Dishwasher to sanitize bottles?

[avidhomebrewer]

I've been doing it this way for years without problems. First, make sure you rinse your bottles really well right after you pour a beer, and store them upside down. I use a Jet bottle washer to blast them out right before I put them in the dishwasher.

I run them on the highest settings, with high heat dry, and I do not use soap. Dishwashers heat water well past 120 anyway.

Agreed. I've been using this technique for at least 6 years with no issues. I rinse them in the dishwasher for about 20 minutes, then let the dishwasher go into its drying cycle and it cranks up the temp to sanitizing temps.

 

[dragonlor20]

Just because this thread is good food for thought, I think it is worth keeping alive. I keg 99.9% of the time because it is easier, I can drink faster, and I enjoy having a beer on tap at the house when I get home from work. However, there are so many great reasons to bottle, number 1 of which is portability - if I want a Great Scott! Brewworks beer at the GF's house then I just take it along. I like that option, although, recently I have been filling my own growlers which we have really enjoyed.

Anyways, I have used the dishwasher in two different small apartment dishwashers over the last 2 years or so. I have had one infected batch total since I have been brewing, and I wasn't able to siphon everything from the fermenter, so I had some left in there, and while yes the bottles were infected, the fermenter was also infected, which shows me that something else got in there not related to the dishwasher. So if my experience adds anything, I would say you should feel pretty safe using your dishwasher to sanitize already-clean bottles for your homebrew.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

FWIW, I stuck a wort-proofed meat thermometer in my old mid-90s GE washer (no 'sanitize' setting but does have heated-dry) yesterday and the heated-dry cycle only got up to 160* F (and only stayed there for about 1 minute). But it stayed above 140* F for at least 20 minutes.

I still bottled with them but after remilard's (old) post I think I'll just put the whole pot full of bottles in the oven.

 

[glenn514]

Dirty bottles CANNOT be sanitized. So, when someone gives me beer bottles, I most definitely remove the labels and SCRUB THEM OUT THOROUGHLY with a bottle brush. Even heard of someone who puts the bottle brush into an electric drill and then uses that to scrub out the inside of the bottle.

Once the bottles have been cleaned to my satisfaction, I use them to hold beer. If I can't get all the "gunk" off the bottom of the bottle, it gets thrown away. When one is emptied, it is THOROUGHLY rinsed with hot water. Since they were clean in the first place, a thorough rinse is all that is needed at this time.

When I bottle, I run 54 bottles through my dishwasher WITHOUT SOAP on the "high temp wash" and "heated dry" cycles. When the washer is done, I let the bottles sit for a bit to dry/cool off. Then, I put my bottling bucket on the counter above the washer, and using the open washer door as a low "shelf," I proceed to bottle my beer. Cleanup is a snap: close the washer door! And no bottle infections yet!

glenn514

 

[Randar]

First off, let me clarify that new bottles (newly reclaimed commercial bottles) will get collected until I have a few dozen. Then they get soaked in oxyclean to remove labels and gunk in the bottom before being thoroughly washed and jet-blasted and rinsed before drying on a bottle tree and then storing them.

With already de-labeled bottles, I rinse any particulate out, run through dishwasher (I line them up so bottles will be above the path of one of the sprayer outlets) and then run on the high "dirty" cycle.

Then, once dry, I simply store them. I will star-san the whole lot of bottles being used in a given bottling session using the Vinator and a bottle drying tree.

 

[Connman]

Yup, i used to do this years ago, i was always concerned if it was effective but never had a problem! I have a new dishwasher now with a sanitize setting. Too bad i have kegs now

 

[Hex]

I have serviced two modern dishwashers this past year. GROSS.

 

[MisterGreen]

I sanitize by taking clean bottles (rinsed well after use) and then using a vinator and a bottle tree. You take the clean bottle, pump once with the bottle on the vinator and place it on the tree. I can easily do 50 bottles in less than 20 minutes.

This is how I do it and I've never had a problem.

 

[dfc]

I rinse my bottles out well once I pour the beer out. Then I store the bottles until bottling day. I make sure the dishwasher is clean and empty then I spray down the top rack with starsan and use a Vinator full of starsan to sanitize the inside of the bottles. The bottles get placed upside down on the dishwasher rack until I'm ready to fill them. I've done 11 batches like this and never had any issues.

 

[NiteOwlBrewing]

Dirty bottles CANNOT be sanitized. So, when someone gives me beer bottles, I most definitely remove the labels and SCRUB THEM OUT THOROUGHLY with a bottle brush. Even heard of someone who puts the bottle brush into an electric drill and then uses that to scrub out the inside of the bottle.

