Baking bottles with Beer Saver "Sicone" caps - EPIC FAIL

[dicken74]

I like to sanitize my bottles by baking them in the oven. I have been looking for an alternative to sealing them with foil and decided to try Beer Saver silicone bottle caps. My thinking was that silicone can be baked in the oven and these would be easy to use and reusable. WRONG.

Apparently not all types of silicone can be baked and these melted into a goopy mess. I did by these from ebay from some Asian source and they were a fraction of the price on Amazon.

Does anyone have an experience baking these caps in the oven?

Does anyone have an alternative to foil seals?

 

[Double_D]

Have you tried star san instead of baking your bottles?

 

[Paps]

There is no point in sealing a bottle to sanitise it in the oven.
No foil or cap is needed at all.

Now if you are trying to "Pasturise" full bottles of beer to kill off yeast that is a different story. But people usually will use hot/near boiling water with the caps above water level for that.

 

[Ethanfox]

There is no point in sealing a bottle to sanitise it in the oven.
No foil or cap is needed at all.

Foil caps are placed on bottles so when they're removed, they can sit for a few hours/days before bottling. If they were removed from the oven without the caps and left for a few hours/days, they'd no longer be sanitized.

 

[Ethanfox]

That said, those caps sound like they probably aren't actually 100% silicone, unless you were sanitizing over 300 degrees celsius.

 

[Double_D]

Foil caps are placed on bottles so when they're removed, they can sit for a few hours/days before bottling. If they were removed from the oven without the caps and left for a few hours/days, they'd no longer be sanitized.

They would still be sanitized. However, they would no longer be STERILE If you let them sit unprotected. Baking bottles with a cover creates a sterile interior surface. Sterility is useful for yeast washing but not necessary for bottling. A sanitary bottle is all you really need.

 

[Ethanfox]

That is confusing. Yes, they are sterile after a proper baking, but if you left them out uncovered, they would fill with all kinds of unwanted microbiological contaminants before long. Thus, no longer sterile OR "sanitized." You'd have to do it all over again. Of course, results vary depending on air quality and position of the bottles.

 

[Paps]

Who sanitizes their bottles to let them sit for hours/days?
Seems pointless/counter productive to me.
But what do i know. I keg.

 

[FatDragon]

A Vinator or even a simple spray bottle with some properly-diluted sanitizing solution like Iodophor or StarSan beats the hell out of sanitizing your bottles in the oven. Give the inside of each clean bottle a couple squirts and your worries are over. Pop em on a bottle tree or put a fresh paper towel in the bottom of a cardboard box and let them hang out upside-down in there until bottling time. I prefer to clean after drinking and sanitize right before bottling just in case, but if they're upside-down the whole time you could probably get away with squirting them a few days in advance.

 

[bradleyhunt]

That is confusing. Yes, they are sterile after a proper baking, but if you left them out uncovered, they would fill with all kinds of unwanted microbiological contaminants before long. Thus, no longer sterile OR "sanitized." You'd have to do it all over again. Of course, results vary depending on air quality and position of the bottles.

Pretty big assumptions being made. All they are saying is that this technique of sanitizing may be more work than necessary.

 

[Ethanfox]

Pretty big assumptions being made. All they are saying is that this technique of sanitizing may be more work than necessary.

You think I'm making big assumptions? OP asked for an alternative cap to use for baking bottles, not an alternative method of sanitization. He didn't say he had sanitizer, nor did he say he had a spray bottle. I simply validated the OP's question by supplying a circumstance where caps on bottles sterilized in the oven can be desirible. It's a valid technique.

 

[bradleyhunt]

You think I'm making big assumptions? OP asked for an alternative cap to use for baking bottles, not an alternative method of sanitization. He didn't say he had sanitizer, nor did he say he had a spray bottle. I simply validated the OP's question by supplying a circumstance where caps on bottles sterilized in the oven can be desirible. It's a valid technique.

Ok bro. Don't get your feathers ruffled. I didn't say it wasn't a valid technique, I (and others) was just offering that the technique employs steps that can be omitted if you would like to not have to deal with 48 little bottle condoms melting in your oven.

He actually asked for an alternative to foil seals. AN alternative is NO foil seals. Another alternative is leaving them in the oven till you want to use them. Another alternative is to change your sanitizing method.

The assumption you are implying is that something will get into your bottles if they aren't sealed. It's an assumption, thats all I am saying. I apologize if that angers you.

