Best way to sanitize bottles before filling?

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With sanitizer...

Sorry - couldn't resist. I use a Vinator - got it from N. Brewer. I used to fill a bucket with Star San and then I could put about 12 bottles in there, fill them and then dump them. Took a long time and it started to annoy my back - all that leaning over filling and emptying. With the Vinator, I can get my 50 bottles sanitized and on the tree ready to go in 5-10 minutes.
 
Cheapest??
I clean my bottles with PBW and then clean them with Dawn and warm water, rinse with a faucet attachment, let em dry and store em for later.. On bottling day, I rinse them again, let em drain for a few minutes in a rack, and then lay them in my oven, stacking them up on their sides.. Bake them in the oven for 30 minutes at 225... Squeaky clean.. Never an infection
 
If you have a bottle tree or fastrack (whichever you prefer) - I make 2.5 gallons of sanitizer in my 5 gallon kettle. Dunk 2 bottles, let fill a quarter of the way, cap ends with your thumbs and shake for a second. Dump out and put on bottle tree or fastrack. Repeat. Twice as fast as vinator. I had one, it broke...not worth the investment.
 
set up your bottling bucket/wand and put in sanitizer. Fill bottles like you would with beer, but only part way. Shake each and pour back into bucket.
 
set up your bottling bucket/wand and put in sanitizer. Fill bottles like you would with beer, but only part way. Shake each and pour back into bucket.

That there is a pretty decent idea as well.
 
I use a vinator, but sanitize one bottle with one hand while filling the previously sanitized bottle with the other hand. No storing of sanitized bottles, and takes very little extra time.
 
I use a Vinator. About 3 pumps and the inside is blasted with Starsan. I set them on a bottle tree and start filling.

I considered the dishwasher method (it has a 180F sanitize cycle), but mine has no way of shutting off the rinse agent, which can reduce head retention.
 
Dishwasher works great too

Yes, the dishwasher. Clean bottles with whatever you like to get any gunk out, put in the dishwasher without detergent and then run a cycle on high heat and heat dry. The temperatures seen provide more of a sterilization than sanitizing. It is essentially a poor mans autoclave. I just would not consider it medical grade safe. Just food and beverage safe.
 
i do like some of the others. i actually spray star sans in my bottles so i get a little build up (probably faster not too spray but just dump) i then close with my thumb, shake and let them sit with the sanitizer in them until ready to fill, then i give a quick swirl and dump then fill. after i fill a few i give a quick spray where the cap goes and pull a cap out of my container of sanitizer and cap away.
 
I start with clean bottles (of course) that have been washed with Oxy-Clean (I've been told that dishwashing detergent is bad for the head and head retention), then rinsed with hot water and dried upside-down. Right before bottling, I submerge them in water at a rolling boil for 15 seconds or so, then bottle them up.

I'm not claiming that I am an expert or that this is the best or only way. I do it because it is easy and convenient, and I've never had an infection - neither has my dad, who has been brewing for few years and has never had an infection.
 
Best depends on whether you value time or money more. Vinator filled with star san or saniclean (the latter is a little better due to less foaming) and a fastrack is the fastest and easiest.
 
Vinator with Starsan, spritz clean bottles and set them on my dishwasher rack. Then fill a bottle set a cap on top and fill another, repeat 50 - 56 times.... Then I seat all the caps.

But now I put a couple of cups of Starsan in the keg, put on the lid and slosh it around. Dump the Starsan and fill with beer.
 
Whoops - addendum to my post above:

I neglected to mention that all of my caps are in a bowl of sanitizer as I am bottling, as well.
 
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