Sanitize Bottle Caps?

Hey all!

I'm racking my first batch to bottles tonight and I never thought about it, but should I sanitize my bottle caps as well? I always hear to sanitize anything the beer touches but I would have never thought to sanitize the bottle caps till I sat there staring at them and the sanitizing solution.

Thanks!
Lou

Yes. There is nothing you can't (and shouldn't) safely sanitize except your yeast. Probably wouldn't do it with bleach though.

Papazian advocates boiling them for ten minutes or soaking in grain alcohol for ten minutes. I boiled mine.

Regards,
Alan W

I stick the caps in a cereal bowl and pour the sanitizer in and let it sit while I do other things. Quick and easy!

FYI -- I've soaked caps in OneStep and must've left some wet with the solution -- it caused a bunch of the caps to rust. Dunno what the caps were made out of, but since I switched to Iodaphor I haven't had any problems.

I sanitize mine at the same time I'm sanitizing my bottles, in iodaphor. Then sit them on the base of my bottling tree.

I sanitize my bottles in a wallpaper tray or drywall tray. Throw the caps in with the bottles, done.

I place mine in boiling water for a couple minutes. It gets the rubber soft and pliable which makes for a better seal...

I dump mine into a bucket of starsan and just pull them out as I need them.

FSR402 said:

I dump mine into a bucket of starsan and just pull them out as I need them.

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Me too. I love Starsan. :rockin:

homebrewer_99 said:

I place mine in boiling water for a couple minutes. It gets the rubber soft and pliable which makes for a better seal...

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not to argue, but I've read that boiling too long can mess up the seal, and they won't seal correctly.

but I've ready that you should boil too.

so I just sanitize. I <3 Star-san

malkore said:

not to argue, but I've read that boiling too long can mess up the seal, and they won't seal correctly.

but I've ready that you should boil too.

so I just sanitize. I <3 Star-san

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Yes, boiling them too long dissolves the glue holding the seal to the inside of the cap. Most of the time I just boil a pot of water, remove it from the heat and toss in 10 or so for a couple of minutes then cap. Repeat as necessary.

jelsas said:

FYI -- I've soaked caps in OneStep and must've left some wet with the solution -- it caused a bunch of the caps to rust. Dunno what the caps were made out of, but since I switched to Iodaphor I haven't had any problems.

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I hope mine don't do that. I just got done using OneStep for 'em.

for all my batches I've soaked them in sanitizer until I need them, 5ish minutes plus.

Yoop stole my cereal bowl trick!

BrownAle4Me said:

I hope mine don't do that. I just got done using OneStep for 'em.

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I always leave my in the bottom of my sanitizing container (with OneStep in it) while I sanitize bottles, then take them out just as I go to cap. I have never had any rusting, off flavors, problems at all.

I also used to boil, but now just let em sit in StarSan like Yoop. If you get the oxygen-absorbing type of caps, you should not boil them as that will ruin their oxygen-absorbing properties, or so I hear.

I must confess I haven't boiled or sanitized my caps now for years. I stopped when I was using the oxy caps that should not get wet before using. Never had a contaminated bottle so when I switched back to over-runs ($$!) I carried on. I get my caps in sealed bags - not scooped out of a barrel - and I'm careful not to touch them and keep them in a double bag once opened. YMMV.

homebrewer_99 said:

I place mine in boiling water for a couple minutes. It gets the rubber soft and pliable which makes for a better seal...

Click to expand...

same here

I've just boiled mine for about 5 minutes a bit before bottling time. No problems yet. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I put mine in the water when it starts to boil, then bottle the beer. I think it may help the caps seal better.

jelsas said:

FYI -- I've soaked caps in OneStep and must've left some wet with the solution -- it caused a bunch of the caps to rust. Dunno what the caps were made out of, but since I switched to Iodaphor I haven't had any problems.

Click to expand...

Ditto here with the onestep. My leftovers got some rust on them. Must make sure to dry real good next time.