Cleaning bottles in the dishwasher?

Is it a bad idea to put bottles in the dishwasher to clean and sanitize them? I feel like it would be an incredibly efficient way to do it, but I'm concerned about breaking, the high temperature, etc. Anyone have experience with this?

I've used the dishwasher for sanitation, but I wouldn't use it for cleaning.

I wouldn't trust that the dishwasher will be able to reach up inside every bottle. Clean 'em as you go is the best.

Never had any issues with breakage.

My dishwasher has a "sanitize" setting, though, and back in my pre-kegging days I would use that. Temp would get really high with that. The dishwasher rack works well as a bottle-tree, as well, especially since it goes through that same "sanitize" cycle.

Trying to remember, though, I *may* have also used an iodophor solution after taking them out (I tend to be a belt-and-suspenders kind of guy).

Sanitize yes, but I make sure that they are clean first.

do it ALL the time. I like to wash once with soap and once without to rinse/sanitize... and i know someone is going to post right away to tell you that using the soap will kill head retention. Which is true if there is any soap or anti-spotting agent left in the bottles. I use cheap soap that leaves spots on everything anyways. Never been a problem. Never a broken bottle, never a single bottle infection.

Cleaning I say no if labels are on them it makes a mess. Also is there is a bunch of junk it may not come out in the dishwasher for sanatizing hell yeah I do all my that way I got a setting on my dishwasher that says sanatize and have had no problem. I have also never had a bottle break.

I wouldn't do it for cleaning. It'd be tough to get water and cleanser inside the tiny opening of each bottle. Some people do it for sanitizing, especially if their dishwasher has a sanitize function. I used it do this with my dishwasher - no sanitize function but just ran it high heat with no cleaner. I didn't have any infections, but I switched to using a vinator with starsan to sanitize and won't go back. Starsan+Vinator+Bottle Tree is faster and I'm more confident in its ability to sanitize.

Dishwasher Pros:
Pretty easy
No equipment to buy

Cons:
Chance that it won't sanitize (temp not high enough and/or time long enough)
Have to wait for the cycle to complete to bottle
Extra cost to run the dishwasher

Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

IMO, cleaning in dishwasher is okay - ONLY if I've rinsed -which I always do. Immediately after consuming, that bottle gets a healthy rinse, and the label comes off.

So, yes, if label free and pre-rinsed, then clean, and sanitize with the extra-hot/sanitize setting.

Best part about it is once the bottle are sanitized you can put your bottling bucket right above the dishwasher, open the washer door and then pull the bottles out and bottle right there. Any spillage drops right on to the door and its easy cleanup!

DaBman said:

Best part about it is once the bottle are sanitized you can put your bottling bucket right above the dishwasher, open the washer door and then pull the bottles out and bottle right there. Any spillage drops right on to the door and its easy cleanup!

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+1 :rockin:

Though I can't decide if the best part of using the dishwasher is the above statement (plus they're all organized and on a rack, ready to go) or the fact that it allows for the easiest, hands-freesiest sanitization of 45+ bottles ever.

Dishwasher rules for sanitizing, no soap. The key is proper bottle maintenance leading up to bottling day.

Once a beer is poured, get it the habit right off the bat to dump any leftover, then add a little water, place hand over top, shake hard to loosen any yeasties off the bottom. Pour out, double rinse with a little water then shake out all water you can. Store until bottling day. Takes less than 10 seconds and you will NEVER have a problem using the dishwasher as a sanitizer, any further cleaning is unnecessary.

It depends where u live on no further cleaning. I rinse and shake the piss out of them and a couple of days prior to bottle day I have stuff growing in my bottles a little hot water.and scrubbing gets them clean granted I do store my bottles in my garage in ga summer

I think that they kill head retention. I have used them to remove labels before, but not to sanitise. I got beers off a colleague recently and both of them had bad head retention, we were trying to work out why, it turns out that he was using the dishwasher to sanitise.
The anti streaking agents kill the head.

I run them through the dishwasher with other dishes. As EoinMag said, it probably does kill head retention, but I don't want to sit with a bottle brush trying to clean out bottles while I'm trying to enjoy a beer on Friday night. It's a worthwhile trade off -- to me.

When I go to bottle a batch, sometimes I run the bottles through the dishwasher on rinse to rinse out dust and anything that might have gotten in them from sitting around. Otherwise I rinse by hand. Then I sanitize with a squirt in the bottle of starsan.

I don't think I would use the dishwasher for sanitation.

I'd rather sit at the bath tub using the bottle brush on 80 bottles than sit and drink 80 bottles of beer over time with bad head retention. I'd be reminded everytime I drank a beer that I should have used the bottle brush....80 times

No "rinse aid", no soap, no "anti streak", just "no rinse" sanitizer in the last rinse cycle, and no loss of head retention.

No problems unless you have a SWMBO.

cheezydemon3 said:

No "rinse aid", no soap, no "anti streak", just "no rinse" sanitizer in the last rinse cycle, and no loss of head retention.

No problems unless you have a SWMBO.

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My dishwasher needs the rinse aid compartment filled every few months....is yours different or do you just not add rinse aid and have streaky dishes so that your beer has a head ? (genuine question by the way).

One advantage to using the dishwasher for ONLY beer bottles (a little hand washing never hurt anyone - I grew up without a dishwasher) - no anti-streak agents in my dishwasher, so no problems.

I've used the dishwasher to sanitize my bottles, but never clean. Don't use detergents, or jet dry when you run them through. I wouldn't worry too much about the heat, if the bottles get recycled and reused, they will probably go through commercial sized washers that are probably much hotter and higher pressure than our home versions can get--I only know this from watching one of those 'how its made' programs on reusing glass bottles.

Usually a few hours before I plan to bottle I hand-wash each bottle as there is no way a dishwasher is going to get the junk out from the bottom of the bottle. While you are hand washing, run your dishwasher through its cycle completely empty. If its sat for a day or two or was used earlier on a load of dishes, you want to get all the soap residue and any possibility of mold out of there. Load up after you hand wash, and when its all done, you have hand-washed, sanitized bottles ready for filling.

I find it interesting that everyone who has used the dishwasher to actually clean bottles says it's fine and no problems.... And all the folks discouraging it admit that they've never done it....

shafferpilot said:

I find it interesting that everyone who has used the dishwasher to actually clean bottles says it's fine and no problems.... And all the folks discouraging it admit that they've never done it....

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So you have no head retention problems? Sorry to ask such a personal question

hahahahahaha. well.... i am over 30.... but MY BEER has excellent head for a perfectly appropriate amount of time!

I use it everytime I bottle, no complaints here.

Not for Initial cleaning. The dishwasher cannot get inside the bottle. Plain and simple. Not for cleaning. Not for sanitizing. Just take the time and do it right..... Or keg.

Agreed, not for visible gunk, but for clean but not sanitized bottles, WHY NOT?