I've seen most people/books suggest using a dishwasher for this but my question is about dishwashing detergent and also something like Jet Dry. I assume you don't want either of those involved in this process. My dishwasher has a sanitizing feature and I can just choose not to put the dishwashing detergent in and run a wash cycle. But there's no way to control the Jet Dry, it just automatically get released. Is this an issue for bottle sanitizing?
Bottle sanitizing question
- Thread starter jruffatto
- Start date
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Jet dry is a killer for head retention. Most dishwashers cant get the spray through the small neck opening so they don't clean bottles very well. I suggest wash by hand then pour sanitizing solution from bottle to bottle and drain in the dishwasher rack. If you clean the bottles as you drink them, then just sanitize and drain before bottling.
JetSmooth
Well-Known Member
I always forget to fill my rinse solution resivoir. The light is practically permenantly on. If I can keep SWMBO from refilling it by bottling day, it shouldn't be an issue. ;P
wyzazz
Well-Known Member
Just fill a 5gal bucket 3/4 of the way with StarSan, submerge around 12 bottles at a time, and then pour the solution back in to the bucket and bottle. Either that or get a Vinator.
After I drink a beer (I pour in chilled glass everytime, I love the aroma, the look, the whole package), I immediately rinse out the bottles thoroughly. I store them and then on bottling day I make a 5 gallon solution of StarSan and submerge all my bottles for a minute or so then I take them out and hang them on my bottling tree to dry. Then I bottle.
pkeeler
Well-Known Member
You can put them in the oven, at 350 deg. for one hour. Let them cool inside the oven slowly. You can put them in at night, turn it off after an hour, and wake up to sanitized bottles. If you put aluminum foil over the bottles, they will be sanitized until the foil comes off (i.e. forever).
Forgot about that one, I know I'd seen someone else suggest it. So do i just lay them in the oven any which way?
IceFisherChris
Well-Known Member
I think the best way to sanitize bottles is by filling up a bucket with a few gallons of sanitizer and then use a measuring cup and a funnel to fill the bottles. Let them sit on a cookie sheet so you can overflow the bottles and get the necks/tops.
Fill a dozen with sanitizer and wait a couple minutes
dump them all out and fill with beer
fill another dozen with sanitizer
cap the 12 bottles you just filled with beer.
Fill a dozen with sanitizer and wait a couple minutes
dump them all out and fill with beer
fill another dozen with sanitizer
cap the 12 bottles you just filled with beer.
IceFisherChris
Well-Known Member
This is what I used to do, but it uses a lot of sanitizer and I was getting a lot of label glue in my sanitizer..
dummkauf
Well-Known Member
I'm new to brewing, but when I empty a bottle, I rinse it out in the sink and set it aside. Eventually when I have a few bottles I fill a bucket with oxiclean and water and sink the bottles til the labels fall off. Rinse thoroughly and stick them in the dishwasher. Once the dishwasher is done they go in the closet until I'm ready to bottle. On bottling day I fill my bucket with star-san and sink the bottles. I pull them out of the star-san and drain right before I fill each one and stick a cap on the top.
Note I could probably skip the dishwasher, but it's just habbit from before I discovered how well oxiclean removes labels
Note I could probably skip the dishwasher, but it's just habbit from before I discovered how well oxiclean removes labels
pkeeler
Well-Known Member
I would lay them in there for maximum stackability. Should be able to get the whole batch in at once. Cheap, very effective, and you don't have to worry about drinking sanitizer.
Plus, all ovens can reach 350 deg.; not all dishwashers actually get hot enough.
I would lay them in there for maximum stackability. Should be able to get the whole batch in at once. Cheap, very effective, and you don't have to worry about drinking sanitizer.
Will this work with my plastic bottles............................................ Just kidding:cross:
I would lay them in there for maximum stackability. Should be able to get the whole batch in at once. Cheap, very effective, and you don't have to worry about drinking sanitizer.
yeah, i'm probably only filling 20 22oz bottles for my first batch, that should fit on a few oven racks...thanks for the tip, it's a great one.
loxnar
Well-Known Member
not much unless its difficult for you to come across is but its only 1 oz per 5 gallon....i generally hold on to it in my bottling bucket for 3 or 4 days and get a lot of bottles cleaned it...i let um sit for a minute or two full of star san and in the bucket then i pull them out and drain about half the bottle then i use a bottle brush to make sure to clean the bottom all the way up the neck. Dump the remaining back into the bucket then let all the foam drain out on the bottling tree. The star san solution is still good as a sanitizer until it start to get really cloudy. Thats my two cents about bottle cleaning i feel like i spend more time cleaning bottles than i do with any other part of brewing...especially if you are a stickler about taking all the labels off. For that i just soak in hot water and scrub with the green, rough side of a sponge. Never tried oxyclean ill have to check that out =)
wyzazz
Well-Known Member
You leave the labels on your bottles? By the time my bottles are on my "bottling line" they have been soaked in OxiClean Free for a few days at least, and have been rinsed thoroughly. No labels to worry about.
