From one Noob to another- bottling tip

[SEndorf]

I'm ready to bottle my 4th batch and was preparing to re-use my bottles for the first time. (Yes, I have a lot of bottles)
Blasted them with a jet bottle washer, then blasted again with a starsan rinser to hang on the tree.
Then noticed this method did not completely remove the yeast gruzz on the bottom. Somewhat hard to notice with brown bottles.
So instead of bottling with tasty beer, I've filled them all with about 2" of PBW and will let them sit for about an hour.
Lesson learned- I need to rinse thoroughly after having a brew. I might just keep a couple inches of water in them when storing the case for next time.
Each time it's something learned!
So for you fellow noobs who lament the funkiness of our brews trying to figure out the myriad of possibilities why this happened, you might want to carefully look at your re-used bottles as well.

 

[BigFloyd]

Good advice.

I also ask all of the folks who save their craft beer bottles for me to please rinse them out immediately after use. I've had to toss cases of donated bottles in the trash because they had funky junk growing in the bottom.

 

[Ryghar]

I also rinse mine out right after pouring the beer. I fill it halfway and shake to really get all the yeast out. Another rinse and they are nice and clean.

Im also getting ready to re-use my bottles for the first time this weekend.

 

[SEndorf]

Well, that was fun. The funk coming out of the bottles smelled like great gramma Eunice.
I've performed another bonehead move. Totally forgot to prep the priming sugar. Just dumped it in the bottling bucket prior to racking.
I'm tired. Bottling should not take an evening.
How do you think this will end up? It's an amber bock.

 

[masskrug]

I also rinse mine out right after pouring the beer. I fill it halfway and shake to really get all the yeast out. Another rinse and they are nice and clean.

+1 to this and dry them upside down.

 

[kh54s10]

I would advise against storing your bottles with water sitting in them. The slime that would grow in that would be worse than the dried up yeast sludge!

Rinse after use. Store dry. Clean and inspect. Then sanitize before re-filling.

 

[SEndorf]

All good advice.

I'm wondering if I screwed this batch by not pre-mixing the priming sugar in a cup of boiling water. Any thoughts?

 

[aggiejason]

All good advice.

I'm wondering if I screwed this batch by not pre-mixing the priming sugar in a cup of boiling water. Any thoughts?

I made this mistake on my first batch and the beer turned out just fine. Plenty of carb. I got nervous as I started opening them after a few days and there was hardly any carbonation. At 10 days, though, plenty of carb and a nice head. I think you'll be ok.

 

[KepowOb]

Good advice.

I also ask all of the folks who save their craft beer bottles for me to please rinse them out immediately after use. I've had to toss cases of donated bottles in the trash because they had funky junk growing in the bottom.

Next time just soak them in some PBW overnight, everything will just come out, including labels. give them a rinse as you take 'em out and they'll be good as new.

 

[C-Rider]

I would advise against storing your bottles with water sitting in them. The slime that would grow in that would be worse than the dried up yeast sludge!

Rinse after use. Store dry. Clean and inspect. Then sanitize before re-filling.

Yea don't store w/water in the bottles.

Rinse them out and stand upside down to dry the store in a covered box till ready to fill. Then all you need to do is dunk in starsan for a few min.

 

[whoaru99]

All good advice.

I'm wondering if I screwed this batch by not pre-mixing the priming sugar in a cup of boiling water. Any thoughts?

Unfortunately it's likely screwed up in regard to priming.

Can't imagine raw sugar at the bottom of the bucket got mixed in very well. Don't really know the effect...best guess is a mixed bag. Some with too much some with not enough.

 

[SEndorf]

Guess ill find out in a couple weeks. Still can't believe I did that.

 

[whoaru99]

I can. I was only seconds away from not having any priming sugar at all in my last bottling, and that was maybe batch 6 or 7.

Had to rush cook up a batch of primer since I was already locked and loaded for bottling.

 

[Elijah]

I fill the sink with cold water and add some chlorine bleach. Sink all the bottles in (mine takes 20 0.5L bottles on their side) and leave for 40-60 minutes.
Empty sink and bottles (after a little shake) then fill the sink with hot water from the Solar boiler (70c +) and let the bottles rest for another 30 minutes.
Hang and dry.

Nothing survives chlorine - it sanitizes and removes every organic (and non organic) stains/clumps/scum ...
Hot water eliminates chlorine.

 

[Devilsnight]

I got the same idea pretty much ^^ One side of the sink they soak in chlorine bleach for a little bit then i dunk em in the other side that has a onestep solution, put em out to dry. One is probly good enough but, why not?

 

[glenn514]

One of my daughters gave me some "empty" bottles some time ago. After taking the time to remove several "science experiments" from inside the bottles, I decided to look inside them BEFORE attempting to clean them. If there was LOTSA crud on the bottom, that bottle went into the recycling bin!

And I, too, ALWAYS thoroughly rinse the bottles after pouring. It makes sanitizing so simple on bottling day.

glenn514

 

[MrSpaz]

Since I'm new to homebrewing, I've been asking my family to save their bottles for me. My parents are good about rinsing them out. I immediately rinse them out as soon as I pour. I guess I should do a good double check now before I bottle tomorrow!