Sanitizing bottles the right way

[jojacques]

I am in Canada too (Quebec), and I get my StarSan at OntarioBeerKeg dot come.

Not sure where you are located, but a32oz (big bottle) of StarSan is 30$ + around 10$ shipping!
You can also try Beergrains do com. Same great prices!

 

[GuldTuborg]

Get yourself one of these and save time and money when bottling. You have to use all of a pint/quart of Star San for as many bottles as you're using. Plus, you can reuse the Star San in your bottling bucket or to sanitize other equipment. It makes that bottle last much longer, and your per-batch sanitizer cost will be tiny.

Then get a spray bottle to spray down anything with larger surfaces (also like a bucket). Might cost you, quite literally, a few pennies to sanitize a bucket.

 

[Jim311]

The absolute cheapest sanitizer you can find is bleach. I use it almost exclusively for my brewing. 15 ML per 1 gallon of water is a no-rinse solution. It's in John Palmers "How To Brew" book. I used it when I bottled. Soak the bottles at least 30 minutes as it has a longer contact time to sanitize than some of the other more expensive options. Make sure you drain the bottles as well as you can. It works very well and many old school brewers still rely on it to this day. Otherwise, your oven or dishwasher will work fine too.

 

[carloscede2]

The absolute cheapest sanitizer you can find is bleach. I use it almost exclusively for my brewing. 15 ML per 1 gallon of water is a no-rinse solution. It's in John Palmers "How To Brew" book. I used it when I bottled. Soak the bottles at least 30 minutes as it has a longer contact time to sanitize than some of the other more expensive options. Make sure you drain the bottles as well as you can. It works very well and many old school brewers still rely on it to this day. Otherwise, your oven or dishwasher will work fine too.

Finally someone not actually telling me to buy star san. I am a guy who likes experiment, I'll try different methods and see how they work out, some bottles will be in the oven, some in bleach. At some point I guess it wouldnt hurt to get the bottle tree, vinator and star san. They look pretty cool actually and I can see myself saving some time. But its some money that I have to put aside first and I am still a student meaning my budget is not the biggest so I try to work with anything within my range

 

[fuelish]

Sanitizing bottles the right way

The only "right way" is the one that works best for you and doesn't lead to infections, whatever.....I know my "right way," and continue on my way ....

 

[slym2none]

Newcastle Brown Ale is in a clear bottle...

When's the last time you had a good Newcastle?

:fro:

 

[slym2none]

So heinnekens are nit good eh? I thought they were, green shouldnt be as much as an issue as clear bottles

Clear, green, blue, they all let in whatever wavelength of light it is that interacts badly with the hops & skunks a beer. Brown is the way to go, if you are worried. However, just keep the green flip-tops out of the light and they should be fine.

 

[carloscede2]

The only "right way" is the one that works best for you and doesn't lead to infections, whatever.....I know my "right way," and continue on my way ....

Thats what Im trying to find out bud! Lol

 

[carloscede2]

Clear, green, blue, they all let in whatever wavelength of light it is that interacts badly with the hops & skunks a beer. Brown is the way to go, if you are worried. However, just keep the green flip-tops out of the light and they should be fine.

So when people say out of the light, do they mean direct sunlight? Or just light at all? Its kind of confusing honestly

 

[slym2none]

I would keep them out of all light, but I am not really sure if UV bulbs give off the same thing that sunlight does for skunking beer, same for incandescent bulbs. Better safe than sorry. I even keep my brown-bottled beer in the dark!

 

[Aristotelian]

Ive been buying grolsh bottles and so far I got 17 swing tops, 10 hacker pschorr and 7 grolsh. Oh and a bbq sauce bottle that came in a swing top, lol. So heinnekens are nit good eh? I thought they were, green shouldnt be as much as an issue as clear bottles

Reading the thread, I just caught this. Do not use the BBQ sauce bottle! You only want to use bottles made for beer. Bottles that are not designed to hold carbonation could explode from the pressure. Use that one for something else.

Finally someone not actually telling me to buy star san. I am a guy who likes experiment, I'll try different methods and see how they work out, some bottles will be in the oven, some in bleach. At some point I guess it wouldnt hurt to get the bottle tree, vinator and star san. They look pretty cool actually and I can see myself saving some time. But its some money that I have to put aside first and I am still a student meaning my budget is not the biggest so I try to work with anything within my range

Well, you did start asking about how people use Star San. If you don't want to use Star San, by all means go for the dishwasher or the oven method. However, you can get a 4 oz thing of star san for $3 and even that small amount can last you a long time.