Once the bottles have been cleaned to my satisfaction, I use them to hold beer. If I can't get all the "gunk" off the bottom of the bottle, it gets thrown away. When one is emptied, it is THOROUGHLY rinsed with hot water. Since they were clean in the first place, a thorough rinse is all that is needed at this time.

When I bottle, I run 54 bottles through my dishwasher WITHOUT SOAP on the "high temp wash" and "heated dry" cycles. When the washer is done, I let the bottles sit for a bit to dry/cool off. Then, I put my bottling bucket on the counter above the washer, and using the open washer door as a low "shelf," I proceed to bottle my beer. Cleanup is a snap: close the washer door! And no bottle infections yet!

glenn514

Actually, dirty bottles CAN BE sanitized...hell, they can be sterilized. Maybe not in a dishwasher though. You'd just have to pressure cook them long enough or autoclave them. Would they still have crap inside? Yes, but sanitized or even sterilized crap.

Dishwasher works great to sanitize clean bottles, especially with a sanitize setting. Even an old apt dishwasher's heated dry hit over 175 for a good 5min and that was 15 years ago. Clean probably helps here as a thick crud might not heat to the middle.

I was going to post about using the door as the bottling surface as this is what I did for years before kegging. Now I have to bottle in the garage. So, I now run the bottom rack full of bottles and carry the whole thing out to the garage to bottle off the kegs. I've probably done this 25 times over the past two years alone with nary a single negative result. I have a holiday beer bottled with the dishwasher method that just hit 4 years old with a few bottles left and it was fine.

 

[glenn514]

Actually, dirty bottles CAN BE sanitized...hell, they can be sterilized. Maybe not in a dishwasher though. You'd just have to pressure cook them long enough or autoclave them. Would they still have crap inside? Yes, but sanitized or even sterilized crap.

I didn't think about it quite that way. NiteOwlBrewing is correct: you CAN have sterilized crap at the bottom of a beer bottle. I don't WANT stuff like that in my beer. Don't think anyone else does, either. But at least it would be sanitized and sterilized.

glenn514

 

[casperjah]

Great thread btw

I use the dishwasher. However it warps my PET and Ox-bar bottles, causing caps not to seal correctly. My machine seems not to have a "heat" cycle but dries at end of wash using dry heat.

I use a cleaner/ sterilizer called VWP, it can be used as a dishwasher cleaning agent too so I give bottles a good rinse wit hot water to remove sediment then place in dishwasher. I think although the dishwasher does not get water right into bottles the steam carries it up into them.

To prove my point open your machine mid cycle and stick your hand/head in - the steam is toxic with vwp fumes.

Dont actuallly do this BTW

J

 

[DirtyD]

I used my dishwasher to sanitize my bottles it is my first time doing so...It does not have a sanitize on it but it gets hot enough to melt plastic....hopefully all goes well....its only been bottled 3 days now so well see

 

[fastengine]

My first batch I bottled I used a 25QT hot water canner and steamed the bottles with boiling water for 10 minutes, just using an inch of water in the bottom of the canner. Bottles were way to hot to grab without tongs and dried fast. I did get some water spots on some bottles but it wiped off easily after filling and capping.
Is this overkill or not a good method, I have only seen one other post in 5 pages that even mentioned using a canner to sterilize. I might try the oven method next, on my pre-cleaned bottles because I really like the idea of using heat to sanitize bottles.
I use star-san on the rest of my equipment.

 

[Brewham]

I rinse after pouring to clean out the gunk. Then, wash in the dishwasher before bottling. Use no soap unless you are willing to run them through another cycle with no soap to get off all the soap residue. Use no spot-remover in the dishwasher and put it on the "sanitize" cycle if you have one.

 

[completegeek]

My dishwasher has a high heat wash and a high heat dry cycle. I've been using this cycle for my last 5 batches without any problems. The beer tastes fine and I haven't seen any nasties grow in a bottle yet.

I thoroughly rinse each bottle after I pour a beer and I will even give them a scrub with the bottle brush sometimes just for peace of mind.

 

[Stratotankard]

I was actually thinking of using SaniClean, or whatever they call that no-foam version of Star San form Five Star Chemicals.

I would definitely go with the no foam version. I used about once of Star San in my dishwasher once to sanitize my bottles, then left to pick up some priming sugar and caps at the LHBS. It wasn't a pretty sight when I got home. Picture a four foot tall foam blob covering my counter top and half the kitchen. Who knew it could foam THAT much?!!! At least with a sanitize setting, hot dry and the Star San I know my bottles were clean.

