What am I missing? Vinator worth the buy??

[J187]

So, I'm getting ready to bottle my first batch today. I have read SO many things about people adoring their vinator for sanitizing bottles. They talk about how it saves time and solution. My first thought was to simple fill my spigotted bottling bucket with 5 gallons of Iodophor, put everything to sanitize inside for two minutes, and then use the spigot to fill all 48 bottles with the solution after. Let sit in the bottles for a few minutes and dump out. Never having bottled before, I guess I don't see why the investment of the vinator is so much better. My supply place opens in a couple hours, if it's really that much better ,I'll wait to buy one before I start.

 

[acuenca]

YES!!!!!
....


It's much faster than filling a bottle and then shaking it around with sanitizer or brush the inside then dumping the sanitizer then setting to dry...

I... seriously love mine.

 

[Daybis]

Your method will work just fine. I prefer the vinator because it is quick and easy to use and it doesn't waste a lot of sanitizer. I also like to use the bottling trees to dry because it also keeps the bottles somewhat upside down so dist and whatnot doesn't fall into the bottles. Its really just personal preference and what works for you. What's important is the bottles get sanitized throughly on the inside.

 

[unionrdr]

Def go get it!! It's worth every penny,especially since ir fits on top of their bottle tree. Both are made by Ferrari,I have both. Just fill the bowl half way or a little more with sanitizer. Then prime the pump with the first bottle till it starts spraying a stream of sanitizer up into the bottle. I give each bottle 5 pumps,then onto the tree.
It saves a lot of time messing around dumping back & forth. You then can do,say,45 bottles in 5 or 10 minutes. I love that thing!

 

[seabass07]

I don't use one, so I wouldn't venture to say whether it's worth it or not. But I will say it isn't worth waiting for. If you can get your bottles clean, then a soak in iodophor or starsan is all you need. For me, a soak in oxyclean and rinse, then a spray of starsan right before filling is plenty. The vinator would make the cleaning part much quicker, but I wouldn't consider putting off a brew until I got one.

The only thing missing from your method is the cleaning part. You would still need to sanitize after using a vinator. It just makes cleaning easier. Consider the dishwasher for sanitizing if it has a sanitize setting. Or just use the iodophor. Just make sure you clean the bottles well before sanitizing.

 

[Yooper]

Yes, it's worth it!

But as mentioned, if you don't have one yet you don't "need" it.

You have to clean your bottles before sanitizing either way. So once the bottles are clean, a quick dunk in sanitizer that covers the whole surface inside is sufficient.

A vinator is great because two squirts inside the bottle and onto the bottling tree is all that's needed. It takes less than 10 minutes to sanitize 53 bottles.

 

[unionrdr]

I don't use one, so I wouldn't venture to say whether it's worth it or not. But I will say it isn't worth waiting for. If you can get your bottles clean, then a soak in iodophor or starsan is all you need. For me, a soak in oxyclean and rinse, then a spray of starsan right before filling is plenty. The vinator would make the cleaning part much quicker, but I wouldn't consider putting off a brew until I got one.

The only thing missing from your method is the cleaning part. You would still need to sanitize after using a vinator. It just makes cleaning easier. Consider the dishwasher for sanitizing if it has a sanitize setting. Or just use the iodophor. Just make sure you clean the bottles well before sanitizing.

While you could use a vinator for cleaning,most of us just use it with starsan for sanitizing. I think you missunderstood the intention?...you don't need to santize after sanitizing with the vinator.

 

[acuenca]

While you could use a vinator for cleaning,most of us just use it with starsan for sanitizing. I think you missunderstood the intention?...

Yeah I clean out my bottles when I delabel them in oxyclean or with the kitchen faucet after I pour a cold one... Let them dry and sanitize on the day of bottling with the vinator and star san...

 

[J187]

Ok... compelling arguments! I had planned to just leave the iodophor in the bottle for a few min and empty, but how long should I wait for them to dry? How dry should they be? I was under the impression that with a no-rinse like Iodophor, just dump out the sanitizer and they would be good to go. And the bottles are new and have been lightly cleaned.

 

[beergolf]

You could the poor man's vinator.... A turkey baster. A good squirt in the bottle. Thumb on top , quick shake, dump back in bowl, set bottles in dishwasher to drain.

 

[Yooper]

Ok... compelling arguments! I had planned to just leave the iodophor in the bottle for a few min and empty, but how long should I wait for them to dry? How dry should they be? I was under the impression that with a no-rinse like Iodophor, just dump out the sanitizer and they would be good to go. And the bottles are new and have been lightly cleaned.

They don't have to dry! You can fill them still wet with sanitizer. You don't even have to let them sit for a few minutes, as they will stay wet for at least the contact time (which I think is two minutes for Iodophor). Fill partially, cover with hand, shake it a bit, pour out. That's it.

 

[acuenca]

I was under the impression that with a no-rinse like Iodophor, just dump out the sanitizer and they would be good to go. And the bottles are new and have been lightly cleaned.

Yup.

 

[J187]

They don't have to dry! You can fill them still wet with sanitizer. You don't even have to let them sit for a few minutes, as they will stay wet for at least the contact time (which I think is two minutes for Iodophor). Fill partially, cover with hand, shake it a bit, pour out. That's it.

Oh, ok. Then is the bottle tree only good for those who use something to sanitize that does have to dry? Or perhaps just to store them with a small footprint?

