Best way to sanitize bottles before filling?

[DreBourbon]

What is the best way to sanitize my bottles before bottling?

 

[eadavis80]

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.

 

[DreBourbon]

Lol. You use a vibrator? (Couldn't resist) . OK tks

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

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

 

[Bellybuster]

Dishwasher works great too

 

[beersk]

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.

 

[Peruvian802]

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.

 

[beersk]

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.

 

[ncbrewer]

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.

 

[MaxStout]

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.

 

[chudsonvt]

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.

 

[juskojj]

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.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

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.

 

[Bobby_M]

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.

 

[kh54s10]

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.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

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.