Reusing beer bottles/idfu

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powerpunk5000

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Tried reusing some beer bottles, stantized them all with star San. Fill about 24 bottles up go to sanitize my next case and all this gunky stuff starts pouring out. So I instantly was like ****kkk and went back to check the bottles i filled and about half have nasty crusty **** at the bottom:/ so I'm worried and thinking I should just dump them all even the ones that appear to have nothing on the bottom, what do u guys think. Man i really suck at this and its really upsetting I make so many dumb mistakes. I didn't even think about chucking them in the dishwasher then sanitizing them
Ugh I'm so upset with myself
 
Seems like you just sanitized dirty bottles? No worries. I usually have an abundance of bottles so any soiled, nasty one will get recycled, but if you need to clean a bottle with dried crud, I'd recommend PBW or oxiclean free. Use a good scoop with hot water and soak for an hour or more, and the crap will come off. If they're not too soiled, a good rinse should do it. You can also locate all traces of soil by holding the bottle up to a light.

If you mean dump the star san, then yes you should. With the clean ones, that's probably not necessarily. No worries, I've had to waste sanitizer plenty of times, including at work. **** happens. RDWHAHB and carry on.
 
filthyastronaut said:
Seems like you just sanitized dirty bottles? No worries. I usually have an abundance of bottles so any soiled, nasty one will get recycled, but if you need to clean a bottle with dried crud, I'd recommend PBW or oxiclean free. Use a good scoop with hot water and soak for an hour or more, and the crap will come off. If they're not too soiled, a good rinse should do it. You can also locate all traces of soil by holding the bottle up to a light.

If you mean dump the star san, then yes you should. With the clean ones, that's probably not necessarily. No worries, I've had to waste sanitizer plenty of times, including at work. poopy happens. RDWHAHB and carry on.
Click to expand...
No i meant dump the bottles with the crusty stuff. I already filled about 24 bottles. And i didnt notice there was dry crust until i started cleaning the next case. So I'm saying i should dump the beers i filled with the crusty stuff at the bottom. I went through all 24 i filled with a light and about half had stuff at the bottom.
 
powerpunk5000 said:
No i meant dump the bottles with the crusty stuff. I already filled about 24 bottles. And i didnt notice there was dry crust until i started cleaning the next case. So I'm saying i should dump the beers i filled with the crusty stuff at the bottom. I went through all 24 i filled with a light and about half had stuff at the bottom.
Click to expand...

Ah, I see. In that case, I'd save the ones that look clean and dump the dirty ones (although, depending on level of soil some of them might be worth trying). Follow the tips I suggested to avoid this in the future. Starsan isn't a cleaner, and it can't do it's job on soiled surfaces. A cleaner like PBW or oxiclean free is highly recommended for anything that won't go away with a rinse.
 
Did you rinse the bottles with hot water when you emptied them last time? It doesn't sound like you did. If not, I'm not really sure how I'd handle this batch. I may let them ride, I may dump them.

However, moving forward, as soon as you are done pouring or emptying a bottle, thoroughly rinse it with HOT WATER, A FEW TIMES!

When I was bottling, my father in law thought he was being nice and saving me bottles. After I noticed they were not rinsed out, I politely asked if he could rinse them good with hot water. He said sure, but his bottles always had gunk in the bottom. When he would give them to me, I just said thanks and put them in my recycle bin.
 
For starters...RDWHAHB (I know easier said than done)

No home brew? Then have something and relax. Perhaps some Makers Mark if you don't have your favorite beer around.

Secondly...as for the "Man i really suck at this and its really upsetting I make so many dumb mistakes." that s#&t has to go.

There is so much to learn about brewing that you will never know it all so stop beating yourself up.

I don't know your experience level but this is a hobby, you are supposed to have fun/enjoy it and learn along the way to making better beer. When I started I had an outline of everything I needed to do and it was detailed to the point that I had several pages. I have since condensed it, due to more experience, and it's easier now. You WILL be there too.