 

[carloscede2]

Reading the thread, I just caught this. Do not use the BBQ sauce bottle! You only want to use bottles made for beer. Bottles that are not designed to hold carbonation could explode from the pressure. Use that one for something else.

You sure about that? It was only a experiment though maybe if I keep ot somewhwre safe?

Well, you did start asking about how people use Star San. If you don't want to use Star San, by all means go for the dishwasher or the oven method. However, you can get a 4 oz thing of star san for $3 and even that small amount can last you a long time.

I know, I just thought I was better off doing something in my house, not actually going to buy something

 

[carloscede2]

First things first, 12 tablespoons for 35 gallons of water to clean the bottles.
Pd: water is at 60 C. Isnt that enough to kill bacteria?

View attachment 1456282980887.jpg

 

[Kampenken]

I make a 2.5 gallon solution in a bucket (not my bottling bucket) and I will fill bottles and put aside, about 8-12 in total. Full, to the rim. Then I pick up the first 2 filled ones and shake out into bucket, never touching the tops, if I do I dunk. Then I set aside and move onto next 2. After sanitizing all 50 or so, I then move a bunch over to my island where bottling bucket is, but first shake out any remaining star san bubbles. The point for me is that Star San is supposed to work after being in contact for 30 seconds. I know lots of people use the vinator, and I assume with complete success, but I'm a little anal with this step. I work too hard to the point of getting the beer into the bottle to be lax- however I don't know my method is any better than others, it works for me and I'm fine with this route.

 

[C-Rider]

Here is a video of my methods from the empty bottle to filling it again

 

[RedMonte]

What I did for bottling was very similar to some of the previous posts. You can make it as easy or as difficult as you want. After letting them soak in water with dish soap for a night, the labels were removed. They were then tossed in a plastic tote with some bleach and water (very diluted concentration). On bottling day I filled up 2 buckets, one with just water and the other with water and starsan. I take the bottles of the diluted bleach tote and rinse them in the water and then rinse them in the starsan and place them on my drying rack which is just a large plastic shelving unit that happens to hold bottles perfectly, upside down. After every 10-15 bottles the clean wash water should be exchanged to make sure it's not holding onto too much bleach. The shelving unit I already had and I just use one piece of it, something similar to this http://cdn.mscdirect.com/global/images/ProductImages/8951347-11.jpg . I only use 1 tier off the unit but it holds ~ 90 bottles at one time.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

everybody has their own bottle processing method, below is mine. I hav never had an infection, or a bottle bomb

1. Drink a beer
2. Rinse out the bottle twice
3. Place in dishwasher to drain and drip dry
4. Place back in frige in empty 6 pack rack
5. When full, move downstairs to a convenient empty bottles case. Wash, rinse, repeat.

On bottling day:
6. pull out cases of empty bottles
7. Fill vintator with starsan
8. squirt starsan into each bottle, place upright on counter
9. place caps in stainless steel strainer . Submerge into bucket of starsan. Remove, drip and place strainer on towel near capper
10. Fill, cap, being careful to handle caps by edges. Refer to thread entitles "Revvy easy dishwasher bottling method"
11. Condition, return to step 1.

 

[beernbourbon]

everybody has their own bottle processing method, below is mine. I hav never had an infection, or a bottle bomb

1. Drink a beer
2. Rinse out the bottle twice
3. Place in dishwasher to drain and drip dry
4. Place back in frige in empty 6 pack rack
5. When full, move downstairs to a convenient empty bottles case. Wash, rinse, repeat.

On bottling day:
6. pull out cases of empty bottles
7. Fill vintator with starsan
8. squirt starsan into each bottle, place upright on counter
9. place caps in stainless steel strainer . Submerge into bucket of starsan. Remove, drip and place strainer on towel near capper
10. Fill, cap, being careful to handle caps by edges. Refer to thread entitles "Revvy easy dishwasher bottling method"
11. Condition, return to step 1.

Help me understand this one? Why not just put away somewhere since you're going to wash them anyway. My fridge is full all the time, no room for random empty bottles. Just curious is all. We all have our ways of doing things, and I'm always on the lookout for a better way than I currently do things.

