Cleaning (NOT sanitizing) bottles...

Even with PBW or Oxy Clean, my bottle brush sucks. It is sometimes difficult to get in the corners on the bottom. I rinse my old bottles as I use them and in bottling day I poke out ( with a bottle brush using hot water and PBW or similar) and inspect before loading into dishwasher for sanitize cycle.
The problem is I have seen yeast in the bottles showing "brush marks" from the bottle brush. It appears I am not cleaning well before sanitizing.

Is there a better way?

this may not help your current problem, but the BEST thing to do is just give your bottles a quick rinse right after pouring from them.. if you do that then you don't need much "cleaning" before bottling, just a good sanitize..

I have the same issues with some bottles. I'm looking at clean bottle express brush from Austin. Report back when it gets in.

www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?product_id=13099

tojo said:

I have the same issues with some bottles. I'm looking at clean bottle express brush from Austin. Report back when it gets in.

Austin Homebrew Supply

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That link didn't work...try this one:

Austin Homebrew Supply

I have this product as well as the matching Carboy/Corny version. It's pretty slick. On certain bottles, it's a tight squeeze to get it through the neck. I have EZ Cap 16oz bottles that have a smaller opening and it's really tough to get it in and out...same with some Troeg's bombers. On normal bottles, it still doesn't just "slide in" you have to force it in (make sure it's wet first).

I 1000% recommend this thing for cleaning your starter flasks. Sometimes, I would get burnt extract on the bottom of my flask and a krausen ring...this thing is amazing for that.

For cleaning bottles, I'd recommend it for stubborn bottles, but I can't see myself using it to clean every bottle. I can't speak on durability since I've only had it for maybe 10 days. I have a feeling that with all the tight squeezes into bottles that the chamois clothes attached are going to rip off sooner or later.

krenshaw said:

this may not help your current problem, but the BEST thing to do is just give your bottles a quick rinse right after pouring from them.. if you do that then you don't need much "cleaning" before bottling, just a good sanitize..

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I agree with this. I never clean my bottles ever, however as soon as I finish pouring one I put in a little bit of water and swirl then dump to get the yeast and whatnot out. Then I fill the bottle close to half with warm to hot water, cover the mouth and shake it back and forth vigorously and dump. I do this 4 times, a total of 4 rinses not counting the first little yeast dump.

After 4 warm-hot water rinses the bottle goes on the bottle tree. I only then sanitize before bottling. I've never had a single problem doing it this way. If the bottles sit a while before use and get a bit dusty, which is rare since they are in a closed box, I will then give them a rinse before sanitizing.


Rev.

krenshaw said:

this may not help your current problem, but the BEST thing to do is just give your bottles a quick rinse right after pouring from them.. if you do that then you don't need much "cleaning" before bottling, just a good sanitize..

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Preventative medicine is the best route here. I fill my empties about 1/3 with very hot water , put my thumb over them and give them a vigorous shake...I drain them. Repeat with sanitizer. Finally, I fill the bottle complete with hot water, empty, fill 1/3, shake...done. This is directly after pouring it into my glass

May seem tedious but my bottles are crystal clean without any actual cleaners, I just have to sanitize before I fill.

A couple of days before I bottle, I put my bottles in the dishwasher and run them through the cycle. I sanitize the day of brewing. If I have some serious crud to clean out, I have a jet bottle washer with hot water in my washer tub in the basement, and it cleans my bottle. I will also attest to rinsing after you pour.

Only problem I find is that the only bottles I get with all the stuck on yeast and such is the ones I give to friends. Sometimes hard to explain to them to rinse out after pouring.

Maybe I'll just keep more beer for myself. Lol.

A half hour soak in oxyclean will get them very clean. Just rinse well and shake them a few times while draining out the oxyclean from the bottles.

I know exactly what you mean. Dump the 'beer bottle' brush for a 'wine bottle' brush. It'll get into all the corners and get any gunk out -- but it'll be harder to get in and out of the bottles.

Sounds like I'm not alone. Thanks for the advice. I was thinking that they made a carboy cleaner type deal for bottles but I use 16 oz ez caps as well and its hard enough getting a bottle brush up and down 'em.

tojo said:

Only problem I find is that the only bottles I get with all the stuck on yeast and such is the ones I give to friends. Sometimes hard to explain to them to rinse out after pouring.

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this is the only case that i use some oxy to clean, though my friends aren't as good at returning bottles