Maybe toss the ones that have gunk in the bottles but keep the ones that look clear. Hot, hot, hot, water. Tell people that save bottles for you to rinse them first. I used to soak my bottles overnight in a cooler filled with very hot water and PBW. Worked great to remove most labels too.

Did you make notes about this experience in your "Brewing Notebook?" What!? You don't have one? Get one ASAP. Label it with a magic marker so you don't lose it. Staple the recipes to the pages. Keep it with you when you brew and make notes in it during each brew. Include the steps you took before you started brewing like "made a 2 liter starter using my stir plate on Tuesday night using 1056 and decanted b4 pitching" etc. Include the steps after you were done brewing like "I got liquored up while I brewed this one hope it turns out ok". I'd advise not drinking until you're done brewing your batch and cleaning equipment (ask me how I know).

Of course kegging is nice depending on your budget. I keg now but still bottle because I'm a fundamentalist and love the hiss I hear when I crack open a home brew.

Lastly... and I can't stress this enough. STOP being so hard on yourself, have fun and if you're not sure of something then post your question here on HBT.

If you don't want to post in public find a vet here and message them in a private conversation. People will help you and want to help you.
 
Pappers_ said:
We've all made mistakes like this, don't worry. +1 on the pbw soak for dirty bottles. Rinse them very well afterwards, pbw negates the sanitizing power of starsan.
Click to expand...

Used bottles definitely need to be washed with a detergent, and the inside scrubbed with a bottle brush. Then rinsed well, and sanitized right before filling.

Over time I collected a few cases of bottles. I then soaked the whole lot in a 19 gallon plastic storage tote for a week with a handful of laundry detergent added. You won't believe how much crud came out of some. Brushed well inside and out, rinsed thoroughly with hot water (jet bottle washer on faucet), inspected for cleanliness, then sanitized and left to drain and dry. I rinse again on the jet, then re-sanitize before filling them.

From then on, to prevent crud build up, I started rinsing bottles right after I emptied them, then let air dry in an open case. They get washed thoroughly and sanitized before each use.

The best thing is, since I started kegging 5 years ago, thank goodness, I haven't bottled much anymore. :tank:

PS: I wouldn't rely on a dishwasher to clean deep inside bottles. Once they're brushed clean and rinsed, you may be able to heat sanitize them in the dishwasher. But that only works if the rods you're bottles are sitting on are clean and sanitary themselves.
 
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My process when I get 'new' bottles is to first rinse them out with a Jet Bottle Washer. I hook that up directly to the drain valve on my hot water heater. Stack the bottles up in my big rope tub as I go.

Then I put a scoop of oxyclean in a 5 gallon plastic water jug and fill that with my bottle washer. Pour that jug of soapy water over the bottles and leave until the next day.

The next day I scrape off the labels with an old credit card and a quick scrub with a green scrubby. Blast the inside 3 times with the jet bottle washer again. Then all the bottles go to my dishwasher where it is run with no detergent, high heat, heat dry.

If I have timed it right, I can dip them in StarSan and fill with beer directly out of the dish washer. Otherwise they get boxed up and sent to the garage.
 
Note that a dishwasher will do little for washing any gunk out of the bottom of bottles that were not cleaned properly. They water spray will not get inside of them.
 
bleme said:
fill with beer directly out of the dish washer.
Click to expand...

Tell me more about this dishwasher that runs on beer!

Green nylon scourers are OK, but they struggle with some kinds of glue (and eg the silver foil on Becks bottles, which is just a nightmare). Brillo pads (steel wool) will get them though.
 
IslandLizard said:
This had already been mentioned before, but one can't reiterate it often enough. ^ :yes:
Click to expand...
Missed your answer above mine... I just remember when one of our interns tried washing all of our growth medium bottles in the labware washer. When we went to refill them, there was some seriously funky material at the bottom of them. He learned a lesson about scrubbing, and about cleaning bottles immediately after use rather than letting them sit for a week or two and relying on a machine to do the job.

