storing sanitized bottles

Is this possible? anyone ever do it, etc.? I ask because I have decided that instead of sanitizing 60+ bottles the day before or the day of that it would be easier to sanitize and store them as I finish them. I wash them out well with hot water then fill them with pre-mixed sanitizer, let it sit for 10 minutes or so then pour it into another empty bottle, let it dry then cover the dry bottle with a tin foil cap and store away in a box. should work huh? if not i'm going to stop starting right now

It should work. What sanitizer are you using? You don't need to let it sit 10 minutes if it's starsan.

Make sure your tin foil is sanitized also.

i use c-brite for my sanitizer. yeah, i wipe the foil down also

Hmm. I like this idea.

Would it be easier to put them in a case after sanitizing them (case with no top) and then saran wrap the case?

^humm, didn't think about that. sounds good but in my house that saran wrap wouldn't last a day between the dogs and the kids!

Bad idea, you should always sanitize fresh.

If not you are playing Russian Roulette with you beer, eventually it will bite you in the butt.

You should sanitize on bottling day (or brew day if you are brewing.) It only takes a few minutes. If you let a no-rinse, wet contact sanitizer like starsan or iodophor, dry your are reducing it's efficacy by half. If it is dry, any micro organisms that touch the surface render it no longer sanitized. If the walls are wet with sanitizer, that organism would be toast. But dry it would still be alive.

It really should take you no more than 10 minutes to sanitize your two cases of beer. Or bottle in an hour. If it takes you longer you need to work on your process, not cut corners with your sanitization regimen.

Here's a lot of bottling tips to make the job easier. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/

You'll find a lot of good info/tips to effective sanitization here; https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/sanitizer-question-54932/ in cluding how you should get rid of your dry powdered "pseudo sanitizers" in favor of the afore mentioned, no-rinse, wet contact sanitizers like starsan and iodophor.

Revvy said:

Bad idea, you should always sanitize fresh.

If not you are playing Russian Roulette with you beer, eventually it will bite you in the butt.

You should sanitize on bottling day (or brew day if you are brewing.) It only takes a few minutes. If you let a no-rinse, wet contact sanitizer like starsan or iodophor, dry your are reducing it's efficacy by half. If it is dry, any micro organisms that touch the surface render it no longer sanitized. If the walls are wet with sanitizer, that organism would be toast. But dry it would still be alive.

It really should take you no more than 10 minutes to sanitize your two cases of beer. Or bottle in an hour. If it takes you longer you need to work on your process, not cut corners with your sanitization regimen.

Here's a lot of bottling tips to make the job easier. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/

You'll find a lot of good info/tips to effective sanitization here; https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/sanitizer-question-54932/ in cluding how you should get rid of your dry powdered "pseudo sanitizers" in favor of the afore mentioned, no-rinse, wet contact sanitizers like starsan and iodophor.

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Revvy, I totally agree, but that quick sanitization step assumes that your bottling gear and bottles are already clean. So, do you just clean all them right after use and store them until the bottling day?

Indyking said:

Revvy, I totally agree, but that quick sanitization step assumes that your bottling gear and bottles are already clean. So, do you just clean all them right after use and store them until the bottling day?

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Yes, usually I store my bottles cleaned and rinsed and stacked in milk cases, all they need on bottling day are to be spritzed with sanitizer from my vinator, filled and capped.

I clean my gear on bottling day as well, though I will usually rinse that stuff quickly as well. It's been sitting in my closet since the last batch, if at anything there is surface dust on it by then.

Revvy said:

Yes, usually I store my bottles cleaned and rinsed and stacked in milk cases, all they need on bottling day are to be spritzed with sanitizer from my vinator, filled and capped.

I clean my gear on bottling day as well, though I will usually rinse that stuff quickly as well. It's been sitting in my closet since the last batch, if at anything there is surface dust on it by then.

