how to get gunk out of the bottom of a bottle

[bobeer]

I have some nice flip-top bottles that were given to me but they were never washed out. I've tried soaking them in hot soapy water for about an hour then taking a bottle brush to them but there's no change in the gunk at the bottom. It's not a lot of gunk at all but I'm trying to bottle a beer I've been aging on oak for a while so I don't want to risk putting it in a dirty bottle. I figured I'd ask for any ideas before i toss them.

Thanks!

 

[1977Brewer]

Oxy Clean Free, PBW, One Step, or similar. Barring any of those, a little white vinegar.

 

[Rockn_M]

Warm water and OxyClean Free works wonders. Let it sit for a few hours and the gunk should come right out.

 

[CGish]

Pull the wire bales and lids off and soak the bottles in an oxi-clean mixture. The gunk on the bottle should come free after a little while in the solution. I use 1-2 scoops of oxi-clean in 5 gallons of hot water.

Just don't put the bottles in while the mixture is hot and leave them until it cools. The bottles will get a white film that does not want to come off. Want to guess how I know this?

Good Luck,
Cody

 

[Zuljin]

Again on the Oxy.

 

[azazel1024]

Yeah, Oxy and hot water with about an hour or so soak tends to work really well.

 

[bobeer]

Ok ill try the vinegar since i don't have oxy atm. If that doesn't work I'll get some oxy clean when I'm out later. Thanks all!

 

[bobeer]

I found some brillo pads with oxy clean on them. I saturated the brillo pad and squeezed in some oxy clean into each bottle. Going to let it sit for an hour or so. We'll see what it does!

 

[bobeer]

Sweet, that worked. All the gunk is gone after a few shakes of the bottle. Thanks everyone!

 

[slacker1]

I regularly use flip tops, which are donated by my son-in-law after having sat in less than ideal conditions. I have found that a soak in oxyclean followed by a mild vinegar rinse and a session on the bottle sprayer at pressure takes care of all the issues, gunk and white spots.

 

[christyle]

I use this for my stubborn bottles after a day or two soak of PBW

 

[unionrdr]

I usually soak the stubborn ones in a 5 gallon bucket of room-temp water with 4 TBSP PBW dissolved in it for a day. Plugs of moldy funk always floated right out. Then take a bottle brush to'em in the PBW, rinse & onto the bottle tree.

 

[flars]

I chuck a bottle brush in a battery powered drill after a PBW soak. Circular motion of the brush works fast.

 

[unionrdr]

I always liked that idea. Now if I could just find the charger to my drill's battery packs?...:rockin:

 

[bobeer]

I was pretty amazed at how the oxi clean got out the gunk with ease. I guess that's why it's a de-greaser. I have a few funky plastic carboys might have take oxi to or maybe this PBW you all speak of. It would be nice to get some of my carboys back in action.

 

[christyle]

I was pretty amazed at how the oxi clean got out the gunk with ease. I guess that's why it's a de-greaser. I have a few funky plastic carboys might have take oxi to or maybe this PBW you all speak of. It would be nice to get some of my carboys back in action.

What do you clean with normally?

 

[SippinSudz]

Dish soap, hot water, stainless steel high pressure bottle washer attached to faucet.

 

[christyle]

I always heard dish soap can leave soapy residue, pbw works great for me, and its easy to use, relatively cheap too.

 

[bobeer]

What do you clean with normally?

I normally rinse my bottles after I pour the beer out so I don't have this problem. These bottles were given to me and they are pretty sweet so I didn't want to toss them. Now I mostly keg so I hardly use bottles anymore unless it's a beer I want cellar; like in this case.
I also clean my carboys right after I empty them. Until a baby entered my life. Which is why I have a few carboys that are pretty funky. I've had no idea what to do with them until this gunky bottle incident. I can usually get all the gunk out of the carboy with hot water and a carboy brush as long as I clean it the same day it's emptied.