Easy Question. Sanitize today, bottle tomorrow?

[gatorforty]

Hey Guys,

I sanitized a batch of bottles today in Starsan solution, and they are drying on a sanitized bottle tree. I broke my siphon and need to grab one at the LHBS tomorrow. Can I just bottle tomorrow, or should I re-sanitize the bottles first?

Thanks,

Ron

 

[amandabab]

re-sanitize tomorrow

 

[Hamsterbite]

I would think if they are being stored upside down and out of drafty/dusty/critter
prone area, you'd probably be alright.
I will say that I sanitized a couple cases a few weeks ago, then left the bottles uncovered standing up in my garage for a couple days. I'm glad I decided to resanitize because I found an earwig in one bottle...I guess they were not completely air dried yet.

 

[phuff7129]

re-sanitize tomorrow

+1

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

re-sanitize tomorrow

+1

+2 (million)

 

[Hamsterbite]

These are just my thoughts and I'm throwing them out there to spark conversation and maybe learn something. I have not studied yeast or anything more than basic biology. Nor do I have extensive experience brewing, so I really have no business giving advice in this arena.

I'm that pain in the ass guy who can't be content with the simple direct answers that don't explain why. I may be jumping to conclusions using flawed logic, but, this is why I wouldn't be terribly worried about it:

First, I agree 100% that the simplest answer is better safe than sorry. My point is the risk of detectable contamination in the finished product is spread over time, and how ever many bottles you're using. Obviously, the more time that passes, the greater the risk. Also, you are well past the early stages of fermentation when exposure can do the most harm.
Unless you are storing them behind the toilet, the chances of having even one noticable bottle contamination is probably quite low.
Right after you sterilize, bacteria and wild yeast are already falling like snow onto and into your equipment. Just breathing/speaking over it is spackling it with bacterial and microbial life. The longer you wait, the greater their numbers and diversity, the greater the risk of a DETECTABLE contamination. The main thing is, not to allow them to thrive. If they are still wet with sanitizer, I don't think much of anything that falls on it will survive very long. Once the sanitizer dries, all bets are off and the clock begins. Set out some pitre dishes and cover them at progressive intervals to see what I mean.
I believe (perhaps incorrectly) that all beer, no matter how strict the sterilization process is, has been exposed to many different contaminants. The key is to give your cultured yeast the upper hand at dominance and play the odds to the best of our knowledge. If beer had to be produced in clean rooms in order to turn into beer, we would never have discovered it. Having said that, beer, and our palates have also come a long way. What was appreciated in ancient Egypt might just turn our stomachs now.

And let the chastising begin....

 

[TyTanium]

You're right, the bottles would probably be just fine. But given how easy re-sanitizing is, why not turn probably into absolutely. Marginal Benefit > Marginal Cost

 

[helibrewer]

When I sanitize ahead of time I dip a little square of foil in StarSan and cover the top of the bottle. I have several cases of wine bottles in this state in my garage just waiting for me to get my lazy A$$ out there and bottle...I have never had a problem doing this.

 

[bobeer]

While I'll agree with Hamsterbite I'd sanitize again anyway. My first batch I was anal and sanitized everything thoroughly and I still got a minor infection somehow in a few bottles. I hate dumping a bottle of homebrew.

 

[bleme]

If my bottle isn't wet, it gets dunked again.
Star-San lasts for a month so it won't cost you a dime to re-dunk.

 

[Revvy]

The sanitizers we use are wet contact/no-rinse sanitzers. That means they are at their most effective when the sanitizer is still wet and clinging to the surface. Anything that then comes in contact with that sanitizer barrier is then neutralized. On the other hand if we let out sanitizer dry, anything landing on the surface renders that object no longer sanitized. So you want to just sanitize fresh.

If it's a timing issue then check out my bottling sticky for more tips and tricks. It should take you no more than 10 minutes to sanitize, and if it takes you more than an hour to sanitize and bottle 5 gallons of beer, you're doing it wrong....

 

[JordanThomas]

2oz starsan + 5 gallons water + 2 cases 12oz bottles + 5 minutes = happy sanitary bottles. I'd personally just re-sanitize. Worth the 5-10 minutes.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

These are just my thoughts and I'm throwing them out there to spark conversation and maybe learn something. I have not studied yeast or anything more than basic biology. Nor do I have extensive experience brewing, so I really have no business giving advice in this arena.