 

[Nicknack]

Get yourself one of these and save time and money when bottling. You have to use all of a pint/quart of Star San for as many bottles as you're using. Plus, you can reuse the Star San in your bottling bucket or to sanitize other equipment. It makes that bottle last much longer, and your per-batch sanitizer cost will be tiny.

Then get a spray bottle to spray down anything with larger surfaces (also like a bucket). Might cost you, quite literally, a few pennies to sanitize a bucket.

As a new brewer, I'm SO GLAD that I spent a ton of time up front to research equipment that will make my life easier and beer tastier. I decided to spend more initially to help make my experience better. I absolutely LOVE my vinator - makes sanitizing bottles a breeze especially with my 48 bottle tree. I'm glad I don't know what it's like to do it any other way.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

Help me understand this one? Why not just put away somewhere since you're going to wash them anyway. My fridge is full all the time, no room for random empty bottles. Just curious is all. We all have our ways of doing things, and I'm always on the lookout for a better way than I currently do things.

Because the frige is chilled and tends to be a (slightly) less moist environment in my home. It's all about drying out the inside to inhibit the growth of bacteria.

Did I say I wash the bottles?

I rinse them to get out the sugars, which would support bacteria growth. I dry them, to reduce the environment needed to support bacteria growth. Then I store in a closed box ( to keep out most dust and debris floating in the air) until its time to sanitize on bottling day

As to space in the fridge, when I was bottling, I always kept ONE 6 pack of beer in there. Some bottles empty, some full. Swap the empty 6er for a full one. Always took up the same amount of space. Your requirements may vary depending on your consumption pace and how many friends you have

 

[carloscede2]

As a new brewer, I'm SO GLAD that I spent a ton of time up front to research equipment that will make my life easier and beer tastier. I decided to spend more initially to help make my experience better. I absolutely LOVE my vinator - makes sanitizing bottles a breeze especially with my 48 bottle tree. I'm glad I don't know what it's like to do it any other way.

Honetly I wanna spend all my money in all these type of stuff, its so damn addicting, but I have other priorities so I cant. Once I save some money I will buy this. I almost get the feeling of this being a non-friendly hobby for students. When you get the picture of homebrewing, you almost feel like its just getting the start kit and you are good to go. NO! A big investment, commitment and time are required in order to make decent beer. I dont regret getting into this hobby because it became my biggest passion (alongside with soccer) but it just isnt as companies make it look like.

 

[Jim311]

Honestly you can brew beer for super cheap. If you go all grain you can brew 5 gallons of a blonde ale for 15 dollars. I bet you'd have a hard time buying Natty for that price. Brewing can be as cheap or expensive as you make it. For me it's all about making existing stuff work because I'm a tightwad.

 

[slym2none]

A big investment, commitment and time are required in order to make decent beer.

Time, yes. Money? Not so much. I do this occasionally, and here we go again:

$12 for a 4-gallon pot
$3.50 for a BIAB bag
$10 for the hydrometer
$10 for the wing-capper
$20 for a large bottle of Star-San
$15 for my FV

That's it. Barely $70. Before going AG, you could subtract the $12 pot, as my 2.75G stock-pot was large enough for 2.5G extract batches.

 

[carloscede2]

Honestly you can brew beer for super cheap. If you go all grain you can brew 5 gallons of a blonde ale for 15 dollars. I bet you'd have a hard time buying Natty for that price. Brewing can be as cheap or expensive as you make it. For me it's all about making existing stuff work because I'm a tightwad.

Yes, but see the way most people tell you to get a vinator, star san, bottle tree, bottling bucket autosiphon etc. Its all an investment and there are things that are essential that do not come with a starter kit (brew kettle for example). I also try to make things work out even though some people say otherwise.

 

[carloscede2]

Time, yes. Money? Not so much. I do this occasionally, and here we go again:

$12 for a 4-gallon pot
$3.50 for a BIAB bag
$10 for the hydrometer
$10 for the wing-capper
$20 for a large bottle of Star-San
$15 for my FV

That's it. Barely $70. Before going AG, you could subtract the $12 pot, as my 2.75G stock-pot was large enough for 2.5G extract batches.

I dont know where you got those prices from but they sound like a pretty decent deal.
For me its not like that, maybe difference in countries.

