Getting my bottles ready

[Andy_Burbank]

I am bottling tonight and wanted to make sure I'm not going to get anything infected.

I ran the bottles under 120 degree water from my faucet, they're soaking now, and plan on running them through the dishwasher soon. Is that enough?

Or should I rotate the bottles in a sink filled with iodophor before putting in the dishwasher? Should I sanitize the caps the same way also?

Additionally - if I do need to rotate the bottles with the iodophor can it be the same water and sanitizer or should I switch the water and iodophor each time? I can probably only do ten at a time and I have 60 bottles.

 

[duboman]

If your dishwasher has a sanitize cycle use that and you're done, if not skip the dishwasher and just sanitize them and drip dry. Yes, sanitize the caps, the bottling bucket, the siphon and tubing as well as the filler.

 

[spokaniac]

Once they are clean (no residue in them) you just need to sanitize. I just fill them with iodophor, let them sit for a minute or two then dump the iodophor back into the bucket. Let the bottles drain a little before filling. Then have a bowl of iodophor, toss a handful of caps in it and let them soak, pull them out and give them a little shake before putting them on the bottle.

 

[jonnyp1980]

When the time comes i am putting my caps in a little cup of sanitizer...then force spray my bottles with sanitizer...i have already beached, washed, then bathed them in sanitizer, peeled all the name brand labels off them..dried them and put them in cases covered the tops with a paper towel to keep the dusties out.

 

[bleme]

You can keep using iodophor as long as it has it's color, about 18-24 hours.

The main concern I have with your process is that it seems to focus on the OUTSIDE of your bottles and I don't see how you are making sure there isn't any crud left over INSIDE your bottles. I would get a tub that could hold all your bottles. I use a 35 gallon trash can. Soak your bottles in an oxyclean solution (1 scoop per 10 gallons hot water) for at least an hour. Some people prefer higher concentration but this gets the job done and is much easier to rinse. There are several oxyclean clones out there for much cheaper and most are fine. Just make sure they use Sodium percorbonate.

Then swirl a bottle brush in there, shake hard and rinse well. I would highly recommend purchase of a jet bottle and carboy washer. I hook mine with a hose directly to my water heater and it combines the brush/shake/rinse steps to make things much faster.

 

[HibsMax]

I rinse out my bottles using a bottle washer and hot water. Then I fill a 5 gallon bucket with Star-San solution and dunk each bottle in it, until the bottle is full. Then I tip the Star-San back into the bucket and put the bottle on my bottle tree to drip dry for a few minutes.

I just found out that my dishwasher has a SaniClean cycle so I will use that, maybe, in the future. The only thing is it takes 2.5 hours so I need to think ahead.

As for bottle caps, I boil them in water for about 10 minutes.

 

[Andy_Burbank]

Once they are clean (no residue in them) you just need to sanitize. I just fill them with iodophor, let them sit for a minute or two then dump the iodophor back into the bucket. Let the bottles drain a little before filling. Then have a bowl of iodophor, toss a handful of caps in it and let them soak, pull them out and give them a little shake before putting them on the bottle.

Will just a few drips of the iodphor in each bottle work along with filling the bottle completely full with water at the same time to get the solution throughout?

 

[ludomonster]

Grab four bottles, hit each with the jet washer, put them in the sanitizer bucket. Repeat until the bucket is full.
Wait a minute.
Take the bottles out and turn them upside down.

You can clean and sanitize all your bottle in less than 20 minutes.

 

[Blackmuse]

Wait! So you are saying they don't have to drip dry completely before I put beer in my bottles? Man... I've been a wasting time!! (I use Iodophor) I don't do anything with my bottle caps... been fine but maybe I'll use iodophor on them too just to be safe.

 

[Logzor]

You can also use 1/4 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup bleach per 5 gallons. Bottles need to be in solution for about 30 seconds. This is a no-rinse solution. As another posted noted, this entire process shouldn't take more than 20 minutes.

Don't mix bleach and vinegar directly.

 

[duboman]

I rinse out my bottles using a bottle washer and hot water. Then I fill a 5 gallon bucket with Star-San solution and dunk each bottle in it, until the bottle is full. Then I tip the Star-San back into the bucket and put the bottle on my bottle tree to drip dry for a few minutes.

I just found out that my dishwasher has a SaniClean cycle so I will use that, maybe, in the future. The only thing is it takes 2.5 hours so I need to think ahead.

As for bottle caps, I boil them in water for about 10 minutes.

I would not recommend boiling the caps as this can deform the inside liner and prevent them from sealing properly, they just need a quick soak in star san

 

[HibsMax]

Wait! So you are saying they don't have to drip dry completely before I put beer in my bottles? Man... I've been a wasting time!! (I use Iodophor) I don't do anything with my bottle caps... been fine but maybe I'll use iodophor on them too just to be safe.

