Drying bottles - any effect?

Currently, I rinse out my bottles ASAP after using them, then soak each bottle in star san for a few minutes. I shake them dry, let them sit in front of a fan while I prepare other things for bottling (like the beer) and then right before I fill each bottle I shake it out again, usually getting a few more drops out. I think this method works adequatley however I am troubleshooting a specific flavor that seems to be in all of my brews. It seems like "extract twang" but too intense. I have tried different sanitizers and noticed the same taste present in the finished product.
Now, my question: Has anyone out there noticed a difference in taste or head retention after using a bottle tree to dry bottles? I just thought I would check here before I build or buy one.

This is probably not nearly the best way to do it, but what i do is make up 5gallons of the sanitizer and let is sit in my bottleing bucket. when it has sat long enough i use my bottle filler and fill up all the bottles i need for the batch and let those guys sit until about 10 min before i am ready to bottle, then i dump them out rinse with tap water and turn upside down in the cardboard box with the pieces of seperation cardboard in them still and a fresh clean dish towel in the bottom of the box. a few minutes later when i am ready there is still a bit of tap water in there but hey, thats what i used to make the beer in the first place.

Never had the "twang" yet.

Reverend

I use iodine for sanitation, so I just take clean bottles and fill them with iodine solution and just let em sit on the counter while I'm transferring into the bottle bucket, adding sugar, etc. By the time I'm ready to bottle they've had a good 10 min sanitizing period. Then I rinse them out using a bottle washer that screws onto the faucet and fill them with beer. It helps to have an extra hand, b/c then you can fill as you rinse.

Marc.

chillHayze said:

I am troubleshooting a specific flavor that seems to be in all of my brews. It seems like "extract twang" but too intense.

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is there anything common amonst all of your brews, ingredient-wise?

My guess is the fan you use to dry your bottles is dirty. I can't speak for your fan but the two oscillating fans we have are in constant need of cleaning even after just a few weeks for use. I attribute that to all of the particulate in the air and in doubtedly wild yeast and symbiotic bacteria. My theory is that by using the fan you are in a sense innoculating your bottles for the next brew session. The "twang" you speak of might be a lactobacillus bacteria as they're known to make. It's just a theory but try some other method of drying and see if the off-flavour disappears. I no longer bottle that often but I'm sure that some of our colleagues have some great ideas that might be of benefit for you. Good luck and let us know how things turn out for your next batch and whether you were successful at removing the "extract twang"; there might be some useful info. to pass along.

Does Star-San at recommended doses kill yeast? I thought I read on here somewhere that Star-San might not kill all wild yeasts...no?

Star San and Iodophor are both no-rinse sanitizers, aren't they? Yet a couple of you indicate that you rinse the bottle after sanitizing. Seems like that would be a good way to innoculate your bottles with fresh microorganisms that live in your water supply.

From what I understand, the main bad bugs are contact organisms...not waterborne. Afterall, the solution to pollution is dilution...
Iodine is no-rinse if you use very dilute solutions.

KEG YOUR BEER
CHEERS
JJ

i use a bottle tree to dry.. and i rinse them all as soon as we pour the beer out.. no off flavors as of yet.. or at least not that im aware of!

I regularly rinse my 22's as soon as they are empty, then at bottling time sight check for scum, brush if necessary. Then StarSan for 3 minutes and up on the bottle tree. Bottle right on top of whatever StarSan might still be in there, no issues so far......

I agree that the circulating air could be causing an issue....

skol!

Walker-san said:

is there anything common amonst all of your brews, ingredient-wise?

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Nope, I have tried different malt extracts and grains. I think it might be due to my fermentation temp being too high and fluxuating (68-78). I'm going to build a son-of-fermentation chiller to keep the ales at a smooth 68...soon.

Thanks for the input guys!

chillHayze said:

I think it might be due to my fermentation temp being too high and fluxuating (68-78).

Thanks for the input guys!

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My brewlife substantially improved once I started fermenting at a max of 68, preferably 65-ish.........

Skol!

I sanitize basically the same way but, I use the heat cycle in my dishwasher to dry the bottles. Works really well but you need to let them cool down a bit before you put the your elixer in there.