Bottling today - Wierd stuff when cleaning

[PegCityBrew]

Hey Forum!

I am bottling later today. My normal routine is to soak my bottles overnight in Pink Stuff (I bought a big rubbermaid tub to soak bottles in) rinse the next morning and bottle. When I opening my tub today there was white stuff clinging to the outside bottles in the tub filled with the water and pink stuff cleaning mixture (almost like a white mold). It just falls off when I pull the bottle out of the mixture. It rinses off fine and the bottles look and smell very clean. I just want to make sure this stuff won't affect my bottling?

Thanks!

 

[h22lude]

I haven't even heard of Pink Stuff before so I won't be of much help but did you use those bottles before? The white mold could be from beer left in the bottles. I know when I use a bottle I rinse it out with water but I still get a few with mold in it that comes out when I put the bottles in Oxiclean.

Remember, cleaning isn't sanitizing so as long as the bottles are free of debris they are clean.

 

[RobWalker]

If it's coming off the bottles, it's obviously working the way it should - rinse 'em, sanitize 'em, and you'll be fine I guess!

 

[bottlebomber]

I really recommend soaking the clean bottles in a non rinse sanitizer such as Starsan, and then NOT rinsing them. Makes any chance of infection less

 

[johnnyspade]

That white stuff may just be some residue from the bottles. The pink stuff you refer to is probably Divorsol - Trisodium Phosphate. Technically, it's a cleaner and a sanitizer but it does need to be rinsed, 2 or three times, in cold water. I've used it on and off for years.

 

[h22lude]

As others have said, I would recommend rinsing the bottles a few times and you should be good.

When I clean bottles I like to let them soak in Oxiclean for a few days. If labels are still on that will make it really easy to peal them off. I use a bottle brush and then let them soak in clean water for 30 minutes. I then put them on my drying tree. When dry I will cover each bottle top with tin foil and store them. They will stay clean until you need to use them again. All I do use squirt them with StarSan and fill. Very easy.

 

[ozzy1038]

Maybe I am not doing something right, but after the initial cleaning/delabeling of my bottles, I don't wash them again. After I pour a beer I immediately rinse the bottle making sure to remove the yeast sediment in the bottom. after that they are put on my bottle tree to dry. On brew day I use my vinator to rinse with starsan solution. I dip the mouth of the bottle in the solution and then place back on the tree until all the bottles I'll need are done. I then proceed to bottling. No issues thus far.

I don't see the need to create extra work for myself if not really necessary.

 

[h22lude]

Maybe I am not doing something right, but after the initial cleaning/delabeling of my bottles, I don't wash them again. After I pour a beer I immediately rinse the bottle making sure to remove the yeast sediment in the bottom. after that they are put on my bottle tree to dry. On brew day I use my vinator to rinse with starsan solution. I dip the mouth of the bottle in the solution and then place back on the tree until all the bottles I'll need are done. I then proceed to bottling. No issues thus far.

I don't see the need to create extra work for myself if not really necessary.

If you feel like you are getting your bottles clean with just a rinse then you don't need to clean with Oxiclean again.

I moved right into kegging since I hated bottling so I don't have too many bottles to clean. I liked cleaning them again just to be on the safe side.

 

[Zhaph]

I will often soak my bottles overnight in a cleaner if they are very dirty, then run them through the SaniRinse option on the dishwasher. If you have a dishwasher and it has one of these cycles, it has worked well and been the easiest way to sanitize in my experience. I have to reiterate a previous replier and say that bottles must be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed before they can be sanitized.

 

[bottlebomber]

I will often soak my bottles overnight in a cleaner if they are very dirty, then run them through the SaniRinse option on the dishwasher. If you have a dishwasher and it has one of these cycles, it has worked well and been the easiest way to sanitize in my experience. I have to reiterate a previous replier and say that bottles must be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed before they can be sanitized.

I've heard that putting the bottles through the 220-230 degree heat of the sanitation cycle can weaken them

 

[Revvy]

We call it scale, it's really common, it's just residue from the oxyclean as the water it's soaking in evaporates. Usually a weak acid solution like vinegar and water, lemon juice and water, even a dillution of starsan and water usually breaks it down. Or lots of rinsing. It's really fine.

 

[PegCityBrew]

Wow! I posted this right before going to do some yard work and the response is FANTANSTIC! Thanks all! Just making sure I can bottle ok because I have been lagering this for 6 weeks and don't want it ruined by something I can prevent.

 

[bottlebomber]

Wow! I posted this right before going to do some yard work and the response is FANTANSTIC! Thanks all!

Pretty common around here, almost no post goes unanswered. Occasionally the OP will return to find that his post has 200 replies, and a fist fight has broken out, but your issue wasn't that controversial