I washed bottles with dish soap

[TripleC223]

I have been saving empty bottles for the past couple months and have washed them out with standard dish soap as I've gone. Now I have a nice collection of 50 or so, and I'm a few days away from my first bottling day.

However, I have since learned from these forums that washing bottles with dish soap can lead to poor head retention and, at worst, a soapy taste. What should I do? In a tragic case of poor timing, my dishwasher is currently on the fritz, so I can't just throw everything in there for a hot rinse.

FWIW, As I washed the bottles, I would put a small drop of dish soap in there, fill it halfway with water, shake it and pour out the suds. Then I would run hot water into the bottle until the overflow turned to plain water without suds.

Is that a sufficient "wash," or do I still run the risk of making soapy beer? This is my first brew.

 

[porterpounder]

Visually inspect the bottles for scum. If clear, rinse another time with hot water, taste the rinse water to make sure it isn't soapy. Sanitize and fill. No problem with dish soap as long as there is no residue left over.

 

[tgolanos]

What porterpounder said. Make sure there's no visible scum and if there is, rinse out well. If your really want, fill your sink with hot water and soak the bottles for a bit before giving them a good rinse.

FWIW, I use an organic, no perfume dish soap on some of my bottles and some brewing equipment with no ill effects. If you have a Trader Joes or Aldi nearby you can get it there for fairly cheap.

 

[GHBWNY]

I use dish soap for washing not only bottles, but all my other brewing equipment. It is made to rinse off, otherwise you'd taste soap in your water glasses, plates, silverware, etc.. Just make sure it is well rinsed. After I pour a beer, I immediately triple rinse it in hot water and stand it upside down. No need to ever have to touch soap again.

 

[EDF713]

I've done the same, just rinse them a bunch. I would be more concerned with your plastics.

By the way, if you use a dishwasher, depending on what kind you have, it may not get up into the bottles enough. Also, be very careful if it has a rinse aid reservoir. A lot of folks, me included, have run our bottles through a cycle without detergent to sanitize the bottles, only to find poor head retention because of rinse aid. Even if it looks empty, I don't trust it. Besides, sanitizing with a quick spray of starsan is much easier and faster.

 

[violinguy]

All great advice so far. As long as you rinse the bottles thoroughly after you pour/drink, there should be no gunk in there so you shouldn't have to scrub with soap. For me, I rinse the @#$! out of them after each pour, then soak them in oxy-clean (odorless) for a few hours. Not only does this take the labels right off, but it gives them a good clean. Then, on bottling day, I give them a rinse and then soak in Star-san.

I've read that dish soap is ok as long as you really rinse them well. Scented dish soap can be tough to get all the way out so stay away from that. Soap definitely leads to off-flavor and head issues so take in all of the advice you see here and adjust your routine accordingly. That's what I did and my beer is way better for it.

 

[bucketnative]

After I pour a beer, I immediately triple rinse it in hot water and stand it upside down. No need to ever have to touch soap again.

I have been following this regimen, but I tend to brew mostly saison and wits with a good deal of protein. Lately, I have been noticing a film on the walls of my bottles after about the third go 'round. I suspect this may be adsorbed protein that has built up. Might want to keep an eye out for that. I plan on using some PBW on those that exhibit this film.

 

[BitterSweetBrews]

Washing with dish soap is just fine. Just make sure you rinse them well.

I use to use a 3 container system when washing. A sink with cheap dish soap, a 5 gallon bucket with clean water and another 5 gallon bucket with StarSan. I fully filled and drained the bottles at each step. I cycle through 12-14 at a time. I then put them upside down on a drying rack to drain (a painted wood rack with 3" deck screws to hold the bottles). I now only use the sink and water bucket as I just picked up an Avvinator to squirt StarSan into the bottles before bottling.

After thousands of bottles, I have never had any issues.

 

[NeoBrew]

Nothing gets the soap out better than rinsing it out while inverted. One of these is really the ticket.

 

[TripleC223]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I bought some OxiClean free today and will soak all my bottles in it before sanitizing. With OxiClean, after it soaks (1-2 hours?), what is the procedure for rinsing them? Is that necessary, or can I just go straight to sanitizing?

 

[Timberline]

Personally I ran my bottles through the dishwasher using the "sanitize" setting but the bottles were rinsed immediately after the beer that had been in them was emptied.

 

[EDF713]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I bought some OxiClean free today and will soak all my bottles in it before sanitizing. With OxiClean, after it soaks (1-2 hours?), what is the procedure for rinsing them? Is that necessary, or can I just go straight to sanitizing?

You'll want to make sure they're rinsed well, the oxiclean free cleans great, but doesn't rinse as easily as pbw.

 

[Maylar]

Nothing gets the soap out better than rinsing it out while inverted. One of these is really the ticket.

Bingo. And failing that, one of these http://www.homebrewing.org/Vinator-Bottle-Washer_p_2472.html

 

[TripleC223]

Ok so dumb follow-up: Can I rinse with regular tap water from the sink, and then sterilize?

 

[GHBWNY]

Ok so dumb follow-up: Can I rinse with regular tap water from the sink, and then sterilize?

yes

 

[Kharnynb]

whenever i get a full crate of empty bottles, i just ditch the whole crate into the washtub with some dishsoap, soak, rinse and all the labels are gone and everything is clean(including the plastic crate)....then i just rinse it well before bottling, quick starsan spray and that's all i need.

Never had issues with head retention.