Preparing new bottles for bottling

[switters]

I have new bottles I bought from the LHBS for bottling this weekend. Is it necessary to clean them first, or can I just sanitize?

I have Straight-A cleaner, Iodophor sanitizer, and a high-pressure bottle washing attachment that connects to my faucet.

I believe my dishwasher also has a "heat only" function. Is that easier than sanitizing with Iodophor?

 

[Sacdan]

I would clean them with the Straigh-A Cleaner, rinse them with the bottle washer, then fill a sink or bucket with Iodophor, fill the bottles with it, emtpy, and then fill them with beer. Don't rinse the Iodophor.

 

[switters]

Thanks. One thing I don't have is a bottle brush. When you say "clean them with Straight-A", do you mean soak them in it or clean them with a brush?

 

[Neomich]

Unless you had solid gunk in the bottles, a good rinsing and then sanitizing should be fine. You said you bought them from the LHBS so they're new, they just need to be rinsed and sanitized.

I choose to sanitize using my dishwasher. You need the "hot" cycle with water and NO SOAP! so it creates an autoclave of steam to sterilize them. My dw has a "heat" only and it's for drying, not steaming so just check your machine.

With a good rinse right after pouring and a cycle in the dishwasher, my bottles are just fine.

 

[Sacdan]

If you use your dishwasher, make sure you don't have any Jet-Dry in it.

 

[MrVagabond]

If you use your dishwasher, make sure you don't have any Jet-Dry in it.

Thanks for mentioning that. I was planning on using the dishwasher this weekend and would have definitely forgotten about the Jet-Dry!

 

[Stoopidwon]

I would clean them with the Straigh-A Cleaner, rinse them with the bottle washer, then fill a sink or bucket with Iodophor, fill the bottles with it, emtpy, and then fill them with beer. Don't rinse the Iodophor.

+1 to what ^^^^ said!

Wow you must have watched me bottle on sunday thats my exact process. Only I use Oxy clean, to wash.

 

[switters]

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but just to clarify, when you all are saying "wash", do you mean scrubbing with a bottle brush? Or are you just letting the bottles soak in the cleaner?

Also, re: dishwasher. So you're saying I can just put the bottles through the normal wash cycle without any soap in it? That sounds so easy! Why would anyone with a dishwasher NOT sanitize this way?

 

[Ness]

I also use the dishwasher. I'm fortunate to have a sanitize mode on mine. I simply rinse the bottles out as I drink them. After I remove the labels they go into storage until I need them. I then load them all in and push the red candy like button that says sanitize.

 

[Stoopidwon]

I soak all bottles that I have used in Oxy-Clean for 10 minutes, then soak in hot rinse water for 10 minutes, then 10 minutes in Idophor, I will then bottle right after removing from sanitizer. If its a bottle from someone else I will usually bottle scrub just to be safe. Then follow the same procedure I just mentioned.

Most dishwashers use Jet-Dry I heard its not good for your bottles. My first batch I used the dishwasher technique and It take 7 weeks to get any carbonation...Could be a coincidence but both batches since have carbed in under a week.

 

[duderdude1]

I would always clean the bottles with a quick brushing and cleaner. No telling what would have gotten in to them.

 

[Sacdan]

A good bottle-brushing is a good idea. I do it to clean bottles most of the time.