Starter kit (for someone that doesnt know a lot about homebrewing, its better to start with a starter kit. Once you know the fundamentals of brewing you realize how some kits are overpriced) 84$ including a primary and secondary fermenter, hydrometer, siphon, and thermometer (a ****ty one by the way)
Beer ingredients range from 20-30 per batch
Thermometer 10
Bottles depend on everyones situation
Brew pot 5 gal 30 $
Wing capper 20
Biab bag 8
Bottle filler 4
Star san 32oz 40
And I dont even wanna mention the other stuff cause it just adds up to a big sum!

 

[GuldTuborg]

Yes, but see the way most people tell you to get a vinator, star san, bottle tree, bottling bucket autosiphon etc. Its all an investment and there are things that are essential that do not come with a starter kit (brew kettle for example). I also try to make things work out even though some people say otherwise.

While these things aren't necessary, they do make the process of making & bottling beer more enjoyable. I brewed my first 18 months or so without the vinator. I saved up and got one, and I don't regret it one bit. It's still chugging along, 5 years later. Everyone's situation is different, and everyone has a different pain threshold for the chore of sanitizing and bottling. Only you can decide when and if such a product is a proper investment for you, but the consistent experience of brewers who use these products should give you some indication of what to expect from buying one.

 

[Kampenken]

Because the frige is chilled and tends to be a (slightly) less moist environment in my home. It's all about drying out the inside to inhibit the growth of bacteria.

Did I say I wash the bottles?

I rinse them to get out the sugars, which would support bacteria growth. I dry them, to reduce the environment needed to support bacteria growth. Then I store in a closed box ( to keep out most dust and debris floating in the air) until its time to sanitize on bottling day

As to space in the fridge, when I was bottling, I always kept ONE 6 pack of beer in there. Some bottles empty, some full. Swap the empty 6er for a full one. Always took up the same amount of space. Your requirements may vary depending on your consumption pace and how many friends you have

We do all have our own ways and I've been fortunate as you on the lack of infections so I'm with beernbourbon on this. I rinse 3x good with hot water after emptying a bottle, then stick in case until I use again (closed in basement). When I bottle I fill bucket w/2.5g of star San solution and fill 6-8 bottles to top. I then shake empty into bucket starting with first 2 filled to ensure bottles have held the solution for at least 30sec (mfg recommends this long of contact for sanitation). When I fill, after sanitizing 50+ bottles, I first empty out any residual foam. Not to much handling for me and using two bottling wands really moves it along nicely.

 

[slym2none]

I dont know where you got those prices from but they sound like a pretty decent deal.
For me its not like that, maybe difference in countries.

Starter kit (for someone that doesnt know a lot about homebrewing, its better to start with a starter kit. Once you know the fundamentals of brewing you realize how some kits are overpriced) 84$ including a primary and secondary fermenter, hydrometer, siphon, and thermometer (a ****ty one by the way)
Beer ingredients range from 20-30 per batch
Thermometer 10
Bottles depend on everyones situation
Brew pot 5 gal 30 $
Wing capper 20
Biab bag 8
Bottle filler 4
Star san 32oz 40
And I dont even wanna mention the other stuff cause it just adds up to a big sum!

Yeah, I am in the USA, I had no idea you were in Canada until the other thread with your screenshot of Amazon.ca let me in.

 

[carloscede2]

Yeah, I am in the USA, I had no idea you were in Canada until the other thread with your screenshot of Amazon.ca let me in.

See? Prices here for homebrewing are not as competitive as the ones in the States, sometimes I feel like crossing the border, getting all the stuff and come back. The other day I saw a kit from the Northener brewer for 100$ that included everything necessary for homebrewing, from a kettle to an autosiphon, even the ingredients for a 5 gal batch. Im just so envy

 

[carloscede2]

So Ive tried at least 12 beers of my last batch and I havent felt the slightest sign of infection. This is what I did:
For the bottles:
- Oxiclean in my bathtub wit hot water around 100 F for an hour.
- Rinsed them, and let them air dry.
- Next day put the oven to 190F and left it there for 30 min and turned it off and let the bottles rest for 6 hours to let them cool gradually.

For the equipment:
- Made a sanitizing solution with bleach, 1 tbsp per gallon in my 7 gal bucket.
- Soaked the equipment for 30 min
- Rinsed it with hot water