinse them twice with hot water. Bottles with residue go to the recycle bin. I put the bottles on a drying rack over night, then they are stored upside down inside case boxes/six pack holders. On bottling day, I wet them with water, check again for residue, and if all is OK, I use the vinator/starsan solution, then fill them up.

At just 4 extract batches in, I'm as noob as they come. I haven't detected a problem due to bottling, but after reading some of the things some of you do, I'm now wondering if I should be doing more. Maybe you guys can critique?

First off, I use recycled 22oz bombers. I try to dump all remaining beer out immediatly after drinking, but that doesnt always happen, and I sure dont rinse them out immediately. I store them upright on a shelf in the basement till the day before brewday. I submerge them in hot water and One Step overnight to remove labels. Next day, with fresh water and cleanser, I hit each one with a bottle brush, then a good blast of hot water with my bottle jet. They then go back on the shelf upright on a clean towel till the whole lot is finished. Then they get submerged 6 at a time in a vat of Star-San solution for approx 2 minutes. They come out one at a time and are immediately filled. Repeat next six.

Oh, awesome forum!

I rinse three times after drinking the beer. Prior to bottling I, as you do, throw them in the dishwasher and run it without soap. Have never had a problem doing it this way.

I definitely wouldn't trust the dishwasher to clean the inside of the bottles! It might get hot enough to sanitize, but there will still be stuff left in the bottles.

I also double rinse after emptying the bottles. I do a 30 minute soak in CIP concentration of PBW or oxyclean then shake the bottles like crazy as I'm draining them. Rinse them well and use a spray bottle of starsan to spray the inside of the bottle and swirl it around a minute or so before I fill the bottles.

Hernando said:

I rinse three times after drinking the beer. Prior to bottling I, as you do, throw them in the dishwasher and run it without soap. Have never had a problem doing it this way.

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Ditto.

jpar345 said:

I guess my question is: is rinsing right after drinking then running them through a dishwasher cycle enough to sanitize them? If not I shall buy a vinator and rinse with star-san, I just don't know if that's a necessity.

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Does your dishwasher have a "sanitize" option? If so, it heats the water to >160F. I soak mine in oxyclean over night, shake vigorously, rinse with hot water, dry upside down on an old dishwasher rack, then, on bottling day, run through the dishwasher on sanitize cycle with no soap or rinse aids. If I have bottles that are gunked up, I use my bottle brush hooked up to a cordless drill after the oxyclean soak. I have never had a problem with this method, but do what you are comfortable with.

I wash each bottle in a fresh solution of Sodium Hydroxide and then rinse well with boiling water.

Then I put them in the oven and bake at 450 F.

After they cool a bit, I cap and vacuum seal each bottle to prevent anything from getting in.

Then they go in a lead-lined steel vault until bottling day.


**The above scenario is fiction. Any resemblance to a real method of cleaning bottles is strictly insane.

In reality, I usually rinse them after using, or right after getting them fomr the bar or bottle shop.

Then they soak for a couple of hours in hot oxiclean and then a quick acid rinse to remove the alkaline film from my water.

Then a rinse in water and a drip dry in the dishwasher rack (bottle necks go between the horizontal wires, so the mouth doesn't touch anything.)

Then off into some cardboard boxes until they are needed.

When bottling day comes I take them out and a quick rinse under hot water and a few spritzes with StarSan and they drip upside down in the dishwasher until they are filled.

jpar345 said:

I guess my question is: is rinsing right after drinking then running them through a dishwasher cycle enough to sanitize them? If not I shall buy a vinator and rinse with star-san, I just don't know if that's a necessity.

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I do both, but I am anal about sanitizing.

Homercidal said:

I wash each bottle in a fresh solution of Sodium Hydroxide and then rinse well with boiling water.

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I always hit mine with a hot bath of dihydrogen monoxide after I drink :cross:

I soak mine in b-brite and starsan. I have hot water on demand (much slow than hot water tank), so I'm not sure exactly how hot the dishwasher gets and for how long.

The dishwasher has a heating element. The water is not what sanitizes.

Rinse when empty with warm water and sometimes with lightly bleached water after a drinking weekend and rinse well. Run thru a no-chemical or soap dishwasher cycle on bottle day morning. No bottle problems after 50 batches.

Rinse bottle right after pouring the beer in a glass. If the bottle has a label then I soak it in Oxyclean.

Before bottling, I put each bottle in a bucket with Starsan in it. I spray Starsan on my dishwasher rack then place all the bottles on the rack.

Really easy. Over 10 batches now. The only problem I've ever had was a flat beer and that was my own fault for not checking out the gasket carefully.

All this oven baking and bottle boiling seems like overkill to me.

oxiclean here

Diaperload said:

Rinse bottle right after pouring the beer in a glass. If the bottle has a label then I soak it in Oxyclean.

Before bottling, I put each bottle in a bucket with Starsan in it. I spray Starsan on my dishwasher rack then place all the bottles on the rack.

Really easy. Over 10 batches now. The only problem I've ever had was a flat beer and that was my own fault for not checking out the gasket carefully.

