Vinator

Do you have to have the bottle tree to be able to use the Vinator? I see in the description that it fits on top of the bottle tree and from the looks of the picture it doesn't look like it would stand up straight without it.

Breck09 said:

Do you have to have the bottle tree to be able to use the Vinator? I see in the description that it fits on top of the bottle tree and from the looks of the picture it doesn't look like it would stand up straight without it.

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no it works just fine setting on the table

You can mount it on top of the bottle tree if you remove the handle, but it also works as a free standing unit. If you use it as a free standing unit, you just remove the adapter, and it stands on it's own three legs.

-a.

Use idophor over san star. The foam can get a bit unruley after a case of bottles.

I use the vinator by itself, in the bottom of the sink. I regard it as one of those "indispensable gadgets," because it's so quick and thorough at getting the sanitizer in the bottles. I have no problem using it with Star San. It hoses that foam up in the bottles like it was designed to do it.

How much star san bubbles left behind when you bottle is OK?

I don't fear the foam.

Is there a consensus on how many pumps it takes to sufficiently sanitize each bottle? And I noticed that after a while the Iodophor solution I use starts to get cloudy and looks like particles are floating around in it. Can anyone tell me what's going on there?

bmurph said:

Is there a consensus on how many pumps it takes to sufficiently sanitize each bottle? And I noticed that after a while the Iodophor solution I use starts to get cloudy and looks like particles are floating around in it. Can anyone tell me what's going on there?

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Can't answer the iodophor question, because I use Star San. I use two pumps per bottle. As long as the entire inside of the bottle gets wet, which the vinator does to perfection, and I'm good to go. Star San is basically a contact sanitizer.

Bubba_Mustafa said:

Use idophor over san star. The foam can get a bit unruley after a case of bottles.

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Do what now?

nanofreak said:

How much star san bubbles left behind when you bottle is OK?

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about 42 and a half thousand is the threshold for imparting flavor. No really, don't fear the foam.

rico567 said:

I don't fear the foam.

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Awwww yeah..... I've never noticed any flavors from leaving a $hit ton of foam behind. Iodine, however, was something I'd detected in a few beers before I switched to star san, in fact it was after one batch in particular that I switched to star san for just that reason.

NordeastBrewer77 said:

Awwww yeah..... I've never noticed any flavors from leaving a $hit ton of foam behind. Iodine, however, was something I'd detected in a few beers before I switched to star san, in fact it was after one batch in particular that I switched to star san for just that reason.

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Oh wow, I thought the iodine sanatizers were essentailly flavor free? I just rinsed my first batch of bottles in the sink and shook out the last drop or two before bottling. Hope I don't get a taste of iodine!!

cbehr said:

Oh wow, I thought the iodine sanatizers were essentailly flavor free? I just rinsed my first batch of bottles in the sink and shook out the last drop or two before bottling. Hope I don't get a taste of iodine!!

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Nah, you should be fine. Mine was due to not paying attention to how much Iodophor was left behind. So I switched to Star San cuz it doesn't matter if there's a little bit left, as it won't affect the flavor at those levels.

Star San and Vinator FTW!
I like to see how tall a Star San bubble tower I can make when sanitizing my bottles.
I do anywhere from 3-5 shots in each bottle according to how I feel.
You can also put your bottle caps in there and let them soak till you get ready to cap.

while i use star san for carboys and buckets, i always use iodophore for the vinator, simply because of all the foaming.

I absolutely LOVE my Vinator, with a single quibble. I think the spring is a tad long. It doesn't seat well into the 'cup' in the base when I screw it together. So, it sometimes slips to the side, even after screwed together. Since it's done this a few times, the spring now has a 'bow' to it, which makes it even harder to keep seated.

If this is how they normally work, and what happens to them over time (which, I think I've only bottled maybe 250 bottles with this thing) I'm fine with it. It is totally worth it knowing how well the thing works.

As for the foam, I do 2 full pumps, and then drain, and then a partial pump with a slower stroke and then tip the bottle sidewase, it seems to drain most of the bottles out that way.

I use two pumps, drain, then I dip the tip in to make sure the outside tip of the bottle is sanitized. I don't use a tree or anything, either. I've started sanitizing on the fly as I'm bottle (maybe 3 or 4 behind, so they sit for a bit). Works well.

I failed to mention that I like to get a little Star San foam tower started so I can swirl the bottle top around in the foam to sanitize it then I put it on the pump and give it a few squirts then to the tree.

I have used my Vinator since my second batch. I would not think of bottling now without one.

I use Starsan and the foam is no big problem. In fact the little that comes out of the bottle acts as a warning that the bottle is almost full!

I've never used Iodophor but do not really feel the need. I do not like the idea of staining everything iodine brown.

I use it without a tree. I put bottles upside down in a dishwasher (idle ran, or just ran) sprayed with Starsan to get the foam out of the bottles

I have never had an over foaming condition using Starsan in the Vinator. Love the combo as a matter of fact. I do use both the Vinator and a bottle tree but use them as seperate pieces just because Ilike it that way. I usaully do about two pumps after getting it primed.