Cleaning Bottles

[WolfpackCountry]

Just about ready to bottle my first batch. So I was hoping for some tips on the best and most efficient way to make sure my bottles are sanitized!

 

[Kraghed]

Assuming my bottles have already been cleaned and I am just sanitizing, I give mine a quick bath in Iodophor and let them drip dry on a tree about an hour before starting to bottle.

Iodophor and Starsan are no-rinse and have wokred well for me.

 

[mikebowman]

i typically take the labels off and run them through the dishwasher on the highest heat setting with no soap. the heat kills all the bad stuff. make sure not to use soap, because soap can get in the bottles and not rinse out properly

 

[Malticulous]

I rinse mine in water and then in iodopher two at a time (one in each hand.) I have 54 bottles ready by the time the priming solution is ready.

 

[krebs119]

First, since I reuse commercial brew's bottles, when I'm done pouring a Sierra Nev/Sam Adams/whatever, I use one of these guys to spray everything out:
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=2343

If I'm concerned with labeling, I might run might through the dishwasher to take care of the sierra nevada/sam adams/etc labels on the bottles.

If I run it through the dishwasher, I'll spray it again with the sprayer to clean out any soap/jetdry/label particles it might have picked up.

Then I soak them in Starsan, and leave them filled right up until when I put beer in them. I also have the caps soaking in starsan in a bowl until I cap them. I'll usually fill my bottling bucket with star san water, then empty it into each bottle, with at least a few going through the bottling wand - this cleans my bucket, wand, hose, and bottle all at the same time.

I know some people say the soap in the dishwasher might leave a taste behind but I've never tasted it. Maybe I have a really good dishwasher or a bad palette, I dunno....

I know some of this probably takes longer than how others do it, but after spending 3 hours brewing, 3+ weeks waiting, and the $30+ I spent on the kit, I'd rather KNOW everything is clean and sanitized.

 

[bovineblitz]

The vinator is fantastic, I use that to sanitize than hang them on a bottling tree until I'm ready to bottle.

 

[buffalobrewer]

I just put some starsan in a vinator bottle rinser and give it a couple squirts. Hang on a tree to drain while i'm filling others. Kind of a fill one sanitize one after I get about 10 ahead on the sanitizing.

 

[ultravista]

ok - call me weird ... I use the Jet Carboy & Bottle Washer in the shower. I added a bypass to the shower head and a hose to use this sucker in the shower / tub.

My kitchen sink has a faucet (tall arching type) that doesn't have threads. So the shower is the next best thing. The shower hose is 1/2 and an adaptor (1/2 to hose) works great. It's another excuse to drink a home brew in the shower too.

One of these days I'll post a video

 

[ajf]

One of these days I'll post a video

Please don't.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

1) ALWAYS rinse bottles w/ hot water right after pouring...no funky bottles

2) Bottle brush and a soak in generic oxiclean gets em clean and removes labels (some labels need a but more scrubbing w/ a stiffer brush

3) Run em thru dishwasher with no soap AND NO JET DRY!!!! w/ high temp wash and dry on

Haven't had an infected bottle yet (knocking on wood as I type

 

[BrewMoreBeers]

You can also put clean bottles in the oven to sanitize.

 

[jfr1111]

Oven method works really well if you plan in advance.

 

[ultravista]

oven?

 

[HItransplant]

i typically take the labels off and run them through the dishwasher on the highest heat setting with no soap. the heat kills all the bad stuff. make sure not to use soap, because soap can get in the bottles and not rinse out properly

agree.. labels off with a baking soda bath, then run through a hot rinse cycle in the dishwasher.

make sure you get the labels first though... they might clog your washer.

 

[HItransplant]

oven?

 

[jfr1111]

Yes, oven. 335F for 60 minutes. Put bottles in cool, don't open the oven until the bottles have had times to cool down. Sterilizes instead of only sanitizing.

 

[specialkaye]

It's another excuse to drink a home brew in the shower too.

One of these days I'll post a video

I didn't know we needed an "excuse" to drink in the shower?
And, only post the video if SWMBO is in it. You can hold the camera, or whatever, if you know what I mean. But, keep it off camera.

Yes, oven. 335F for 60 minutes. Put bottles in cool, don't open the oven until the bottles have had times to cool down. Sterilizes instead of only sanitizing.

Used to do this with glass marbles to make shot for my slingshot. Only, I'd dump cool water on them when they came out. They "shatter" but hold together very nicely. But, when they hit something, they come apart like a shotgun shell. Very effective.

 

[BrewMoreBeers]

Yes, oven. 335F for 60 minutes. Put bottles in cool, don't open the oven until the bottles have had times to cool down. Sterilizes instead of only sanitizing.

This is easy.... I put mine in the oven the night before I bottle, set the timer and go to bed. The niext morning everything it ready and waiting for me. It is as easy as that.

 

[stjackson]

I make sure I rinse them out really well whenever I drink one. If I'm using commercial bottles with labels, I'll soak them in water/ammonia (usually overnight) and the next day the labels fall right off. I'll give them another good rinse in hot water, then put them in the dishwasher. I'll run a cycle (I have a water-saver cycle I use since I'm only really concerned with the steam and heated dry) without soap and then bottle right out of the dishwasher. I can keep all the mess contained to the inside of my dishwasher that way. Keeps clean-up to a minimum.