I also didn't tell him about the industrial bottle washing adapter for the ware washer until after he hand scrubbed all the funky bottles.
 
immediately
Immediately
IMMEDIATELY

...after emptying, rinse. As a licensed, certified, and sanctioned lazy person (fifth order, white belt, first degree), I cannot emphasize the whole rinseimmediatelyafteremptying thing.

The PBW or OXY soak is really good, and that plus scrubbing will solve many evils but, oh, the rinsing.
 
balrog said:
immediately
Immediately
IMMEDIATELY

...after emptying, rinse. As a licensed, certified, and sanctioned lazy person (fifth order, white belt, first degree), I cannot emphasize the whole rinseimmediatelyafteremptying thing.

The PBW or OXY soak is really good, and that plus scrubbing will solve many evils but, oh, the rinsing.
Click to expand...

I thought this could use some more emphasis...
 
I fill a freshly emptied bottles halfway with hot water. Shake. Empty. Repeat.

At the end of the night/next day, I wash with soapy water, rinse, sanitize and put them on a bottling tree.

Once dry, I put a 3" square of foil over the top. This way I know it's been cleaned, sanitized and ready for refilling (after another sanitizing).

The same process goes for wine bottles (ciders and meads) too.
 
My mother left me a crate with a dozen empty quart bottles. These had been around the back of her shop for about 5 years and never rinsed so they still had the dried out crud from the little bit of commercial beer that way left in them.

I put some sodium hydroxide (oven cleaner / drain cleaner) in each bottle and left for about 15 minus then hit each one with my bottle brush connected to a drill. Those bottles all came out like the day they were made and I have done a couple of brews through them now without issue.

But agree with others, rinse after use and you bottles are always clean. I store them upside down in plastic beer bottle cases (dirt cannot fall up into them)
 
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I second the use of PBW with hot water. It should do the trick and also, get yourself a bottle brush. And don't worry too much. Stress is the opposite of what brewing should give you...;)

TIP ( if you find it useful ): I too bottle and every time I drink a beer, whether my own bottle or store/pub bought, right after I poured the beer in the glass, I take 1 minute to clean the bottle. It's fresh, so just fill half with hot water from the tap and shake well. Repeat 3 times. After the 3rd shake and rinse, go outside or point the bottle towards light/sun. Inspect the bottle. It should be squeeky clean. Leave it on the sink/countertop/on a towel for a few minutes/hours/next day, drain whatever drops of water were left in it and it can be stored safely for the next bottling day. It will not get infected or anything. I have acquired some plastic cases and cardboard cases, in which I store these bottles. No hassle at all, when I need to use them.

When I so use them again, I rinse again, re-check them and sanitize with Star-San when bottling. Never had an issue with the 29 batches I brewed so far. Yes, I'm a new brewer and it can still happen, but a bit of care, and you should never " suffer " again.
 
I was cleaning out bottles the other day, doing the old rinse and hold up to the light and more often than not having water pour into my eye (I'm not a learner), when upon one go what should my eye espy but the corpse of a dessicated mouse slithering towards me, it's juices dripping into my gelatinous sphere of sight...

I decided on reflection to not use that bottle.
 
homebrewer_99 said:
I fill a freshly emptied bottles halfway with hot water. Shake. Empty. Repeat.

At the end of the night/next day, I wash with soapy water, rinse, sanitize and put them on a bottling tree.

Once dry, I put a 3" square of foil over the top. This way I know it's been cleaned, sanitized and ready for refilling (after another sanitizing).

The same process goes for wine bottles (ciders and meads) t.
Click to expand...
homebrewer_99 said:
I fill freshly emptied bottles halfway with hot water. Shake. Empty. Repeat.
Click to expand...

This is all I have done for the last 2 years, THEN submerse the bottles in sanitizer right before bottling. No problems after using same bottles at least 30 times. Trick is to rinse right after pouring a beer.
 
