Bottles in the Dishwasher

[BrewJr]

Is it advisable to wash the bottles that are going to be used for bottling in the dishwasher? i ran my blue 22 ouncers through a cycle today and they seem to be pretty darn clean! however i cant see down to the micro biological level so maybe its not a sure bet! thought you pros might have a thought about that! thanks! by the way i did a really good looking hibiscus wheat and man does it look great!!

 

[Scrow]

I would still sanitize just to be safe.

 

[woollybugger2]

they MUST be clean (free of any residue) before the dishwasher can sanitize them it does that by high temperatures not by actually washing the insides of the bottles....

I used the dishwasher on my first batch and have since switched to Star San and a vinigator... I'm still using the dishwasher to hold the bottles... I use about 26 Bombers in a batch...

 

[BubbaK]

I ran my bottles through the dishwasher on sanitize and haven't had a bad one yet... I do give them a run through on a cleaning cycle to give them a wash, then when ready to bottle I put them all through a rinse and sanitize. No soaps for this cycle..

 

[Daddymem]

I toss oxyclean in with my bottles and set it on heat dry, heavy scrubbing mode. Takes forever but does a great job cleaning them. I still check the bottoms for any gunk and find an occasional prize in the bottom, but that is usually taken care of with the bottle brush. I still sanitize afterwards prior to bottling.

 

[Baldy_Beer_Brewery]

When I bottle, I hand wash the bottles with a bottle brush and OxyClean, then rinse and then run through the dishwasher. It is unlikely that your dishwasher is going to shoot enough water up the neck of the bottle on any cycle to completely clean the bottle.

 

[Thumper]

When I bottle, I hand wash the bottles with a bottle brush and OxyClean, then rinse and then run through the dishwasher. It is unlikely that your dishwasher is going to shoot enough water up the neck of the bottle on any cycle to completely clean the bottle.

This my method also. I use no soap in the dishwasher and close off the jet dry dispenser. No issues to date with this way.

 

[Gosassin]

I put my bottles through once with soap, and then again with tiny squirt of Starsan in the main soap dish and another in the flip-top trap dispenser. I have never had a problem, except for the one time there was a piece of paper towel in the top rack. Still, that proved that soap/sanitizing water was indeed sprayed into the bottles, because I had paper mush inside half of them!

I've got a batch of SWMBO Slayer Belgian and a batch of cider to bottle this weekend, and I'm thinking of just putting the soap and starsan in together. Does anyone know if that will/won't work?

 

[kuphish]

I'm thinking of just putting the soap and starsan in together. Does anyone know if that will/won't work?

If they go in at different times (soap first, starsan second), it should work. If the go in at the same time, they will probably just neutralize each other and be ineffective.

 

[JMack]

I wash the bottles first. Then run throught the heat sanitizing function of the dishwasher. No soap in the dishwasher, and I also run it empty prior to putting bottles in to make sure that any residues have been removed.

 

[woollybugger2]

I just think that running the dishwasher TWICE is a real waste of time and energy...

Wash the bottles with a brush and then sanitize with Star San is faster and you don't have to wait for the bottles to cool down...

 

[Baldy_Beer_Brewery]

This my method also. I use no soap in the dishwasher and close off the jet dry dispenser. No issues to date with this way.

Oh yes... Good point, soaps and drying agents can be head retention killers.

 

[Corkster]

I just think that running the dishwasher TWICE is a real waste of time and energy...

Wash the bottles with a brush and then sanitize with Star San is faster and you don't have to wait for the bottles to cool down...

Agreed... there is a definite time/energy price paid when doing this. There may be a certain simplicity involved with the dishwasher, but I wouldn't trust it to be as efficient at reaching inside the bottle as my bottle brush is. course I have an older dishwasher too... that probably doesn't help...

 

[brrman]

Make sure you don't have an auto JetDry dispenser...

 

[Gosassin]

Good thinking on the jetdry stuff, all. I'll close that up, and put the starsan in the secondary

Regarding the time/energy wasting issue: my power bill might be slightly higher from using the dishwasher, but I think the savings on my time and energy are more than worth it. Washing and sanitizing individual bottles is one of the most tedious aspects of bottling, so anything I can do to make it faster/easier is worthwhile in my book.

 

[bell0347]

For what it's worth I just give 'em a really good rinse right after I poor. Then come bottling time they are MUCH easier to clean. A little dip in a solution of oxyclean a quick shake then rinse well with my jet bottle washer with HOT water, a dip in the sanitizer bucket and let em drip dry upside down on the dishwasher rack. I have done the same thing with and without the oxyclean and have not noticed any difference.

 

[BubbaK]

I thought Star San or any of these no rinse are only good when they are wet... If you are letting the bottles drip dry, isn't that defeating the purpose?

FWIW, I had no idea how to disable my jet dry, so I left it on... I only used the dishwasher once, and I haven't noticed anything funny tasting... it doesn't seem like it affected anything.. maybe it was beginners luck???

 

[Baldy_Beer_Brewery]

The Jet Dry won't be noticeable in the taste, just head retention if at all.

 

[Couldbebrewing]

i just rinse the bottle at the time of pour to clean and then set them in spare boxes i have. At the time of bottling i will make a star san solution to dip them in and set them in the dishwaser on rinse and sanitize to be safe. have not had a problem to date. might be a little time consuming but i dont see the point of changing something that works for me.