How do you clean your bottles?

[drinkindinkins]

I am still bottling (I know) and I am wondering if I really need to clean them before I sanitize. After I use a bottle they are always rinsed out well, so there is never any crud left behind. I alway give a long soak for sanitizing. Starsan recommends cleaning before bottling but I am not sure how this would be feasible? I have tried the dish washer but I really don't think that beer bottles get any more clean.

Any thoughts on whether or not they could be cleaned thoroughly before sanitizing?

 

[Colorowdy]

Oxyclean free and hot water. Soak them for about an hour.

 

[flars]

Bottles that are well rinsed right after pouring do not need a cleaning. Give your bottles another quick rinse in case dust or bug got in then sanitize.

 

[Microscopist]

Just a good rinse and some thin bleach to sanitise. As I use clip tops i prepare a few more bottles than i need and put a bit of ethanol in them - that way i have some ready sterile for the next bottling session

 

[drinkindinkins]

Thanks guys. That's kind of what I figured. As long as the bottles don't smell and there is no crud in the bottom then a good soak in starsan will suffice.

 

[Foosier]

While you can get away with not claning your bottles, you run the risk of an infection. It is so hard to tell if you really did get all the crud out after just rinsing a bottle. If you do leave anything in there, a quick soak in oxyclean and a bottle brushing will make sure.

Not to say you can get lucky and not have any issues just rinsing but the likely hood is that you will eventually miss something. So you just have to weigh the risks and determine if you are okay periodically losing bottles to infection or bottle bombs.

 

[MarPaul]

I put all mine in the dishwasher on the disinfect cycle with the high heat at the end, then I soak them in Starsan for a few minutes before bottling. Overkill?
I'd just rather not worry about any microscopic critters coming between me and my beer.

 

[Hello]

I put all mine in the dishwasher on the disinfect cycle with the high heat at the end, then I soak them in Starsan for a few minutes before bottling. Overkill?
I'd just rather not worry about any microscopic critters coming between me and my beer.

Not overkill when water is likely not reaching every part of the inside of the bottle. At least in my experience.


Bottles that I just poured get a quick warm water rinse and stuck upside down in the dishwasher. If they're commercial they'll get an oxy soak anyway to get rid of labels. If not, they're rinsed in warm water on bottling day then given an ole rinse in star san using my vinator.