I used to do the same thing minus the star San. Dish washer was on highest temperature. Worked really well, nothing else needed. Unfortunately, I don't have a dishwasher anymore...
How do you clean your bottles?
- Thread starter Jack_0106
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I have one of those and it’s a great buy. However only fits the garden tap so I don’t use it in winter. I rinse my bottles after pouring the contents out, put in the dish washer with the normal wash. Store in a plastic box with a loose lid. On bottling day soak in VWP cleaner and rinse. I do have a brush. Our tap water is clean, not sterile is a brewing myth.If you don't have one, get one of those 'bottle-blasters' or whatever they call it. I'd link to on on amazon, but their links are often redirected if read in another country so here's a duck-search page full of them: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=blast+bottle+washer&t=ffab&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images
If PBW isn't available to you, I'm surprised no one has mentioned this thread yet;
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/homemade-pbw-recipe.467655/
I keep a simple bottle washer hanging on the side of my laundry tub;
View attachment 842769
I always hated the idea of throwing out a batch of PBW after cleaning my equipment...having removed all visible solids and rinsed everything before the PBW cycle it just looked 'too clean' to throw away after one use, so always keep a few gallons or so in a large picnic-cooler under the laundry-room table. My bottles, after use, get blasted out with hot water and then I simply drop them into the PBW in the cooler for a day or so...when I have a few in there, I just take them out and thoroughly blast with hot water, inspect, and then put them on dishwasher rack to dry...when dry, I tear a piece of cheap basket-type coffee filter to put over the top, held on with a tin-tie to allow breathing and prevent dust and such and put them in their box. When I need them again, They're already set to be dropped in a bucket of Star San and then refilled.
The cooler full of PBW also gets some of my SS and glass cookware when I have burnt on crud..a day or 2 of that and they come clean as new. ..of course I do not mix cookware with bottles for contamination risk..but it's a convenience to have around.
Oh, the humanity!
I got one of these 25 years ago. Total dope if you bottle. Fastest bottle rinser ever. I used to soak my bottle in the tub with a bleach solution. But this is the final rinse...blasts everything out in a couple seconds.If you don't have one, get one of those 'bottle-blasters' or whatever they call it. I'd link to on on amazon, but their links are often redirected if read in another country so here's a duck-search page full of them: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=blast+bottle+washer&t=ffab&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images
If PBW isn't available to you, I'm surprised no one has mentioned this thread yet;
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/homemade-pbw-recipe.467655/
I keep a simple bottle washer hanging on the side of my laundry tub;
View attachment 842769
I always hated the idea of throwing out a batch of PBW after cleaning my equipment...having removed all visible solids and rinsed everything before the PBW cycle it just looked 'too clean' to throw away after one use, so always keep a few gallons or so in a large picnic-cooler under the laundry-room table. My bottles, after use, get blasted out with hot water and then I simply drop them into the PBW in the cooler for a day or so...when I have a few in there, I just take them out and thoroughly blast with hot water, inspect, and then put them on dishwasher rack to dry...when dry, I tear a piece of cheap basket-type coffee filter to put over the top, held on with a tin-tie to allow breathing and prevent dust and such and put them in their box. When I need them again, They're already set to be dropped in a bucket of Star San and then refilled.
The cooler full of PBW also gets some of my SS and glass cookware when I have burnt on crud..a day or 2 of that and they come clean as new. ..of course I do not mix cookware with bottles for contamination risk..but it's a convenience to have around.
If you bottle, you MUST get one of these bad boys...
I haven't had any infections due to bottle sanitation, but I noticed a slight film developing when I was using an OxiClean soak for cleaning. A bottle brush cleaned off the film, but it didn't touch the entire surface - left some streaks of film. I figured it would eventually cause a problem. According to Papazian's Complete Joy of Home Brewing, bleach is a good cleaner for glass. My process now is to rinse the bottles immediately after pouring and let them stand, full of water. Then when finished drinking, mix up 2 cups of water and 1/2 tsp of bleach for every 12 oz bottle. (I don't use bleach that is over 6 months old.) Pour it into the bottles and let them soak overnight. Rinse well the next morning with hot water. This completely eliminates the film.
