Worth cleaning out? Or risk not worth reward?

[BlackFurnaceBrewing]

Short soak in mild acid soln and jet washer has always done the trick for me.

 

[techbrewie]

spend the 15 bucks on a jet bottle washer and never look back.

 

[Johnnyhitch1]

spend the 15 bucks on a jet bottle washer and never look back.

Was just about to post this...
I let my bottles pile up for a couple days and blast hot water thru them, had a couple look like this bottle and the washer broke all the debris loose.

 

[Bordy]

+1 oxyclean and warm water soak. I also use a hose with a high pressure nozzle and that always does the trick.

 

[crazyirishman34]

I don't know that I would use Oxyclean in an application like brewing you really don't know that it is safe for human consumption. Also you know that it comes out of China. I prefer PBW because 5 Star took the time to get the certifications for brewery use. And honestly it works better and quicker.

 

[kombat]

You rinse it off, you don't "consume" it. And while I agree PBW is an amazing product, it's considerably more expensive than Oxyclean, and only marginally more effective, in my experience.

 

[crazyirishman34]

Well you hope that it washes off

 

[Shred]

No hating on OxiClean... It's what I use and it was pitched by Billy Mays. Look at him he's as healthy as a.... oh, wait... never mind.

 

[Hoptimistic]

Is it ok to scrub and clean out the cake? Or could there possibly be some sort of yeast infection in there that no amount of elbow grease or starsan can take care of. Will the risk of infection always be greater in these bottles if i decide to use them again? Thanks.

Do you have an oven? how about a pot to boil water in that is tall enough to submerge these bottles in? If you answered yes, (which im sure you did) then you are in luck. All you have to do is scrub out that yeast cake and either war the bottle up to the temperature that'll kill the bacteria and sanatize the bottles (what that temperature is im not sure) or you can let each bottle sit in the pot full of boiling water for five to ten minutes. This may be a bit overkill but I have never heard of people getting an infection using this method.

 

[crazyirishman34]

I don't hate Oxyclean I use it in the laundry all the time just not 100% sure that it is food safe.

 

[LandoLincoln]

Just soak everything in oxclean and hot water for a day or so

DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU HAVE HARD WATER.

Or else you'll have to soak the bottles in vinegar to get the soap scale off.

 

[RM-MN]

Just how poor are you? Bottles are one of the cheapest investments in brewing because they are infinitely reusable. Unless of course you use one that didn't get clean enough and that last bit of trub harbored some wild yeast which caused that bottle to become a bottle bomb. Then you lose that bottle and the beer it contained and also have a mess to clean up that includes shards of glass that may have sprayed a long ways. Forget trying to clean up the bottles with dried up contents and buy new bottles. Let your friend know that since the bottles you gave him weren't rinsed as you asked that you won't be giving him any more homebrew unless he buys you new bottles.

 

[Hoptimistic]

Not massively more elaborate. I built a 3-6 bottle automatic rinser (and sanitizer) with an acquarium pump and some CPVC and drilled a basin stopper to slowly allow rinse water drain while fresh water is added at the same rate from the faucet.

I can clean, de-label and rinse most bottles in under a minute now (and do 6 at a time).... Have I mentioned I hate washing bottles and love automation?

ummmm..... we need a video on this like stat.

 

[clarksc4]

Sounds to me like a good excuse to head down to the local Liquor Emporium and pick up some new, pre-filled beer bottles.

I don't worry too much about getting my bottles back, as I find I buy enough bottles of craft beer here and there to keep a decent supply on hand. However, I reserve my good flip-top Grolsch bottles for when I want to bring some brew to a party, for my own consumption. I don't trust others with my flip-top bottles. Can't risk losing those babies.

How about the new stainless bottles that northern brewer has. As expensive as they are (assuming you could justify buying them) I wouldn't let them out of my sight!
Seriously, $50 for a six pack of them. Only way I'm getting those is if someone gives them as a gift :-/

 

[Shred]

ummmm..... we need a video on this like stat.

Mmkay. Here it is. I use it in the bucket when sanitizing. For rinsing, I just put it in the sink basin with a drilled drain stopper and run the water to cycle fresh water in as the dirty slowly drains.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/57096585@N02/9020849350/

 

[IslandLizard]

Here's my "elaborate" method for dirty bottles:

1. A soak for a day, or longer if needed, in a tote with hot water and washing soda (sodium carbonate) loosens up all the caked on crud, and floats the labels off. Sometimes I use Surf.

2. A good brushing inside and out and a few rinses with a jet sprayer and hot water.

3. Let drain, inspect, and store upside down.

4. Ready for Starsan on bottling day.

 

[bbriscoe]

I agree. Guess I'm just lazy, but if an oxiclean soak doesn't work, it goes into recycling. Not worth the time or effort to take a brush to it.

That made me laugh - only because my MIL won't recycle anything until she has totally washed it with soap and water...

 

[rcbishop]

This isn't 100% the same thing, but I once picked up some ancient Coca-Cola bottles that were laying out in the woods, partially buried and half-full of dirt and moss. I can't remember exactly what I used (probably oxy clean), but they cleaned right up and never caused any problems with infection or anything.

I like the idea of the automated bottle washer.. I use something kind of like that for carboys, and it is very effective.

 

[skullface1818]

I agree with the rest: Oxiclean and hot water will kill just about anything that's left in their. Rinse a lot, and bam, the bottles will be good as new