All this oven baking and bottle boiling seems like overkill to me.

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+1

Rinse immediately after pouring, store in brown paper bags until needed, visually inspect (if I see anything in the bottle, I set it aside for an oxyclean bath when needed), into bucket of starsan for 5 min, onto dishwasher racks to drip dry until bottling time. I've never had any issues. Use your oven to bake a pizza - you'll be happier for it.

I use a jet bottle washer to get all the nasties out of the bottle. I do it to all of them, even though I rinse most. I then use the dishwasher on the heat cycle to sanitize. No problems so far.

My mash tun (square igloo cooler) doubles as a bottle soaking vessel. All bottles get an overnight soak in hot water and oxyclean. The next day, I shoot the inside of the lot with a jetwasher then store them. The day of or the day before I bottle, I give them all a short rinse in hot water and onestep.

I found that storing them upside down in cardboard boxes and letting them dry out after the oxyclean soak works really well. If, however, you let the oxyclean solution settle and dry on the inside while stored rightside up, you get a nasty white 'film' that is a kind've a p.i.t.a. to get off...

I rinse right after the pour. then soak in OxyClean til the labels come off. Rinse out the Oxyclean and put in plastic box w/lid outside. Bring in the morning of the bottling and soak in StarSan for 4 min or so then stack in dishwasher waiting for the beer.

jiggs_casey said:

My mash tun (square igloo cooler) doubles as a bottle soaking vessel. All bottles get an overnight soak in hot water and oxyclean. The next day, I shoot the inside of the lot with a jetwasher then store them. The day of or the day before I bottle, I give them all a short rinse in hot water and onestep.

I found that storing them upside down in cardboard boxes and letting them dry out after the oxyclean soak works really well. If, however, you let the oxyclean solution settle and dry on the inside while stored rightside up, you get a nasty white 'film' that is a kind've a p.i.t.a. to get off...

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I feel like a ******* for not thinking of using my mashtun for this. I always soak my bottles in oxyclean in my bottling bucket, which is 8 gallons. I have to do several soaks since I can only fit so many bottles in the bucket.

Anyone know how badly oxyclean will react with brass fittings?

Only brewed once so far but I used a 3 stage process:

1) rinse straight after drinking
2) run through dishwasher as soon after drinking that there's space (in dishwasher) using heated dry option then store in a closed box (few bottles at a time as they are used)
3) On bottling day, fill sink with sanitising solution, soak a few for the required time then place upside down in dishwasher to drain.

When all are sanitised I bottle on the dishwasher door (as suggested elsewhere) and this means that the bottles are to hand. Seemed to work for me.

Homercidal said:

I wash each bottle in a fresh solution of Sodium Hydroxide and then rinse well with boiling water.

Then I put them in the oven and bake at 450 F.

After they cool a bit, I cap and vacuum seal each bottle to prevent anything from getting in.

Then they go in a lead-lined steel vault until bottling day.


**The above scenario is fiction. Any resemblance to a real method of cleaning bottles is strictly insane.

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Everybody knows the only real way to sanitize is radiation. 500 milli curies for 15 min does the trick.

jpar345 said:

I guess my question is: is rinsing right after drinking then running them through a dishwasher cycle enough to sanitize them? If not I shall buy a vinator and rinse with star-san, I just don't know if that's a necessity.

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This what I do (rinse + dishwasher). Except I look in each bottle (holding up to light) to make sure nothing is in there. I occasionally get some sludge or a bug in the bottle. I clean those with a bottling brush and dish soap before the dishwasher.

I only use star-san if I didn't run enough bottles through the dishwasher.

1. Pour beer from the bottle
2. Rinse out bottle
3. Add water to said bottle
4. Jet wash the bottle
5. Let the bottle peacefully rest until needed again
6. Rinse and sanitize before refilling once again
7. Repeat process

If the bottles are still label covered into the oxiclean free bath they go for about 24 hours. Remove the labels and adhesive rinse and let them rest peacefully.

Hopefully I can piggy back a question here too. I have the same type of question. I have a newish (2006) dishwasher, with a sanitize feature. Things get piping hot in there. Its a great dishwasher, wasn't cheap thats for sure.

If I put all my bottles in there, is that going to work?

smata67 said:

15 batches now using same approach and I think it is as efficient as I can get it. I do the following: pour the last little bit out after serving, fill to about 2 inches with hot water from the tap and swirl briskly, repeat three times. As the bottle sits, the remaining water runs down, so I pour out every so often. They are usually totally dry after a few days. On bottling day, I load the dish-machine, and as I do that, look into each bottle to ensure no growth or bugs. I have never come across growth, but have found a bug or two in the 800 bottles or so I've processed so far. My machine thankfully has a "sanitize" cycle. I bottle when the bottles are cool. I have my bottling bucket right next to the dish-machine and fill as I pull them out. No chemicals, no power rinsing of individual bottles. If anyone has a tip to streamline my process further, would love to hear it.

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Exactly what I do. If the bottles have labels I soak in oxy clean over night and rinse. Whatever you do, do not use soap in the dish washer it will kill the head of the beer.