New GF home brewer

[Connie Tamkin]

Hi,
Just starting and reading about sanitizing equipment, but I did not see how bottles are to sanatized.
Thanks.

 

[lumpher]

You can fill them with starsan or some other sanitizing water and soak them for a few minutes along with the bottle caps.

 

[ncbrewer]

Sanitizing is easy. One way is a vinator with Star San:

Cleaning bottles is harder. I clean bottles after use by filling with a bleach solution at the rate of 2 oz in 5 gallons of water (from Papazian's Complete Joy of Home Brewing). They stand overnight and then get a very thorough hot water rinse the next day. I use a jet washer for the rinse.

 

[MaxStout]

If the bottles are rinsed well shortly after pouring, all you need is to sanitize before bottling. A Vinator, or just dunking into a bucket of Starsan. Turn them upside-down and let them drain, then bottle.

BTW, welcome to HBT!

 

[redrocker652002]

I had been using the dishwasher on the sanitize setting, but my last batch of beer went sideways and I am not sure why. So, if I plan on bottling again it will be mixing a bucket of Starsan and filling each bottler and pouring the liquid out back into the bucket. Cleaning I usually dump and rinse right away after emptying them so not much stays in the bottle.

 

[IslandLizard]

Welcome to homebrewing and our forums!

Good information was given already.

Rule 1 in sanitizing:
You can only sanitize something that's already clean. IOW, you can't sanitize dirt (or dirty objects).

To clean bottles, you'd need a bottle brush that can scrub the inside, a sink or tub with warm or hot water, and a cleanser/detergent such as washing soda (it's cheap) or (generic) Oxiclean (more expensive).

The most tenacious area for dirt to hide inside bottles is the corner where the bottom meets the side. So pay extra attention to that, make sure the bottle brush' bristles reach into that corner.

When the bottles are clean, rinse out well.
If you have many bottles to rinse, that jet sprayer that was mentioned is amazingly fast and thorough with that. It screws onto a regular faucet, after removing the aerator if it has one.

Then sanitize the bottles right before you're filling them with beer.

 

[ncbrewer]

I had been using the dishwasher on the sanitize setting, but my last batch of beer went sideways and I am not sure why. So, if I plan on bottling again it will be mixing a bucket of Starsan and filling each bottler and pouring the liquid out back into the bucket. Cleaning I usually dump and rinse right away after emptying them so not much stays in the bottle.

You can only sanitize something that's already clean. IOW, you can't sanitize dirt (or dirty objects).

I think "not much stays in the bottle" is the problem. Nothing should stay in the bottle. Not even a residue film.

 

[Willy]

Back in my bottling days ... I followed this procedure.
1) after I drink the beer, I rinse it out with super hot water and load it in the dishwasher.
2) run the dishwasher when filled using a sanitation cycle.
3) bottling day ... Fill a bucket with starsan and dunk each bottle in, stick your finger in the top and shake. Put bottle in drying rack upside down and let them drain. No rinse is needed.
4) fill bottles with beer.

This method worked great. Never had an issue with my bottles getting a nasty.

 

[redrocker652002]

I think "not much stays in the bottle" is the problem. Nothing should stay in the bottle. Not even a residue film.

OK, so we are going to take it literally? LOL. Then nothing stays on the bottle. I rinse them out with warm to hot water, shake the bottles so everything gets off the inside, pour them out and give them a visual inspection to make sure there is nothing left. When I put them in the dishwasher it runs it thru the cleaning cycle then there is a sanitizing setting that I am guessing gets them really hot to kill whatever may have been left behind. It worked for about 2 plus years, but the last bottle batch I did came up bad. Was it the bottles? No clue. I might give bottles another go simply because I like having a few different styles on hand and my kegerator only holds one keg.