Cleaning bottles and storage

I've cleaned and sanitized then when the bottles dried I put AL foil on the top and baked the bottles @350 F for at least 60 minutes. My question is how long can I store the bottles with the foil in place? Anyone do this??

I've never baked my bottles. I'm not saying it isn't necessary, but I've been using a good number of my bottles for 10 years and have never had an infection (knock on wood). My process is very simple... pull the bottles out of storage - uncovered (no foil) - open - in the garage... dusty as can be... Run them through the dishwasher, sanitize using a bottling tree, then bottle my beer and cap the bottles.

I used to autoclave my bottles - 121C for 20 minutes (~250F). As long as your foil covers the top and the bottles are stored upright, they'll stay sterile forever. That's how microbiologists keep sterile equipment.

Using a bottle tree and vinator with StarSan is much quicker and easier, but baking is about as certain as you can get that your bottles will never be a source of infection.

Okay. Thanks guys!! I kind of felt like I was in overkill mode. I think I will only do this with new used bottles, once cleaned and labels/glue removed I'll relax. I was scrubbing and de labeling using TSP then rinsing then soaking in StarSan then baking.

I soak & de-label in PBW then rinse & onto the bottle tree to dry before storing them in covered 12 pack & case boxes. Otherwise,after I empty them,I rinse'em out in the sink & fill to the shoulder with water & scrub with my bottle brush. rinse & onto bottle tree.
No need for baking autoclaving etc. Sanitized is good enough to get good beer with no nasties,all other things being proper.

Bblock said:

Okay. Thanks guys!! I kind of felt like I was in overkill mode. I think I will only do this with new used bottles, once cleaned and labels/glue removed I'll relax. I was scrubbing and de labeling using TSP then rinsing then soaking in StarSan then baking.

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If you are using StarSan then baking you are just wasting the StarSan. Once it is dry it is no longer effective.

I clean my bottles then store them in the cardboard case boxes in the basement. On bottling day a quick rinse to remove any dust, spritz the inside with Starsan using a Vinator and place them on my dishwasher rack. The excess Starsan drains while I fill each bottle. I place a cap on each then when they are all filled I crimp them.

One infected bottle in 35+ batches. And it was still good!

kh54s10 said:

If you are using StarSan then baking you are just wasting the StarSan. Once it is dry it is no longer effective.

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Exactly. No need to sanitize twice. I rinse the bottles right after drinking, throw them in the basement for months, then dunk them in star san right before bottling and that's all there is to it. My procedure is identical to khs54s10's and I've never had an infection.

It always puzzles me how some people make this huge ordeal out of cleaning bottles. Dishwasher, PBW, scrubbing, soaking, baking, etc. None of it's necessary. I can understand an oxy or PBW soak to de-label, but aside from that it's all overkill and a waste of energy.

I second the notion to just use Starsan right before filling with beer. I soak the bottles when dirty in some oxyclean to remove the labels, dry them on the bottle tree then box them up in card board boxes, both case carriers for beer in the store and the reams of paper cases that paper comes in. I work in an administrative section so I get plenty of those boxes. They seem to work the best for moving full bottles as well!

But yeah shot of star san in the vinerator and its good to go.

I just double check the bottles when dry before I put them away to make sure there is no crud in them. If there is or the labels are hard to get off I just recycle them.

Agreed as well! The big thing I learned is to rinse the bottles carefully after done using them. Shake the water out and put them in storage for later. Then all that's needed his starSan, rinse and fill.

Yup, most important thing is to rinse them out right after pouring beer out of them.

After rinsing, I just put them into 6packs and cases and don't bother doing anything else until right before I bottle - which is when I just give them a 10 minute dunk in Starsan. From the starsan they get put on a bottle tree and are ready to bottle.

No sense covering with foil and baking and going through all of that.

Yes I bake bottles often. It's nice to have a case of bottles ready to use whenever you feel like bottling. I'm also a microbiologist and I am confident they'll stay sterile with foil in top.