Bottle Sanitizing
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LovesIPA
Well-Known Member
You MUST sanitize them. Cleaning is not good enough.
I use a bottling tree. It's supposed to be for drying them but I sanitize the tree racks and put it back together. Then I sanitize the bottles and put them on the rack. They don't need to dry before you fill them.
I use a bottling tree. It's supposed to be for drying them but I sanitize the tree racks and put it back together. Then I sanitize the bottles and put them on the rack. They don't need to dry before you fill them.
Not only do they not need to be dry after you use StarSan, StarSan is a wet contact sanitizer. I wash them well, let air dry in my dish washer, spray StarSan as I bottle.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/question-about-starsan-169987/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/question-about-starsan-169987/
Thanks for the advise. I racked my dead ringer IPA into secondary a couple of days ago. I was just worried about the Star-San killing the remainder of the yeast after bottling. Last time it took FOREVER for my beer to carbonate. However I had used conditioning tablets. I'm going with Priming Sugar this time.
LovesIPA
Well-Known Member
It would take an awful lot of star-san in a batch to kill the yeast in a batch. Probably at least a 50-50 mix.
Star-san is just a strong acid. The only thing that makes it a sanitizer is the low pH. If you get some of into your beer, all it will do is lower the pH a tiny amount. The yeast will use the phosphorus as nutrient.
BTW a secondary fermentation isn't necessary.
Star-san is just a strong acid. The only thing that makes it a sanitizer is the low pH. If you get some of into your beer, all it will do is lower the pH a tiny amount. The yeast will use the phosphorus as nutrient.
BTW a secondary fermentation isn't necessary.
To the OP, yeah I sanitize bottles before bottling. I put them away clean and dry, but on bottling day a quick spritz of StarSan is cheap insurance. I put them upside down in the dishwasher and bottle over the door.
Dodecylbenzenesulfonic Acid 12%
Phosphoric Acid 50%
The first ingredient DDBSA is a Linear alkyl benzene sulphonate, an anionic detergent. If you wade through the podcast with Charlie Talley, somewhere towards the end he describes StarSan as a one-two punch; the acid weakens the cell and the detergent ruptures it. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/charlie-talley-five-star-chemicals-notes-brewcasts-58928
It?s also the foam, as in don?t fear the foam.
Not quite. Check the label.
Dodecylbenzenesulfonic Acid 12%
Phosphoric Acid 50%
The first ingredient DDBSA is a Linear alkyl benzene sulphonate, an anionic detergent. If you wade through the podcast with Charlie Talley, somewhere towards the end he describes StarSan as a one-two punch; the acid weakens the cell and the detergent ruptures it. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/charlie-talley-five-star-chemicals-notes-brewcasts-58928
It?s also the foam, as in don?t fear the foam.
The majority of the time, I clean in the dishwasher only and always dry with the heat on. I have not had any issues yet with contamination, and it limits the amount of StarSan needed, which can be used for sterilizing additional equipment that the dishwasher may not adequately clean.
LovesIPA
Well-Known Member
Interesting. I learn something about this hobby every day.
I use a vinator to sanitize my bottles... requires a small amount of Star San mixture, and then I use that for other stuff as well, like topping off my spray bottle and/or sanitizing my tubing for bottling. Not saying your method is wrong by any means, just, you don't need to use the StarSan and then dump it or let it go to waste once your done with your bottles (though granted, some stays in the bottle and drips out on my tree... but I'm not going to start stressing over that).
Plus1 zillion for the bottle tree/vinator combination! 45 bottles take up no more than two square feet. and a small amount of Starsan goes to waste,concidering the bowl of the vinator being about half full to start with. A few pumps,drain beifly back into vinator,& onto the bottle tree. I can sanitize (you're sanitizing with Starsan,not sterilizing) 45 bottles in no time flat on bottling day. Not to mention,since it holds 45 bottles & the average 5G batch yeilding 48/12oz bottles,it's easy to keep track.
I also scrub my bottles & rinse'em after each use. Onto the bottle tree to dry & into Leinenkugel 12 pack boxes for storage. They have sperators & tabbed covers to keep the bottles clean till needed again.
I also scrub my bottles & rinse'em after each use. Onto the bottle tree to dry & into Leinenkugel 12 pack boxes for storage. They have sperators & tabbed covers to keep the bottles clean till needed again.
LoloMT7
Well-Known Member
I run all bottles through the dishwasher with heat on like someone mentioned above. I do rinse out all of the bottles before they even go into the dishwasher though to make sure nothing is stuck in the bottom of them.
Then when the dishwasher is done heat drying I use a bottling bucket that I have starsan in and fill and shake each bottle. I then dump the starsan from the bottles back into the starsan bucket (for reuse) and I flip the bottles upside down and put them back in the dishwasher and let the starsan run out of them as i begin racking the beer to my bottling bucket.
That's just my process that i've found to work good for me
Then when the dishwasher is done heat drying I use a bottling bucket that I have starsan in and fill and shake each bottle. I then dump the starsan from the bottles back into the starsan bucket (for reuse) and I flip the bottles upside down and put them back in the dishwasher and let the starsan run out of them as i begin racking the beer to my bottling bucket.