Depends on what you use. I use Star-San. No rinse required.

 

[GaryJohn]

Just dishwasher them. That's what I do...never 1 infected bottle. I fill the bottles straight from the dishwasher.

 

[HibsMax]

I would not recommend boiling the caps as this can deform the inside liner and prevent them from sealing properly, they just need a quick soak in star san

I always wondered about that but (and I didn't check many sources) what I read said to boil them so that's what I did. Thanks for the tip. Star-San from now on - I'll just throw the caps in to the same bucket as I use for my bottles.

 

[amandabab]

bowl of sanitizer of choice, dump in caps, wait, pour out sanitizer, cap.

no need to boil plastic lined caps and it can deform them.
boiling is a hold-over from cork lined caps.

 

[jetsfan4ever80]

I'm just about to bottle my first batch. I've been trying to find the most efficient and effective way to sanitize my bottles after removing the labels with oxyclean. Would filling up a bucket with starsan and dumping the bottles in work? I'm nervous about the same starsan being reused in each bottle, but logic tells me it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[duboman]

I'm just about to bottle my first batch. I've been trying to find the most efficient and effective way to sanitize my bottles after removing the labels with oxyclean. Would filling up a bucket with starsan and dumping the bottles in work? I'm nervous about the same starsan being reused in each bottle, but logic tells me it shouldn't be an issue.

This is how i do it and it works great, just dunk them in, let them sit a minute or two, drain them, and you're good to go.

 

[bleme]

Will just a few drips of the iodphor in each bottle work along with filling the bottle completely full with water at the same time to get the solution throughout?

You definitely don't want to put drops of iodophor in each bottle. The no-rinse concentration for iodophor is 1 ounce per 5 gallons of water. If you can measure accurately, you can use 1/5th ounce per 1 gallon. One gallon can do all your bottles. Just dunk the bottles and drain them. If they are still wet when you start filling them, all the better. Just make sure you start filling the first ones you sanitized, and not the last one first, so you know the solution has been covering the surface for 5 minutes.

 

[Jdm5209]

Vinator + star san + bottle tree.

Spray down bottle tree with star san, dump caps in vinator filled with star san, few pumps for each bottle on the vinator and then on to the sanitized bottle tree. Very easy.

And, yes, I'm pretty sure star san can be reused over and over. Even up to months if you stabilize pH I think (haven't done this myself though).

 

[HibsMax]

bowl of sanitizer of choice, dump in caps, wait, pour out sanitizer, cap.

no need to boil plastic lined caps and it can deform them.
boiling is a hold-over from cork lined caps.

I think I am OK so far because none of my bottles that are carbing right now have leaked, so I assume that means the seals are still good. But I still won't make that mistake again.

 

[drunde77]

This might be a little overkill, but I didnt want to take a chance on infection. I focused on mainly the inside of the bottles when I go through my process. I let them sit in my brewers wash over night. Took them out and then took a bottle brush to them (assuming you have glass, dont use on plastic). I then re-rinsed. I then let them soak again for a few hours. (the second soak probably not needed, but I had a lot of crudy bottles.) After bottle brushing and rinsing again, I filled each one partially with iodophor, shook each one and put on my bottling table. I then took a cool whip container that was clean and filled with caps and iodophor. I then have a separate container that i use to just dip the top of the bottle in iodophor. I take the bottle off the table, dump it into an empty bucket, dip it in my iodophor, fill the bottle, and hand it off to my brewing assistant (who works for only homebrew) and he caps it. It is my understanding that Iodophor takes two minutes to sanitise. That is after touching the surface, it does not have to soak in it. I hope this helps.

 

[kevinb]

I got a tip from my LHBS. After cleaning, put them in your oven and bake them at 350°F. That will kill everyintg. Just make sure you put them in the oven while it is cool before you turn on the heat. after baking them, let them cool slowly. As long as you don't temp shock them they will not crack. Them come out nice and clean and dry. I have used is a few times and it works great. Check out their online instructions. :rockin:
http://www.boomchugalug.com/baking_bottles.htm

 

[Rhuarc]

I have always had good luck running my bottles through the dishwasher on the rinse cycle with no detergent. I make sure they are clean first, but from what I have heard the rinse cycle is hot enough to kill off anything on the bottles.

 

[duboman]

I got a tip from my LHBS. After cleaning, put them in your oven and bake them at 350°F. That will kill everyintg. Just make sure you put them in the oven while it is cool before you turn on the heat. after baking them, let them cool slowly. As long as you don't temp shock them they will not crack. Them come out nice and clean and dry. I have used is a few times and it works great. Check out their online instructions. :rockin:
http://www.boomchugalug.com/baking_bottles.htm

Be careful with this process, while it may work, repeated baking of the bottles can weaken the glass, especially the neck so when you cap or uncap the neck may snap.