What is the absolute easiest way to sanitize bottles?

[thrasher141]

Hi all, I'm looking for the absolute easiest way to sanitize bottles. I used to put (clean) bottles in my dishwasher and run them through with no soap on a heat cycle. That was pretty easy. Now I've moved and don't have a dishwasher. My latest lazy technique is simply swirling a bit of iodine solution around in the bottle for a couple of seconds, ensuring contact with all surfaces, then pour back into the bucket and drip dry. I think this is less contact time than recommended, but I'm hoping that just getting all surfaces wet and then letting drip dry does the trick. I don't want to spend the time to fill each bottle and let it sit for a couple of minutes in the solution. When bottling just a 5 gallon batch, the time isn't a big deal, but I'm looking into brewing much larger batches and wanting to bottle (kegging is not an option in my situation).

I want to know the absolute easiest way to sanitize (least labor intensive). My priorities are: least amount of labor, conserving energy/water, low cost.

What do you do? What would you recommend?

 

[Varmintman]

For me a vinator and bottling tree is by far the easiest and fastest. I start the siphon going into my bottling bucket and can have all the bottles sanitized and hanging on the tree before the siphon is done. I then set the bottling tree on a chair next to me and start filling them up grabbing them off the tree.

It is so easy it is not even funny

 

[bad67z]

The most trouble free method without a dishwasher is to use a Vinator, bottle tree and Star San.

EDIT: Varmintman beat me to it.

 

[krenshaw]

MalFet's Bottle Washer would be the easiest, though not the cheapest.. just use starsan or idophor instead of a cleaning solution..

i use the same as above though.. i keep my bottles in milk crates so i can rinse them out in the sink, spray them with the vinator and let them sit in the crate while i'm bottling

 

[thrasher141]

Oh wow, that is beautiful! I've never heard of the vinator but what a great idea. Couple questions - does it work fine with iodine solution or is starsan prefereable? And do you worry about sanitizing the bottling tree beforehand? Just spray it down with some sanitizing solution?
Thank you!

 

[bad67z]

Oh wow, that is beautiful! I've never heard of the vinator but what a great idea. Couple questions - does it work fine with iodine solution or is starsan prefereable? And do you worry about sanitizing the bottling tree beforehand? Just spray it down with some sanitizing solution?
Thank you!

I can't speak about using iodine, I have not tried it due to its tendency to stain thing it comes into contact with. I have always used Starsan. I mix up 2 gallons of it made with distilled water and it lasts for a very long time. I also keep a spray bottle of it around for spraying thins such as the bottle tree.

 

[mvcorliss]

I also vote for the Vinator. But I skip the bottle tree. After flushing the bottles using Starsan and the Vinator I just let them drain for a second or two and stand them up on my counter. Just before filling each bottle I turn it over to pour out any remaining starsan (not worrying about the foam) and fill with beer.

 

[TerraNova]

There really is no answer to that question.

If you have to clean them first there are DIY projects that can cycle cleaning/sanitizing/drying into an easy step. You also have to account for space, cost, etc.

 

[jhoyda]

Another vote for the vinator, best $20 I've spent on brewing. I also forgo the bottle tree.

 

[dfess1]

when I bottle, it usually is myself and my wife. So I'll take a bucket and fill it with iodaphor solution, enough to keep the level over the top of the bottles. Add a bunch of bottles, setup the drainer and the bottling bucket. Dump the bottles and put them in the drainer. Add another batch of bottles, siphon into the bucket. Then she'll start bottling, I'll drain more bottles. Add more into the bucket, then cap the ones she has done. Rinse repeat until all 2 cases are cleaned.

 

[lebucheron]

I use my dishwasher as a bottling rack (after it's run it's hot-hot cycle) My wife likes it, because I empty the dishwasher.
If you haven't tried starsan, please do yourself the favour and order it online if you can't find it locally. I can't imagine anyone who's tried it going back to something else. Don't fear the foam!

 

[STJonesin4]

For me a vinator and bottling tree is by far the easiest and fastest. I start the siphon going into my bottling bucket and can have all the bottles sanitized and hanging on the tree before the siphon is done. I then set the bottling tree on a chair next to me and start filling them up grabbing them off the tree.

It is so easy it is not even funny

This is what I do also and it really couldn't be easier.

 

[Pratzie]

ive never done it but they say oven sanitizing is easiest... put a small piece of foil over the mouth of the bottle, throw as many in as u can fit, raise the temp slow bring it to the temp and then let it cool slowly. sounds like its an overnight type process. but very little work involved, other then putting the foil on and taking them in and out.

 

[Varmintman]

I guess what is important is there is no WRONG way really as long as the bottles are sanitized. Find what works for you and enjoy it

 

[Beergazzi]

I have used the oven as a means to dry and sterilize bottles after removing labels, and then I just put water in a rubbermaid container with starsan and soak them as I bottle. One hand is holding the bottle that is filling, the other hand is draining another bottle.

 

[homebrewdad]

Another vote for vinator and bottle tree. This literally cut an hour off of bottling for me.

 

[BlackGoat]

+1 on vinator/bottling tree. I went years without them before I finally bought them - it made things so much easier, definitely the most bang for your buck in terms of simple gadgetry meant to make the brewing process easier. Also, I use the vinator with idophor without any problems whatsoever. Star-san rips my hands to shreds to the point where I'll actually start bleeding.

 

[Pkrd]

My wife likes it, because I empty the dishwasher.

Could you post details on this process please. I know it has many of us baffled.
Pictures would help too.

 

[Oblivion]

Ive just made a copper steamer ran from a wallpaper steamer, works a treat but haven't actually made a batch since finishing this today, but seems to work good