IceFisherChris
Well-Known Member
Most of mine still have the labels.. I don't really care too much about itYou leave the labels on your bottles? By the time my bottles are on my "bottling line" they have been soaked in OxiClean Free for a few days at least, and have been rinsed thoroughly. No labels to worry about.
I'm starting to sanitize my bottles one by one, because I came into possession of 100 flippy top bottles. Rinse them out, sanitize, cap, then place back in storage until bottling time.
bsteele
Active Member
Best way definitely is with the Vinator. I bought mine from these folks: http://www.shriverspharmacy.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1379
...but on ebay for $20, free shipping. I imagine the total cost would be the same after shipping from their site.
Seriously... go buy one now
...but on ebay for $20, free shipping. I imagine the total cost would be the same after shipping from their site.
Seriously... go buy one now
BendBrewer
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I do this with cleaned and label free bottles. I spray the top rack of my dishwasher with my spray bottle of sani and hang them there to dry.
I might not be a very good brewer yet, but I can clean a couple of cases of bottles like the best of them!!
Marsdude
Well-Known Member
Best way definitely is with the Vinator. I bought mine from these folks: http://www.shriverspharmacy.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1379
...but on ebay for $20, free shipping. I imagine the total cost would be the same after shipping from their site.
Seriously... go buy one now
I second this one. I follow this routine:
All my bottles have been soaked in Oxyclean to get the labels off. On bottling day I take the racks out of my dishwasher and put them on the counter - I spray them well with StarSan.
I then take my bottles out of storage and use my bottle rinser that I have installed for the day on the kitchen faucet and set them on the counter until I have rinsed every bottle out.
I then use the Vinator on each bottle and put them upside down into the dishwasher racks.
When dry - I bottle.
dummkauf
Well-Known Member
Why do you dry them out if you're using star-san? Couldn't you just soak, empty, and fill?
wyzazz
Well-Known Member
I just soak, empty and fill. I usually soak 24 bottles then bottle 24, typically I get 52 bottles from a 5gal batch.
Marsdude
Well-Known Member
I suppose I could without any harm. I like to give the Star-San time to do it's work. I read that you are supposed to give it at least 5 min. so I just leave the bottles in the rack while I am getting some of my other equipment ready. In reality the bottles could be a little wet inside when I begin, I really don't check.
kryznic
Well-Known Member
Do you have to sanitize bottle caps too?
bsteele
Active Member
Most do, I highly recommend it, but there are a few rebels out there that don't.
You can boil the caps (but I think that would compromise the integrity of the seal under the cap... but it works wonders for people who choose that method), but I just soak mine in StarSan in the ol Vinator while I'm filling bottles with delicious beer.
Marsdude
Well-Known Member
I also soak my caps in StarSan. Why not? StarSan is reusable so I just pour the remainder back in the gallon jug. Using the Vinator to soak them in is a great idea, I will try that.
mikebiewer
Well-Known Member
I usually rinse my bottles after I drink out of them.
Then when I'm going into cleaning mode I soak in oxy clean for 30 minutes, rinse twice in the sink, then place in the dishwasher for another rinse a heat shot, and to drip dry. Works pretty well in my opinion.
Then when I'm going into cleaning mode I soak in oxy clean for 30 minutes, rinse twice in the sink, then place in the dishwasher for another rinse a heat shot, and to drip dry. Works pretty well in my opinion.
I have the vinator and bottling tree. I think it has been one of my best purchases so far. I rinse my bottles after I drink them. I used to fill them up and dump them out in a bucket of starsan. Now I sanitize with the vinator right before I bottle. This has saved me much time and work.
I am able to bottle a 5 gallon batch 48 bottles, AND clean while I mash. Less than 60 minutes total.
If you MUST use the soak method I hear you can get one of those totes from home depot or walmart. That way you can soak more at a time.
cheers
I am able to bottle a 5 gallon batch 48 bottles, AND clean while I mash. Less than 60 minutes total.
If you MUST use the soak method I hear you can get one of those totes from home depot or walmart. That way you can soak more at a time.
cheers
TheLodger
Member
I always rinse my bottles with hot water, sometimes I use dawn if it's particularly old. Actually not sure if that's cool for the beer or not.
Planning on getting a Vinator as soon as my IPA is ready to bottle.
Planning on getting a Vinator as soon as my IPA is ready to bottle.
Marsdude
Well-Known Member
You won't regret it. It is fast, easy, and you have no doubt that you have put sanitizer on every inside surface of the bottle.
meddin
Well-Known Member
The dishwasher is fine for sanitizing already clean bottles. Remember the diffrence between cleaning & sanitizing. Once you have cleaned bottles with labels removed you can run them through a wash cycle (with heated dry) in your dishwasher without any detergent or Jet Dry. I even like to run a rinse cycle in my dishwasher prior to doing this to make sure I have removed any residue.
The heat should sanitize your bottle just fine.
The heat should sanitize your bottle just fine.
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