BTW - good luck to the pack today. I'm very excited for that game! My Patriots destroyed the Broncos yesterday and I'm kinda hoping for a GB/NE SB.

 

[Yooper]

Oh, ok. Then is the bottle tree only good for those who use something to sanitize that does have to dry? Or perhaps just to store them with a small footprint?

BTW - good luck to the pack today. I'm very excited for that game! My Patriots destroyed the Broncos yesterday and I'm kinda hoping for a GB/NE SB.

Yep, it's more just a place to stick them on the counter. It's easy to grab a bottle off of the bottle tree to fill it, rather than having 55 wet bottles all over the counter. They don't have to dry, as most sanitizers are "wet contact" no-rinse sanitizers, but the biggest drips drain out while hanging upside down.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,the bottle tree is just easier way to store them after sanitizing with the vinator on top right before you fill the bottles. But you can also use the bottle tree for newly emptied bottles after a clean & rinse. I do that,let'em dry on the tree then store in covered boxes till needed.

 

[DWavs]

I don't use one, so I wouldn't venture to say whether it's worth it or not. But I will say it isn't worth waiting for. If you can get your bottles clean, then a soak in iodophor or starsan is all you need. For me, a soak in oxyclean and rinse, then a spray of starsan right before filling is plenty. The vinator would make the cleaning part much quicker, but I wouldn't consider putting off a brew until I got one.

The only thing missing from your method is the cleaning part. You would still need to sanitize after using a vinator. It just makes cleaning easier. Consider the dishwasher for sanitizing if it has a sanitize setting. Or just use the iodophor. Just make sure you clean the bottles well before sanitizing.

As others have said, most use it for sanitizing. I sanitize 6 bottles with the vinator, then fill them with beer, and then repeat since I don't have a tree.

 

[seabass07]

I guess I did misunderstand it. I thought you used it to clean them out, not for sanitizing. Disregard my statement

 

[Borisbbadd]

Bottle tree and vinator, so much faster and easier. Well worth the money !!!

 

[unionrdr]

You got that right,badanoff!

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

surprisingly, i'm going to add to the list of Yes, the Vinator is totally worth it. combined with a bottle tree, it makes bottling A LOT easier.

 

[Stauffbier]

They don't have to dry! You can fill them still wet with sanitizer. You don't even have to let them sit for a few minutes, as they will stay wet for at least the contact time (which I think is two minutes for Iodophor). Fill partially, cover with hand, shake it a bit, pour out. That's it.

I've read that Iodophor is supposed to be allowed to dry as opposed to starsan.. Is that not true? I only use starsan, so I have no experience with Iodophor. It would be good to be educated about it, though...

Oh.. and to the OP.. get the Vinator. It's a MAJOR time saver!

 

[Yooper]

I've read that Iodophor is supposed to be allowed to dry as opposed to starsan.. Is that not true? I only use starsan, so I have no experience with Iodophor. It would be good to be educated about it, though...

Oh.. and to the OP.. get the Vinator. It's a MAJOR time saver!

You CAN let it dry, but it's not necessary when mixed correctly. For more than you'd ever want to know: http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/wp-content/uploads/IOStarTech2.pdf

 

[Stauffbier]

You CAN let it dry, but it's not necessary when mixed correctly. For more than you'd ever want to know: http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/wp-content/uploads/IOStarTech2.pdf

Thanks Yooper!

 

[enkamania]

When I bottled, I found the three most important things for me

1. Partner
2. Bench capper
3. Vinator

 

[Transamguy77]

Got any kids? They are my vinator! Ok all kidding aside I have wanted a vinator myself, I made a bottle tree a few months back and I feel it I something I cant do without.

I have my bottle bucket on the counter in front of me (I sit on a stool) with the bottle wand attached right to the spigot, my bottle tree to my right and a empty counter to my left......well till it's full of full beer bottles. I never have to get up till I cap.......unless my kids are around then I don't cap.

I know a lot of people don't like to bottle but with the right set up it's not so bad.

 

[Revvy]

With a vinator it takes me between 5-10 minutes to santize two cases of bottles. So the answer is yes.

And be sure to check out my bottling tips sticky.

 

[unionrdr]

Or my bottling video to see my ghetto bottling setup in action. It's on youtube,& my profile.

 

[J187]

With a vinator it takes me between 5-10 minutes to santize two cases of bottles. So the answer is yes.

And be sure to check out my bottling tips sticky.

Your sticky was one of the things I read - kinda why I ended up asking the question, you're argument was compelling . Great write-up!

So, for this round, I decided to wait on the vinator - if for no other reason than to have a basis for comparison when I get one. I actually found my process to be pretty quick! I filled the bottle bucket with 6 gallons of solution of Iodophor (I think I'll be switching to starsan soon) and Soaked all my tools in it, sanitizing the bucket at the same time. After a few minutes, I started filling the bottles with sanitizing solution with the spigot. Tilting them a bit and filling to the top, placing them on the counter. When I had filled one whole case, I took them, 4 at a time, and dumped them out and shook them. Then moved on to the next case. When I had filled and dumped all bottles, I still had about 1-1.5 gallons of solution left, which I then siphoned into my boil kettle using my autosiphon and Bottle wand. This allowed me to sanitize inside the hose and tubing as well. Worked great and actually went really fast. Thanks to all - I will definitely try the vinator next round!