Dirty bottles after use?

[chaselun]

Hi guys,

I've brewed about 6 or 7 batches of beer so I'm getting pretty familiar with homebrewing. However something that kind of bugs me is that after I pour my beer and rinse out my bottle, there is a lot of stuff on the inside of the bottle that's stuck to the walls (looks like tons of little dots) and a ring at the top sometimes.

Is this just yeast and byproducts of the mini fermentation from carbing? Do you guys experience this?

I just bring this up because micro brewers that carb naturally such as Sierra Nevada and Rogue have very clean bottles even after I pour so I wonder if I may be doing something wrong.

It's not a big deal to me but its a pain to have to scrub the hell out of those bottles after every use!

Thanks for the help like always!

 

[Shaneoco1981]

I have never experienced it, but I also take my bottles and as soon as they are dumped out, I put them in a bucket of PBW solution. That might help.

 

[jonmohno]

the ring can mean its from using dme to prime, it can also mean an infection.Ive been using dme,havent expericnced the ring around the top yet. Hope this helps
Also how long are you cold-conditioning them?

 

[Calder]

I have that issue too. I'm trying to figure out what causes it, but there seems to be no consistency. I usually have a gallon of mild bleach solution in a bucket with my hoses, and I just fill the bottles with it and leave for a couple of hours and they come out crystal clear.

NOTE: If you use a bleach solution to get bottles clear, be sure to rinse a couple of times with HOT water to get rid of the chlorine. If you just rinse in cold water or think a dunk in sanitizing solution will do, you will still have a film of bleach in the bottle.

 

[superjunior]

not sure whats causing your issue but get a bottle blaster that connects to your sink and rinse after use. works great

 

[jonmohno]

I dont know if this helps but when i sanitize with one step i funnel it from my botteling bucket into the bottles dump those into a glass baking pan shphon that with my autoshphon into my bucket dump that back to the glass baking dish then before botteling lay the neck of the bottles in just before botteling.Havent had any problems yet. Hope this helps also.

 

[chaselun]

Hmmm thanks for the answers. So it seems like most don't have this problem. I'm wondering if it's because I brew and bottle with the same fermenter? (coopers kit)

Could I possibly be picking up some of the trub and putting it into the bottle? Would that be an issue with having dirty bottles after pouring?

I'm pretty sure an infection isn't an issue because my beer tastes fine even after sitting in the bottles for 4-6 months.

Edit: and I'll try soaking in bleach to see if it cleans the bottles easier, if not ill buy a bottle blaster. Using a bottle brush seems to be a bit inconsistant with cleaning, and time consuming!

 

[Calder]

I don't think it is anything that you are doing wrong. As I said, I have the same problem with some (not all) beers. I don't have a clue what causes it. I rinse my bottles out immediately after pouring, and my beer is always crystal when bottled. I'm finding that about 50% of my bottles have this problem, and I don't have any infections (at least none that I can detect).

Bleach will clear it. When I'm saying a mild bleach solution; that's about 1 tablespoon to a gallon, maybe less. You don't need much.

 

[chaselun]

Yeah I agree that I don't think anything is wrong because the beer tastes fine. I'll just start bleaching the bottles, sounds easier than scrubbing them all.

I'm like you where it happens to about half of my batches I brew.

 

[redm18]

I would suggest that it is probably at least a component of your problem that you don't have a bottling bucket at you are probably getting at least some turb in your beer try making or buying a bottling bucket and see if it helps.

 

[Calder]

I would suggest that it is probably at least a component of your problem that you don't have a bottling bucket at you are probably getting at least some turb in your beer try making or buying a bottling bucket and see if it helps.

95% of my beers go to Secondary, and they are usually clear at that time. I use gelatin on most while in Secondary. Never bottle before 4 weeks, and when bottled, I use a bottling bucket, and they are crystal clear. I'm not getting any trub transferred to the bottle. Many times I can up-end the bottle (slowly while pouring) and get no sediment coming out of the bottle, but I am getting this 'frosting' on the bottles.

Could it be from using gelatin?

I have a Brett (as the primary strain) beer in a glass carboy (been here 5 months), and it is now just about clear, but this same 'frosting' is present in the carboy. I did use gelatin a few months ago on it, but that seemed to start the Brett fermenting again, so I left it alone.

 

[Calder]

OK, now I'm confused. I had 2 bottles of cider earlier this evening. Both from the same batch. Just apple juice and yeast, no added sugar. 5 months in the fermenter, 2 weeks in the bottle. One bottle had this frosting, while the other one didn't. Both were stored in the same place, and placed in the fridge at the same time.

This was cider, not beer, so does not have any hop material, no gelatin, none of the normal break material.

I beginning to suspect some bottles are not as smooth as others on the inside and this is just yeast settling on the surface.

 

[chaselun]

That is very interesting. This seems to be happening a lot for us, but not others. Could it be the water? I have relatively soft water with low chlorine coming out of the faucet.

I don't know if the bottles could be unsmooth on the inside, being glass and all...but what do I know!

 

[NPK]

I gave some bottles I had a LONG soak in oxyclean which gave them a sandpapery feel on the inside and out. I had read on here a soak in vinegar solution would take care of it, and it did. You may try soaking a bottle in vinegar and see what happens.

 

[jar1087]

+1 on the Oxyclean/PBW and then vinegar (or citric acid, or starsan) to remove any residue