I'm that pain in the ass guy who can't be content with the simple direct answers that don't explain why. I may be jumping to conclusions using flawed logic, but, this is why I wouldn't be terribly worried about it:

First, I agree 100% that the simplest answer is better safe than sorry. My point is the risk of detectable contamination in the finished product is spread over time, and how ever many bottles you're using. Obviously, the more time that passes, the greater the risk. Also, you are well past the early stages of fermentation when exposure can do the most harm.
Unless you are storing them behind the toilet, the chances of having even one noticable bottle contamination is probably quite low.
Right after you sterilize, bacteria and wild yeast are already falling like snow onto and into your equipment. Just breathing/speaking over it is spackling it with bacterial and microbial life. The longer you wait, the greater their numbers and diversity, the greater the risk of a DETECTABLE contamination. The main thing is, not to allow them to thrive. If they are still wet with sanitizer, I don't think much of anything that falls on it will survive very long. Once the sanitizer dries, all bets are off and the clock begins. Set out some pitre dishes and cover them at progressive intervals to see what I mean.
I believe (perhaps incorrectly) that all beer, no matter how strict the sterilization process is, has been exposed to many different contaminants. The key is to give your cultured yeast the upper hand at dominance and play the odds to the best of our knowledge. If beer had to be produced in clean rooms in order to turn into beer, we would never have discovered it. Having said that, beer, and our palates have also come a long way. What was appreciated in ancient Egypt might just turn our stomachs now.

And let the chastising begin....

Awesome point, and you're right for the most part, not to mention playing the devil's advocate is often fun.... but wouldn't you suggest that given the OP's situation that re-sanitizing would be the best approach? It's as simple as a squirt of star san from a spray bottle or vinator, and probably takes all of ~2 minutes time, and IMHO, a far more appropriate step than hoping that not enough contaminates made it on/into the bottles to cause an issue.

 

[Hamsterbite]

Awesome point, and you're right for the most part, not to mention playing the devil's advocate is often fun.... but wouldn't you suggest that given the OP's situation that re-sanitizing would be the best approach? It's as simple as a squirt of star san from a spray bottle or vinator, and probably takes all of ~2 minutes time, and IMHO, a far more appropriate step than hoping that not enough contaminates made it on/into the bottles to cause an issue.

Ok, since you're going to be all polite about it and in the context of your argument...yes I agree. Dayum!

 

[Yooper]

The other thing to consider is we're "sanitizing" and not "sterilizing". Sterilizing means killing ALL microbes and making the equipment sterile. Sanitizing means making it sanitary, killing many of the microbes. I think that's an important distinction, because something that is "sterilized" might well still be "sanitary" in a day, but something that is only sanitized might not be, once it dries.

I hope that makes sense!

 

[gcdowd]

2oz starsan + 5 gallons water + 2 cases 12oz bottles + 5 minutes = happy sanitary bottles. I'd personally just re-sanitize. Worth the 5-10 minutes.

I believe it's only 1 ounce per 5 gallons. At least I hope so, because that is what I've been using!

 

[amandabab]

I believe it's only 1 ounce per 5 gallons. At least I hope so, because that is what I've been using!

it depends on your water, 1oz for 5gallons works for distilled
My tap water needs 1/4oz per gallon to make PH.

 

[H-ost]

I sterilize in the oven and have waited a week before using the bottles. With the tinfoil hats tightly on my bottles I'm sure they could stay sterile for quite a while.

 

[Yooper]

I sterilize in the oven and have waited a week before using the bottles. With the tinfoil hats tightly I put on my bottles I'm sure they could stay sterile for quite a while.

Yes, I would agree that would be the way to do it, if not bottling immediately after sanitizing. Dry sterilize in the oven, with sterile tinfoil. I think it'd keep sanitary for quite a while.

 

[zeg]

Assuming you have a relatively clean house with no kids or pets running around, I'd bet a sizeable sum that you'd be perfectly fine to sanitize the night before and store upside down on a (sanitized) drying rack 9 times out of 10 or better, and that you'd only lose a bottle or two in the times you didn't get "lucky."

But I'd still re-sanitize.

 

[gatorforty]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I ended up just resanitizing!

Ron