AnthonyTD said:
My mother left me a crate with a dozen empty quart bottles. These had been around the back of her shop for about 5 years and never rinsed so they still had the dried out crud from the little bit of commercial beer that way left in them.

I put some sodium hydroxide (oven cleaner / drain cleaner) in each bottle and left for about 15 minus then hit each one with my bottle brush connected to a drill. Those bottles all came out like the day they were made and I have done a couple of brews through them now without issue.

But agree with others, rinse after use and you bottles are always clean. I store them upside down in plastic beer bottle cases (dirt cannot fall up into them)
Click to expand...

Sodium hydroxide is not good for a regular-use bottle cleaner. It will etch glass (it takes a while) Probably okay for a one-time thing, but I use washing soda.
 
z-bob said:
Sodium hydroxide is not good for a regular-use bottle cleaner. It will etch glass (it takes a while) Probably okay for a one-time thing, but I use washing soda.
Click to expand...

I don't think using lye (NaOH) for cleaning bottles is going to be an issue for the glass. But it's likely overkill, except in extreme cases, where the bottles should have been probably tossed, in the first place.

!!! Warning !!!:
I'd be more worried of using lye routinely, especially in combination with a drill powered brush! Lye is extremely caustic, a small drop flying in your eye could make you blind. It can also cause skin problems when mishandled.

So please, please, please, be extremely cautious and wear adequate (eye and skin) protection when using chemicals like that!

I second using washing soda. It's fairly cheap and an excellent cleaner and degreaser. I use it all the time, not just for cleaning brewery equipment. It's the main ingredient in powdered laundry detergent. Our mothers and grandmothers used it (well, mine did). My grandmother had 3 small vats in the basement by the laundry tub: Soap, Sand, Soda.

Washing soda (Sodium Carbonate, aka soda ash or laundry booster) may be difficult to obtain sometimes, there are a lot of fancier products with higher markup taking up shelf space.
I have to go to a supermarket in a poorer neighborhood to buy it. What has the world come to?
 
stosh said:
For starters...RDWHAHB (I know easier said than done)

No home brew? Then have something and relax. Perhaps some Makers Mark if you don't have your favorite beer around.

Secondly...as for the "Man i really suck at this and its really upsetting I make so many dumb mistakes." that s#&t has to go.

There is so much to learn about brewing that you will never know it all so stop beating yourself up.

I don't know your experience level but this is a hobby, you are supposed to have fun/enjoy it and learn along the way to making better beer. When I started I had an outline of everything I needed to do and it was detailed to the point that I had several pages. I have since condensed it, due to more experience, and it's easier now. You WILL be there too.

Maybe toss the ones that have gunk in the bottles but keep the ones that look clear. Hot, hot, hot, water. Tell people that save bottles for you to rinse them first. I used to soak my bottles overnight in a cooler filled with very hot water and PBW. Worked great to remove most labels too.

Did you make notes about this experience in your "Brewing Notebook?" What!? You don't have one? Get one ASAP. Label it with a magic marker so you don't lose it. Staple the recipes to the pages. Keep it with you when you brew and make notes in it during each brew. Include the steps you took before you started brewing like "made a 2 liter starter using my stir plate on Tuesday night using 1056 and decanted b4 pitching" etc. Include the steps after you were done brewing like "I got liquored up while I brewed this one hope it turns out ok". I'd advise not drinking until you're done brewing your batch and cleaning equipment (ask me how I know).

Of course kegging is nice depending on your budget. I keg now but still bottle because I'm a fundamentalist and love the hiss I hear when I crack open a home brew.

Lastly... and I can't stress this enough. STOP being so hard on yourself, have fun and if you're not sure of something then post your question here on HBT.

If you don't want to post in public find a vet here and message them in a private conversation. People will help you and want to help you.
Click to expand...
LIKE HE SAID......Awesome reply Stosh!!!!! No way to say it better. This hobby is a life-long learning curve.
 
If you rinse well right after each use you should be fine to sanitize and then fill. Did that for years prior to kegging.
 

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