Flip top bottling question

[Wild Duk]

I was at the recycle center last sat. and happened across someone throwing out about 120 flip top bottles...All sizes ranging from 12 to 20 oz. I of coarse took them and am thinking about trying to bottle a few batches....Since my start of brewing I have always kegged......

Can I clean and sanitize these bottles, then just store with the top closed until I'm ready to bottle, pop them open and fill. Do they have to be sanitized just prior to bottling?

 

[staffVAJoe]

The first thing I would do is buy replacement gaskets (I think a pack of 100 is almost two dollars).

I store mine open and clean then just rinse in the sink and shoot some star-san in prior to bottling.

My concerns with keeping them closed are:
1: if they are still damp then mold could form inside the bottle
2: stored with cleaner creates a slimy gasket due to condensation in the bottle


Congrats on the find, I am jealous!

 

[bashe]

First I take the flip top assembly off the bottles. Then clean the bottles and store them upside down in a box. I clean the tops and keep them in a two gallon plastic bucket. When I bottle I soak everything in star-san, put the tops back on and bottle.

 

[Revvy]

I would never "store" sanitzed bottles....the two sanitzers we use, starsan and iodophor, are no rinse wet contact meaning that if the sanitizer dries it loses it's efficacy as a sanitzer...and honestly santizing 2 cases of takes about 10 minutes with a vinator....

Factoring that into my bottling regimen, it still takes less than an hour to bottle a batch of beer, since I have tailored my process to work for me, there are many tips from myself and here;

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/revvys-tips-bottler-first-time-otherwise-94812/

 

[alpo]

+1 to everything on this thread. Store them open, but covered so you don't get dust in there. Then just sanitize as usual, preferably with a Vinator, before bottling. Definitely replace all the gaskets. They are cheap and it won't take that long.

Personally, I don't remove the cap mechanism and I've never had a problem. When I am sanitizing, after the bottle is drained, I dunk the whole mouth of the bottle, along with the cap and wire, into the Vinator reservoir.

 

[Jmac00]

The first thing I would do is buy replacement gaskets (I think a pack of 100 is almost two dollars).

I'd sure love to know where you can get 100 of these gaskets for THAT price..?????

 

[homebrewer_99]

I'd sure love to know where you can get 100 of these gaskets for THAT price..?????

No where around this neck of the woods either...

Maybe he can send us some???

Congrats on the find.

 

[Boodlemania]

I bought ~60 for $6 or so in Knoxville, TN, IIRC. Wasn't much at all.

 

[Hammy71]

I do what Revy does....+1 for the vinator....one of the cheapest, most valuable tools I've bought for bottling...