Sanitizing Bottles in advance - Any issues?

[mbosco]

Hello all,

Last night I decided to clean the labels off a bunch of bottles in prep for my next batch. Once the cleaning was done, I was on a roll and decided to sanitize as well. I don't plan to bottle until this weekend, and I was wondering if sanitizing the bottles in advance causes any increase risk of problems.

Basic process:
- Once bottles are clean, I run through dishwasher on high heat setting to sanitize
- Once cooled I add a few sprays of diluted StarSan to each bottle (probably not necessary, but it makes me feel good)
- I then swish the Starsan around a bit to ensure the entire inside has been coated
- Drain most of starsan
- Cap with aluminum foil, then store upside down to make sure remaining starsan coats aluminum foil

So I guess the question is, once bottles are sanitized, any limit to how long they can be stored prior to use?

Thanks,
Mark

 

[BendBrewer]

you can store them until they dry.

 

[lmacmil]

Last night I decided to clean the labels off a bunch of bottles in prep for my next batch. Once the cleaning was done, I was on a roll and decided to sanitize as well.
So I guess the question is, once bottles are sanitized, any limit to how long they can be stored prior to use?

I have stored cleaned bottles for up to a couple weeks with no problem. I just put a layer of foil over the case and something on top to keep the foil tight. In fact, I just cleaned a case of bottles this morning that I don't plan to use until Sunday. Haven't had a problem yet.

 

[mbosco]

you can store them until they dry.

Thanks for the quick replies.

Not sure what you mean by you can store them until dry. Are you saying once they are dry, they are no longer effectively sanitized?

 

[Revvy]

you should always sanitize fresh.

If not you are playing Russian Roulette with you beer, eventually it will bite you in the butt.

You should sanitize on bottling day (or brew day if you are brewing.) It only takes a few minutes. If you let a no-rinse, wet contact sanitizer like starsan or iodophor, dry your are reducing it's efficacy by half. If it is dry, any micro organisms that touch the surface render it no longer sanitized. If the walls are wet with sanitizer, that organism would be toast. But dry it would still be alive.

It shouldn't take you more than 10 minutes to sanitize 2 cases of bottles.....Read this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/ It takes me about 45 minutes to bottle 5 gallons of beer with the system I've outlined in the above thread. And that includes sanitizing my bottles.

 

[ChshreCat]

Agreed.

Once the starsan dries, it is no longed working. If you sanitize and then cover with foil, you can be pretty comfortable that they're staying clean but as soon as you start messing with them, getting ready to bottle, things could happen.

You'd probably no no issues doing it the way you do it, but it only takes me about 5 seconds per bottle to give a couple squirts of starsan, spin and drain so they're still wet when I bottle.

 

[mbosco]

Thanks again all!

Revvy, funny you should post that thread as I had just gotten done reading through it (great post).

Looks like I'll go with the better safe than sorry route and just give them a couple extra sprays on bottling day.


PS, I really need to get a Vinator. Looks like a great device.

Thanks again!

 

[lmacmil]

You'd probably no no issues doing it the way you do it, but it only takes me about 5 seconds per bottle to give a couple squirts of starsan, spin and drain so they're still wet when I bottle.

Squirts as in from a spray bottle?

 

[ChshreCat]

Yep. I always dispense starsan from a spray bottle. No reason to mix up 5 gallons to sanitize a fermenter. I can coat the entire inside surface and upper part of the outside of one with about 10 sprays. One spray bottle lasts me 2 or 3 batches including brew day, fermenting, racking, secondary and bottling. A couple squirts tops up my airlocks when they get low. Easy to give the thermometer a spray to see how far I've cooled. Couple squirts sanitizes my wine thief for hydrometer samples. SWMBO even uses it for things like cutting boards.

 

[Revvy]

Squirts as in from a spray bottle?

As I show in my bottling thread, the vinator is invaluabe for sanitizing bottles.

I like it as opposed to a spray bottle, you're not losing the sanitizer.

 

[ChshreCat]

I like the spray bottle because the vinator can't sanitize my buckets and autosiphon and everything else. We all find what works best for us.