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I should start doing that. I rinse my bottles very well right after I finish drinking the beer, let them air dry, and store them in a closed space but before bottling I still clean them with PWB because I can't trust they are ready to be sanitized. That extra cleaning with PWB takes a lot of time, so do you think it is OK to just skip that and just sanitize the pre-rinsed and stored bottles?

First of all, it is hard to follow Revvy - man know's his brewing.

Anyhow, as a new brewer, but someone with small free time to do it, I follow these steps. Maybe others will find that they suit them as well.

From the full bottle to empty back to full - the circle of life, if you will:


1) Drink a brew. Man, that is a fun part.
2) IMMEDIATELY after pour, rinse out - twice. Shake it up good each time.
3) Place in a 12 pack box.
4) When I have 12, I fill both sides of my double sink up ( 6 bottles each side ), or if it is nice outside, I grab a brew and use a 5 gallon bucket ( all 12 fit standing up nicely).
5) TSP - It's cheap, it cleans, and it removes labels like a mad man. I use 1/4 cup for each sink, or 1/3 cup for 5 gallon bucket.
6) HOT water. Soak
7) Take out, wipe, brush with nylon brush or rag, shake some water/tsp inside - then double rinse. Use bottle brush if you need it, but honestly, so far I have not. That first double rinse hen beer as opened leaves me with pretty clean bottles.
8) Fill 12 pack carton up with cleaned, but not sanitized bottles.
9) Store until bottling day.
10) StarSan and water in bottling bucket, then submerge 4 bottles at a time, lift shake and pour. Ignore, or better yet, EMBRACE the foam. ( See, HBT has taught me that! )
11) Bottle.
12) Repeat often. It's what it's all about.


Now, that being said, does anyone see somewhere I might be making a mistake, or could better my process?

Indyking said:

I should start doing that. I rinse my bottles very well right after I finish drinking the beer, let them air dry, and store them in a closed space but before bottling I still clean them with PWB because I can't trust they are ready to be sanitized. That extra cleaning with PWB takes a lot of time, so do you think it is OK to just skip that and just sanitize the pre-rinsed and stored bottles?

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Well when I am drinking them I rinse them out and put them in a big rubber made bin. Then at some point, when they accumulate too much I "process" them, which means either I fill the tub with oxyclean and soak them over night, then rinse them thoroughly, with my jet bottle washer, and put them in storage.

Or rather than oxy soaking them for a period of time, I will spend a night hand washing the bottles with oxyclean, jet bottle washer, and my bottle brush. Then they go into cases.

Either way, they are ready to go on bottling day, just awaiting sanitizer.

I've always had luck rinsing out right after with hot water, storing, and then running them through the dishwasher that has a sanitize setting. Heats up enough to sanitize. Now I keg, and don't miss bottling a bit!

BrewThruYou said:

Would it be easier to put them in a case after sanitizing them (case with no top) and then saran wrap the case?

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thats exactly what I did.

yeah, i'm going to get into that kegging before long. so, when using c-brite, I was told that there is no need to rinse with clean water afterward. true or false?

sensortech said:

I've always had luck rinsing out right after with hot water, storing, and then running them through the dishwasher that has a sanitize setting. Heats up enough to sanitize. Now I keg, and don't miss bottling a bit!

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I'm inclined to keep doing what I do, which is also what Revvy and Hannable 1975 do, i.e. cleaning up with TSP or Oxyclean at some point between rinsing after drinking and sanitizing in bottling day (in my case I use PBW because of my very hard tap water).

You have not have problems so far skipping the cleaning process, but I just don't feel comfortable risking it, although it would save me time and money...

Indyking said:

I'm inclined to keep doing what I do, which is also what Revvy and Hannable 1975 do, i.e. cleaning up with TSP or Oxyclean at some point between rinsing after drinking and sanitizing in bottling day (in my case I use PBW because of my very hard tap water).

You have not have problems so far skipping the cleaning process, but I just don't feel comfortable risking it, although it would save me time and money...

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Man, being in league with Revvy - I feel like I have made it big for some reason..