Terje

 

[mikebowman]

every batch ive done so far, i've cleaned the bottled thoroughly, got all the crap off the bottom and stuff, stuck em in the dish washer with no soap on the highest heat settings (hi-temp wash and heated dry), and bottled right out of the dishwasher. no problems yet!

 

[scott422]

I"ve always used the oven. Start on warm setting for aboutn 15 min, then slowly bring the temp of the oven up every 10-15 min until I reach 200. Leave at 200 for one hour, then shut off and let cool overnight, being careful not to open the oven door until bottling time. Easy and has always been effective.

 

[drewbeta]

I have been using the dishwasher to clean my bottles after I finish a round. This has worked great for me so far, but I've been using one step to sanitize before bottling.

I read the idea for sanitizing with the dishwasher in the Midwest Supplies kit instructions, and decided to investigate the viability. I'm fairly new to home brewing, but I sold appliances for about 3 years when I was in college. I know that the sanitize cycle on dishwashers is actually intended for sanitizing things like baby bottles. So I guess that if it's good enough for your baby, it should be good enough for your beer!

Looks like I'm about to save myself some time!

 

[mnixon]

I've only ever used the dishwasher for steralising my bottles and haven't had a problem. I put them on a 45 minute quick wash with 1 milton sterilisation tablet in the bottom.

 

[CarbonRiver]

I tried this once and it may have been pure coincidence but it is the only batch I've ever had that truly tasted NASTY! I think it was the bottles because some of them did seem to be worse than others (at least the ones I tried before I gave up and dumped the batch). I ran a full cycle but without heat dry and our machine did not have a sanitize setting so maybe that would have helped. The steam when you open the door after it ran was certainly pretty hot though so not sure.

 

[Oregonducks10]

Can be difficult for water to get into the bottles though it is good for cleaning but id still use a sanitizer before bottling. Or try the oven.

 

[mnixon]

The dishwasher is all I've ever used and had no problems. The last time I did it, I put in a bottle that I just couldn't clean the dried yeast from and it came out sparkling. I guess I'll keep doing it this way until I have a problem with it myself.

 

[Blith]

I've done five batches with the "dishwasher sterilize" method. The bottles are sparkling clean before going in, and I add two cap-fulls of bleach before running a full cycle with a heated dry option; no soap. Works great, as long as you clean the food trap.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Rinse aid

As far as I'm concerned, the dishwasher is THE BEST way to sanitize.

My only problem is that SWMBO puts RINSE AID (see above larger version for the vision impaired) into the damned thing at random times and with no warning.

Any trace of (^rinse aid^) will lead to BAND AID BEER.

 

[eanmcnulty]

Can be difficult for water to get into the bottles though it is good for cleaning but id still use a sanitizer before bottling. Or try the oven.

I'm not sure the water has to get into the bottles. On the heat/dry setting the heat is all that is needed to sanitize. I read (don't remember where) that it has to reach 170F for 15 minutes to sanitize. I used the probe thermometer and mine hit that.

 

[cadarnell]

I use the dishwasher .. and no probs yet .. it has a sani setting tho ... just for fun, the last few batches, I have bottled the last couple of the beers in bottles that had only been rinsed out well after use and stored upside down .. then I marked the bottles .. all of those beers have been perfectly fine too .. I think, for me anyway, bottling doesnt have to be perfect ... I dont enter contests yet tho ... and I would never serve anyone but me a beer that I bottled without sanitizing it somehow ...

 

[EddieB428]

I'm not sure the water has to get into the bottles. On the heat/dry setting the heat is all that is needed to sanitize. I read (don't remember where) that it has to reach 170F for 15 minutes to sanitize. I used the probe thermometer and mine hit that.

That's pretty much right. The steam will do the majority of sanitizing. As long as steam gets inside the bottles it will work. It doesn't take much of an opening for that to happen either. In my biology research course last semester we would put our jars of growth media into the autoclave to sanitize. Every jar had a cap on it that was left fairly loose to allow steam to enter. Of course the autoclave was pushing out 121*C at 12-15 psi for 15 minutes but the principle is the same.

 

[Oregonducks10]

I'm not sure the water has to get into the bottles. On the heat/dry setting the heat is all that is needed to sanitize. I read (don't remember where) that it has to reach 170F for 15 minutes to sanitize. I used the probe thermometer and mine hit that.

Yeah be you can stuff in the bottles that rinsing in onestep or something would clear out. But I agree it probably would do the trick.