 

[Ethanfox]

Didn't mean to sound angry, I wasn't ... "bro."

 

[dicken74]

Foil caps are placed on bottles so when they're removed, they can sit for a few hours/days before bottling. If they were removed from the oven without the caps and left for a few hours/days, they'd no longer be sanitized.

That's right. The bottles are sterilized after being baked. That's my preferred way of prepping them for bottling. If they are sealed they will remain sterile indefinitely.

 

[dicken74]

Have you tried star san instead of baking your bottles?

Yes. I just prefer to prep the bottles by sterilizing in the oven. I've had better and more consistent results.

 

[chisena]

I always used foil just cause it made for easy storage. Pull the foil off and fill when ready. Buuuuut... now I keg.

 

[kristiismean]

Foil is going to be your best bet in my opinion.

I have some experience with silicone bakery items, but mostly cake molds, never really exceed 300 (360 is the max)

but I am confident when the person made the silicone bottle caps, they were not thinking of having to go through an oven, so probably a cheaper grade, or mix..

This is the first time I have heard of putting bottles in an oven to sanitize, which by all means is fool proof I run mine through the dishwasher on a sanitizing high temp rinse, then fill each bottle up from my bottling bucket and wand filled with star san, then shake and drain on my sanitized bottle rack 5 minutes before bottling time.

 

[GrogNerd]

so, you've sterilized your bottles in the oven and you're afraid if they're not covered all the nasties in the world will hear about it, invade your house just to jump into your bottles & wait to infect your beer?

do you also wear a surgical mask while brewing and chase around dust specks?

seriously, do what FatDragon says here and Relax, the world's microbes aren't out to get you

A Vinator or even a simple spray bottle with some properly-diluted sanitizing solution like Iodophor or StarSan beats the hell out of sanitizing your bottles in the oven. Give the inside of each clean bottle a couple squirts and your worries are over. Pop em on a bottle tree or put a fresh paper towel in the bottom of a cardboard box and let them hang out upside-down in there until bottling time. I prefer to clean after drinking and sanitize right before bottling just in case, but if they're upside-down the whole time you could probably get away with squirting them a few days in advance.

 

[dicken74]

so, you've sterilized your bottles in the oven and you're afraid if they're not covered all the nasties in the world will hear about it, invade your house just to jump into your bottles & wait to infect your beer?

do you also wear a surgical mask while brewing and chase around dust specks?

seriously, do what FatDragon says here and Relax, the world's microbes aren't out to get you

I'm not looking for an alternative to baking the bottles in the oven. That's the technique I prefer.

 

[FatDragon]

I'm not looking for an alternative to baking the bottles in the oven. That's the technique I prefer.

Cool - to each his own. As mentioned above, foil's probably your best bet. Cheap, low-effort, and you know that it works.

 

[GrogNerd]

I'm not looking for an alternative to baking the bottles in the oven. That's the technique I prefer.

I get that. it's not a bad idea at all, I'm just pointing out that covering them is probably unnecessary

I sanitized in the oven once, didn't bother with anything covering the top

put in oven, cranked it to 350 (let the bottles heat up with the oven) baked for 20 minutes or so (not sure how long is needed, if any time) then turned the oven off, let them sit in there overnight to cool. used them the next day. straight from the oven to bottling.

no problems

but the suggestion about the vinator and bottle tree still stands. got mine and bottling became so much easier. and a helluva lot faster.

 

[joshesmusica]

I used to use this method. The best bet is small foil squares. Just save them after you bottle and they can last over several brews.

I understand everything you're talking about OP. Sometimes you don't (or can't) spend the money on sanitizer, sometimes you don't have the time that this hobby takes all in one day.

So yeah. I'm in agreement with the foil advocates.

 

[evchenko]

Recently did it and didn't realise one of the bottles had a hard plastic cap. Melty melty.

 

[NatureOfTheYeast]

Hmm, not sure if my post got deleted, or if I didn't post it.

Anyway, using foil over the mouth will keep any dust from settling inside the bottle during storage, sure. Those caps you bought were also undoubtedly intended for "recapping" opened bottles to be stored in the refrigerator, and were never designed to see heat.

Once the hot air cools, it contracts and pulls in atmospheric air. No more sterility, even with a tightly crimped foil cap.

