To boil or not to boil...

[HomeBrewGuy89]

So after making my first batch of brews last night I found some old bottle caps within my box of equipment. Now everywhere I have read says to stick the bottle caps in boiling water for a few min to sanitize, BUT there was a sheet that was in the bag of bottle caps that describes why you should NOT boil these caps but instead use a cleaning solution. I guess these were special caps because they advertised special oxygenating properties while the beer was doing its thing in the bottle.

Given my homebrew equipment was passed down to me so this stuff is about 25-30 years old. So I don't know if this was a thing of the past or are these really special/diff. caps.

And should I be dropping the caps in actual boiling water?

 

[unionrdr]

They're what are known now as o2 barrier caps. I use'em all the time. Don't boil them or they could be ruined. The inner liner may seperate from the cap. but they will be activated upon getting wet regardless. I just give'em a dunk in starsan before placing on the bottles. works fine.

 

[ncbrewer]

I don't boil any kind of caps any more - just drop them in the vinator with Star San and take them out as needed. Works fine, and I think it's simpler than boiling.

 

[HomeBrewGuy89]

Hmmm...I hear all this talk about star san. Maybe I should pick some up....I'm new to this hobby so I don't know much. I just used bleach and hot water rinsing for all my cleaning needs.

 

[unionrdr]

Cleaning is another subject,& I use PBW,since it's made for cleaning brewing equipment. All instructions are on the jar(I buy 1lb jars of it). Starsan is a wet contact saintizer. No rinse as well. It comes in the same style bottle as "stabil" fuel stabilizer for easy measuring. Instructions on the bottle. It's easier & surer to use than about anything else,& doesn't discolor like Idophore.

 

[DPBISME]

Hmmm...I hear all this talk about star san. Maybe I should pick some up....I'm new to this hobby so I don't know much. I just used bleach and hot water rinsing for all my cleaning needs.

Yes... safer on your clothing and skin...

I used to do 5 gallons at a time... now I just do 2.5 gallons and keep it clean (only use it for sanitizing, never in contact with something that has NOT been cleaned and rinsed....).

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,I laways clean stuff first. The starsan lasts longer that way. I'm still working on a pint bottle of starsan I bought over a year ago. And not one infection. Man,does that stuff last a long time!