Dishwasher for bottles
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Use the dishwasher.. no detergent. Set it to sani-rinse and heated dry. Your bottles will be fine. I also use starsan, but no need to soak them. Starsan works in 30 seconds. I put 2.5 gallons water in my sink, 1/2 oz starsan, dip the bottle for a second and rinse.
Its probably not even necessary if you use the bottles right from the heated dishwasher.
Its probably not even necessary if you use the bottles right from the heated dishwasher.
JustLooking
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Just the opposite. You can sanitize with a dishwasher, but the bottles have to be clean before they go in. Hole's too small to clean inside, but the temperature will sanitize if you have a sanitize cycle on your machine. Don't take them out until you're ready to bottle.
Mozart
Well-Known Member
I agree that a dishwasher won't clean the bottles very well.
That said, I have yet to actually wash a beer bottle or take my bottle brush to one. Immediately after I pour, I give the bottle a good, thorough rinse in plain tap water, making sure to remove any yeast and sediment, then rinse it a couple more times for good measure.
Then I just use StarSan to sanitize when I'm ready to bottle.
That said, I have yet to actually wash a beer bottle or take my bottle brush to one. Immediately after I pour, I give the bottle a good, thorough rinse in plain tap water, making sure to remove any yeast and sediment, then rinse it a couple more times for good measure.
Then I just use StarSan to sanitize when I'm ready to bottle.
Yeah, I don't know if I would trust dishwasher to be able to really get water up to the bottom of the inner bottle in adequate amounts to clean. Just soak em in oxy free in tub with hot water which also gets the labels off easily.
This would be something you'll need:
Glassware dishwashers.
Glassware dishwashers.
Mozart
Well-Known Member
The dishwasher might not rinse them well for the same reason it might not wash them well. The jets of water are going to have a tough time getting up the narrow neck/opening of the bottle.
If you want to wash, a soak in cleaning solution and/or a bottle brush will do the trick, but I think you might be stuck rinsing them by hand.
I think rinsing the outsides of the bottles in the dishwasher would work really well. Not sure how well the insides would be rinsed? Rinsing the inside of a bottle might not be like rinsing the inside of a glass, because of the size of the opening.
The main reason why you can't use a dishwasher to clean the bottles, no matter if it's rinsing or actually using soap, is that the water streams won't get inside the bottles enough. There are professional glassware d/w that have individual nozzles that you place your glassware, i.e. bottles or whatever, on and they get the water right up there.
Here's what I do:
- soak empty bottles in your cleanser of choice; I use Oxiclean and some bleach
- rinse the bottles with clean water (cold is fine) to remove soap residues
- inject no-rinse sanitizer into the bottles using a vinator
- dry the bottles on a bottle tree
Initially I did the StarSan treatment in buckets but oh boy, having a vinator makes it much easier!
It may not be labeled as such, but the heated dry setting should be sufficient to sanitize bottles. Keep the door closed until you're ready to use them, and give them some time to cool off. They'll be very hot at the end of the drying cycle. I've sanitized bottles like this a few times and not had a problem.
I usually just store my bottles clean and when it comes time to bottle, rinse with Star San. I have Star San in a bottle and soak down the racks in the dishwasher, then stage the bottles in the racks. Basically spray bottle Star San all over the place.
When it comes time to fill them, flip them from the rack onto the door and fill. Any spills stay on the dishwasher door and are washed away with the next cycle. I've had my share of gushers, but I don't think it was because of infection. I probably just need to stir my bottling bucket better.
When it comes time to fill them, flip them from the rack onto the door and fill. Any spills stay on the dishwasher door and are washed away with the next cycle. I've had my share of gushers, but I don't think it was because of infection. I probably just need to stir my bottling bucket better.
Mozart
Well-Known Member
Correct.
Couple clarifications....you DO need to rinse the cleaner off of the insides of bottles with something other than star san...also, I would not let the bottles dry after dipping in star san b/c it loses effectiveness. Just make sure no excess in bottle.
mikek
Well-Known Member
Do you have to worry about the jet dry stuff most dishwashers have in them? I know not to use detergent but is the jet dry stuff a no no also??
mikek said:
Jet Dry may hinder head retention.
mikek
Well-Known Member
So how are people using their dishwasher then? I don't know of a modern dishwasher without jet dry, however I guess you can just not add it... but once it is in there I guess just avoid the dishwasher??? Maybe do an oven bake???
mikek said:
I run mine on a light cycle. I haven't had any issues thus far. Not sure if this helps but I have a few bottles sitting in star San as a bottle.
lgilmore
Well-Known Member
Guys? There's a thing you can spend about $12 for that attaches to your sink fixture and shoots a jet stream of water up into your bottles. Next best thing tool wise to the wort chiller in the homebrew equipment category. Works fantastic.
I run my bottles through this first, usually about 5-10 seconds per bottle. then load into the dishwasher, run without soap or jet dry and then bottle from the dishwasher (bottle bucket above dishwasher on stock pot for the right height. About 35 batches in and no problems doing it this way.
I run my bottles through this first, usually about 5-10 seconds per bottle. then load into the dishwasher, run without soap or jet dry and then bottle from the dishwasher (bottle bucket above dishwasher on stock pot for the right height. About 35 batches in and no problems doing it this way.
