Cosmicbrew
Member
and you don't have a bottle drying tree, GET ONE!!! it saves space and time. Botled 5 gallons today in record time. 
If you are bottling...
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Tall_Yotie
Well-Known Member
Bottle squirter thingymajigger (I think that is the scientific name), letting them drip for a sec, and then upright on the counter works for me, but I can make the space.
My father-in-law loves the drying tree though, and works great for him.
My father-in-law loves the drying tree though, and works great for him.
Brewenstein
Well-Known Member
I too use the dishwasher rack. I don't sanitize it, but I stick the necks of the bottles down between the wires, not over the prongs that stick up. That way nothing unclean gets into the bottles. Then when I grab one to fill, I dunk the neck into my bucket of sanitizer (usually 1-2 gallons) to make sure that the top of the bottle is sanitized. Knock on wood, but no problems in the almost 3 years I have been bottling this way.
This is what I'm doing currently. I spritz with starsan and load them THROUGH the wires in the upper rack to drip.
However, I am still wanting a tree. Because our dishwasher almost always has dishes in it. Even after I tell the kid to empty the dishwasher, she always sticks some dirty dishes back in. Ruins bottling schedule.
smokewater
Well-Known Member
The dishwasher gets sanitized every time it is used from the heat. Its probably cleaner than the average toilet seat which is cleaner than the average kitchen counter or cell phone.
Since you shouldn't let your sanitizer dry, it's not necessary to use it for it' purpose. If you want to store your bottles between uses I guess it's a good think. But I find that milk crate are just as useful.
I use a vinator, and everything drains out just fine after squirting.
But if it works for you great...other folks use their dishwashers, it really is all about coming up with your own system.
I use a vinator, and everything drains out just fine after squirting.
But if it works for you great...other folks use their dishwashers, it really is all about coming up with your own system.
Okay, I've only been brewing for 3 months so I might not be doing it right but.....
I've never dried out a bottle before bottling. I clean them with soapy water if they need it, rinse a few times with hot clean water, and then give them a 2-3 minute dunk in a pail of starsan. Completely submerged. Then I pour them out and stand them right-side up on the table until I have all the bottles ready. When I'm ready to fill I shake out the remaining starsan in the bottom of the bottles for a few seconds and fill. Most of the time they have some foam which gets pushed out as I'm filling, but I've heard 'Don't fear the foam', so I don't worry.
I imagine everyone has their own way of brewing and bottling. But I don't see the point of a bottling rack.
Mike
I've never dried out a bottle before bottling. I clean them with soapy water if they need it, rinse a few times with hot clean water, and then give them a 2-3 minute dunk in a pail of starsan. Completely submerged. Then I pour them out and stand them right-side up on the table until I have all the bottles ready. When I'm ready to fill I shake out the remaining starsan in the bottom of the bottles for a few seconds and fill. Most of the time they have some foam which gets pushed out as I'm filling, but I've heard 'Don't fear the foam', so I don't worry.
I imagine everyone has their own way of brewing and bottling. But I don't see the point of a bottling rack.
Mike
You're fine. Like I said, you really don't want your sanitizer if it's no rinse to dry.
Stauffbier
Well-Known Member
I also use the dishwasher as a holding rack. I sanitize 27 bottles and then fill them while still wet, then I repeat with the rest...
aerod1
Well-Known Member
Nope. I use the dishwasher to sanitize bottles and I never sanitize the dishwasher rack first. I just run it through a regular wash cycle without soap and then sanitize my bottles. It has worked fine and I have yet to infect a beer.
Cosmicbrew
Member
I dont have a dishwasher, so the drying tree with the sanitizer squirt thing is AWESOME in my tiny kitchen.
I'm glad I got my 45 bottle tree & vinator. It has a smaller footprint than the space required for 48-66 bottles on the counter top. Plus it's way faster than a dishwasher. After use,I soak my bottles in a bucket of PBW for a couple hours,rinse,dry on the tree,& store in covered boxes till bottling day. Fill the vinator half way or so with starsan,& pump away.