Dry heating bottles doesn't clean them either. If it's not clean from debris, you'll never be able to sanitize it. Those bits of stuff are perfect breeding grounds for the junk that floats around in the air that just got sucked in to the bottles as they cooled, too. Scrubbing or a jet of hot water/B-Brite/PBW/Oxi-Clean Free is the only way to dislodge the garbage that beer leaves behind inside a bottle. You can't see it, but it's there.

Drastic heat-cycling also affects the long-term durability of glass. No bottle is structurally perfect, and the imperfections - scratches and thin spots - will become weaker and weaker. One day you'll open your case of bottles to find a fallen soldier and a mess on the bottom of the box. No fun. I've been there.

A quick rinse of sanitizer just prior to bottling is ideal even after baking, just to rinse any dust. Star-San can be reused, and it only takes a small amount poured into the bottle to be effective. Pour it from one bottle to the other, or use a Vinator like this. I use a vinator and I'll blow through 2 and a half cases of bottles in under 10 minutes - with a hangover. Thing is stupid easy to use. Surely you're using Star-San or some kind of sanitizer for your equipment, right? Why not redirect a few ounces for your bottles?

The bottle is where your beer develops, matures, and if appropriate, ages in. Why not ensure the utmost cleanliness and give your beer a proper resting place? There are better places to cut corners and save time on. And if you don't like cleaning bottles, well, that's what minions are for! You'd be surprised at how well free beer motivates people.

Whatever you decide, just make sure you do it the best way you can. As long as you enjoy your beer, then what is anyone gonna say to change your mind, right?

I can still try though, can't I?

as an aside...

Sometimes you don't (or can't) spend the money on sanitizer

This terrifies me. Brewing without sanitizer is like riding a motorcycle at 100mph with no brakes in the rain sitting backwards and blindfolded while under out-of-body hypnosis. I've been broke, I know how it is, but if you can't scrounge the 4 bucks for Iodophor or 7 bucks for Star-San, you should probably be spending what little cash you have on things like food, not a luxury item - and hobby - like homebrewing.

Sorry if that came out harsh. I come from a place of love!

 

[Double_D]

This terrifies me. Brewing without sanitizer is like riding a motorcycle at 100mph with no brakes in the rain sitting backwards and blindfolded while under out-of-body hypnosis.

Wow. That's pretty bad.

 

[joshesmusica]

This terrifies me. Brewing without sanitizer is like riding a motorcycle at 100mph with no brakes in the rain sitting backwards and blindfolded while under out-of-body hypnosis. I've been broke, I know how it is, but if you can't scrounge the 4 bucks for Iodophor or 7 bucks for Star-San, you should probably be spending what little cash you have on things like food, not a luxury item - and hobby - like homebrewing.

This is an extreme exaggeration followed by an unrealistic assumption about the lives of others.

Whether or not OP is trying to keep the hobby as cheap as possible, or if he just likes to hear his bottles, does not make for a terrifying bottle of homebrew.

Personally, when I first started brewing, we were on a very tight budget for our hobbies. We had everything else we needed, and brewing was just the extra part of the budget. The first thing to go if we needed anything more than what our budget called for. By baking the cleaned bottles, I was able to save from using too much iodophor, which was cheaper than starsan.

What I meant was sanitizer like starsan, not brewing without any sanitizing whatsoever. Although technically speaking, there would easily be ways of brewing in a sanitary way without the use of sanitizer.

I'm sure you're passionate about the hobby and great beer, but there's no need for remarks such as the one I quoted.

 

[ImNoExpert]

You could keep the silicone dohickys and only set the oven for 250. I'm guessing that they wouldn't melt at 250, right?

Edit: Nevermind, I'm thinking of pressure sterilization, not dry heat.

 

[NatureOfTheYeast]

What I meant was sanitizer like starsan, not brewing without any sanitizing whatsoever.

I was under the assumption that you were implying brewing without sanitizer completely. Glad that's cleared up.

 

[joshesmusica]

I was under the assumption that you were implying brewing without sanitizer completely. Glad that's cleared up.

This thread isn't about the whole brewing process. It's about the bottling process.

 

[Horseshoot]

[/QUOTE]This terrifies me. Brewing without sanitizer is like riding a motorcycle at 100mph with no brakes in the rain sitting backwards and blindfolded while under out-of-body hypnosis. I've been broke, I know how it is, but if you can't scrounge the 4 bucks for Iodophor or 7 bucks for Star-San, you should probably be spending what little cash you have on things like food, not a luxury item - and hobby - like homebrewing.

Sorry if that came out harsh. I come from a place of love! [/QUOTE]

And with no helmet.