Sanitizing Bottle Caps

[banesong]

Okay, after spending ~30 minutes perusing the forums, I have been unable to come up with an answer to what I believe is a simple question: During bottling, how do people sanitize their caps, and how do they cap their bottles?

In the past, I have taken a small aluminum bowl and filled it with the leftover sanitizing liquid from the bottling bucket (Iodophor). I then dump a quantity of caps into the bowl. As I fill the bottles, I hand them to my son. He places a cap in my capper (the bench model with a magnetic bell), places the bottle on the pad, then repositions the arm and caps the bottle. After he checks the seal (and I double check it), he places the bottle aside and we repeat.

Is this the right way (or a right way) to go about this? The bottles are capped within seconds after filling, so oxidation shouldn't be a concern. Should we place the cap on the bottle rather than inside the magnetic bell of the capper? I am switching to Star-San; should that change the procedure at all?

Thanks in advance.

T

 

[mixedbrewer]

When using regular old caps I put them in a little bowl with some star san and stir them up. I pull them out as I use them and make sure they got a dunk. When using oxy-absorbing caps, I don't sanitize them.

 

[unionrdr]

I use a glass bowl myself,but other than that,sounds fine to me. As long as you both have clean hands. & the switch you're proposing sounds ok.

 

[braceful]

I keep my caps in a bowl of Star San solution and place one on top of each bottle once it's filled (cap goes on wet). Then I go back and cap once I've filled 12 bottles or so.

 

[tchuklobrau]

Read Revvy's sticky in the bottling/keging section. should answer all your questions. Sticky: Bottling Tips for the Homebrewer.

 

[aygov]

I keep my caps in a bowl of Star San solution and place one on top of each bottle once it's filled (cap goes on wet). Then I go back and cap once I've filled 12 bottles or so.

This is what I do. I cap when I have about 6-8 bottles with caps on them.

 

[banesong]

Thanks all. Darn, I hit refresh and the number or responses in minutes is staggering!

 

[troub]

I just put a cup or so of Starsan in a pyrex measuring cup and count out about 30 caps or so and drop them in there (VERY rough count, I don't spend much time at all). When I fill I just pull out a cap and stick it on top of the bottle. Once I have about 6 or 8 bottles filled, I'll just go by with my wing capper and crimp the caps on, put them in a box or carrier and start filling again. The reason I do the rough count on the caps is so that I don't put too many in the sanitizer. My first batch I sanitized way too many and I couldn't get them dry enough, I guess, they were all rusted when I got them out for the next batch. I could also just grab a small handful at a time and drop them in the sanitizer. A few seconds contact time should be plenty, they don't even need a soak.

With my wing capper, it's WAY easier to start with the cap on the bottle, otherwise I'm trying too hard to "aim" in getting the cap onto the lip of the bottle because I can't see underneath the capper. A bench capper is probably different (the bottle sits in a specific place) so I doubt it matters at all.

 

[snazo]

fyi, ive put like 60 caps in a bowl with starsan, put the extra back in the bag with the rest, apparently didnt completely let them dry and they all rusted in the bag.

 

[SICCNESS]

I boil mine for a while. I believe i read somewhere that this was acceptable for sanitizing as well as it creates a better seal since the "rubber" is more pliable. I only have 2 brews under my belt, so i have no clue if this is the best way. I fill a couple bottles at a time then cap and do a few more.

 

[dos_perros]

I soak my caps in a little bowl of vodka for a few minutes.

When using regular old caps I put them in a little bowl with some star san and stir them up. I pull them out as I use them and make sure they got a dunk. When using oxy-absorbing caps, I don't sanitize them.

Why not the oxy-absorbing caps? I use these and soak them in the vodka, like mentioned above. Am I messing them up by doing this?

 

[Acoma]

I throw them in the wallpaper tray with star san that I clean my other crap with, place them on the bottles, and then cap them after filling an entire case or two.

 

[ongreystreet]

I soak my caps in a little bowl of vodka for a few minutes.

Why not the oxy-absorbing caps? I use these and soak them in the vodka, like mentioned above. Am I messing them up by doing this?

I am also confused, oxygen absorbing caps help reduce oxidation, but not sure about sanitation.

I sanitize all my caps regardless.

 

[nutty_gnome]

I keep my caps in a bowl of Star San solution and place one on top of each bottle once it's filled (cap goes on wet). Then I go back and cap once I've filled 12 bottles or so.

Yep. This works for me too.

 

[mixedbrewer]

I soak my caps in a little bowl of vodka for a few minutes.

Why not the oxy-absorbing caps? I use these and soak them in the vodka, like mentioned above. Am I messing them up by doing this?

The oxy-absorbing caps are moisture activated. If you get them wet before you put them on the bottle, they just become regular caps.

 

[logan3825]

Look at the bottom of the page. You should see a thread on sanitizing oxygen caps. They don't work fast enough to be ruined by soaking in sanitizer.

 

[mixedbrewer]

Interesting... I am still not going to push my luck and will put them on dry. Seems to work so far.

 

[flabyboy]

I just soak them in starsan and take them out as I go. when I am bottling alone I just fill my bottles first and then cap. from what I have read it actually allows time for the CO2 left in the beer to push any O2 out of the headspace.

 

[dos_perros]

Look at the bottom of the page. You should see a thread on sanitizing oxygen caps. They don't work fast enough to be ruined by soaking in sanitizer.

Thanks for pointing me to that thread logan, I will read up on it.

 

[nobita]

So far i've been boiling my caps for just 1 minute in a small pot, then leave them in the hot water until I am ready to use each one. They do soften up this way which I think helps the seal. Then after filling each bottle I place a cap loosely on top (being careful only to touch the caps by the edges) *hoping* that in the time before capping, the beer might release enough co2 to purge out the O2, and then i cap all the bottles.

 

[Nova5]

I santize my bottles, stick them on the tree, toss a quantity of bottle caps into the vintinor's starsan pool and work from there.

 

[ohiochris]

I boil them for 5 minutes , these other ways may be easier but I have had no trouble from the boil.