That's just my process that i've found to work good for me
stbnj
Well-Known Member
I soak my bottles in an old ale pail on my porch in oxyclean to get the labels off. For bottles of homebrew I immediately rinse and clean and then store the bottles. On bottling day I fill a homer bucket with sanitizer and dunk and drain each bottle right before filling.
Travestian
Well-Known Member
I have the fast racks from http://thefastrack.ca/ and love them for my storage and post sanitizing. I don't like the idea of a plastic rod of sorts going into the sanitized part of my beer bottles. It works for some but not my preference. I also use a vinator and love how easy it is to use. I use iodophor on bottling day as it doesn't foam up like starsan will. Everything else is starsan. Once I'm done with the vinator I take out the pump/spray part and use the bowl with remaining solution to put my bottle caps in. I bottle over the dishwasher to catch any drips.
MarcusKillion
Well-Known Member
I shake a lot of water in my bottles to get out trub right after pouring out beer . then i set upside down to dry . then at bottle time I wash out with hot water and a jet sprayer on faucet . Pour in some One Step and shake real good and pour out and set bottles upside down in box with clean paper towels in bottom . a few minutes is needed for the one step to work .
do not know if this is better or worse or the same as using Star San .
do not know if this is better or worse or the same as using Star San .
If you are just buying stuff I'd consider this with the vinator. http://thefastrack.ca/homebrew/
I rinse and de label all my bottles when I'm done with them, after enough build up behind the sink and my wife flips.
Anyway.. you could just get a random bucket of PBW and a bottle brush and another bucket of clean hot rinse water to dunk in after PBW, then hit with star san in vinator If you aren't doing it in a kitchen.
I just clean and sanitize my two sides of the sink and fill them accordingly now. After star san I just shake them down violently as if I was throwing a knife into the ground as hard as I could.
I don't use my dishwasher, even thought it has a sanitizer cycle, because we use the single use pellets and jet dry in it. Jet dry (or pellets that have a rinse aid) contain surfactants which adhere to the surface of what is washed (this is how it dries spotless). I worry that a surfactant could ruin the head of the beer, which of course it would if it was in contact with it. I guess maybe I worry too much and should just use that on the sanitize cycle.
I'm about to by these racks though. Much better for the storage room in my basement than what I do now, which is cardboard boxes.
But.. I'm sick of buying PBW and am about to ditch that too.. That and the TSP thing is so overrated.. I'm going to use a sink full of oxyclean for an initial scrub and then put everything in the dishwasher with homemade detergent, if it is dishwasher safe. 1 cup washing soda and 1 cup borax, no rinse agent. Stuff that touches the wort after boiling gets a spray with star san. That's it. PBW is greasy, it never washes truly clean, and it leaves spots like a mother. Of course, none of that matters according to them... So, How would borax/washing soda spots matter??
PBW is a waste of money and as long as you are scrubbing stuff and inspecting it anyway who cares? I hope PBW pays Palmer because everyone is like "cleaning/sanitizing is different, blah, blah, blah..." Yeah, I know.. But clean is clean for god's sake. We aren't dealing with caustic chemicals. The hardest thing we have to clean is some yeast and maybe a scorch spot... Give me a break! I sell orthopedics and have a ton of experience with how medical instruments are sterilized and that's certainly more critical than cleaning brewing equipment..
I rinse and de label all my bottles when I'm done with them, after enough build up behind the sink and my wife flips.
Anyway.. you could just get a random bucket of PBW and a bottle brush and another bucket of clean hot rinse water to dunk in after PBW, then hit with star san in vinator If you aren't doing it in a kitchen.
I just clean and sanitize my two sides of the sink and fill them accordingly now. After star san I just shake them down violently as if I was throwing a knife into the ground as hard as I could.
I don't use my dishwasher, even thought it has a sanitizer cycle, because we use the single use pellets and jet dry in it. Jet dry (or pellets that have a rinse aid) contain surfactants which adhere to the surface of what is washed (this is how it dries spotless). I worry that a surfactant could ruin the head of the beer, which of course it would if it was in contact with it. I guess maybe I worry too much and should just use that on the sanitize cycle.
I'm about to by these racks though. Much better for the storage room in my basement than what I do now, which is cardboard boxes.
But.. I'm sick of buying PBW and am about to ditch that too.. That and the TSP thing is so overrated.. I'm going to use a sink full of oxyclean for an initial scrub and then put everything in the dishwasher with homemade detergent, if it is dishwasher safe. 1 cup washing soda and 1 cup borax, no rinse agent. Stuff that touches the wort after boiling gets a spray with star san. That's it. PBW is greasy, it never washes truly clean, and it leaves spots like a mother. Of course, none of that matters according to them... So, How would borax/washing soda spots matter??
PBW is a waste of money and as long as you are scrubbing stuff and inspecting it anyway who cares? I hope PBW pays Palmer because everyone is like "cleaning/sanitizing is different, blah, blah, blah..." Yeah, I know.. But clean is clean for god's sake. We aren't dealing with caustic chemicals. The hardest thing we have to clean is some yeast and maybe a scorch spot... Give me a break! I sell orthopedics and have a ton of experience with how medical instruments are sterilized and that's certainly more critical than cleaning brewing equipment..
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