Another Sanitising Question...

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wbosher

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Do you guys know if I can sanitise the bottle caps in a pot of boiling water without damaging them? I'm talking PET bottles here, with plastic caps.

I'm going to individually give each bottle a quick spray with a no rinse sanitiser and leave upside down for a minute or two before filling, but I thought it would be easier to just throw all of the caps into some boiling water.
 
Do you guys know if I can sanitise the bottle caps in a pot of boiling water without damaging them? I'm talking PET bottles here, with plastic caps.

I'm going to individually give each bottle a quick spray with a no rinse sanitiser and leave upside down for a minute or two before filling, but I thought it would be easier to just throw all of the caps into some boiling water.

Why not throw them into some no rinse sanitiser?
 
That thought did cross my mind, then I thought "why waste sanitiser if boiling water will do the trick?"

I'd boil the bottles too, but I'm not really into modern art. :lol:
 
Why not throw them into some no rinse sanitiser?

+1

Put caps in a container, cover with no rinse, fill bottle, take cap out of sanitising solution, cap bottle. Repeat.
 
I'd boil the bottles too, but I'm not really into modern art. :lol:
I'd hazard a guess that the thin plastic membrane in the lid would warp quicker than the bottle. Boiling the lids isn't a great idea.
 
Point taken...unanimous decision, Starsan it is. :)
 
Yes sanitiser made up to the correct dilution is cheap as chips. I use a 1litre jug and throw all my caps plastic or metal ones in and leave them for the time it takes to bottle.
 
Sweet, cheers guys.

My only problem now is my first brew has been in the bottles for a week today...I'm getting really impatient. :lol:
 
I know I'm a bad, bad person but I start drinking my beer after 5 days in the bottle. This is after 10-14 days in the fermentor. Brewing once every 2 weeks I can't get in front unfortunately.
 
Mine was in the FV for 11 days, bottles for seven. I know I shouldn't, but I'm REALLY tempted to crack one open.
 
If the bottles are hard then it is carbed up hard to resist. You will have drank at least half of them before they get good I know I do no self control. :chug:
 
Mine was in the FV for 11 days, bottles for seven. I know I shouldn't, but I'm REALLY tempted to crack one open.

Do you have another batch down yet? If so, try to hold off cracking one until you bottle your next batch - that will help get you into a cycle that removes the temptation of cracking one early (since you'll be drinking the previous batch).

Of course that depends on how much you drink :party:
 
Starsan solutions are reusable, and if something is already relatively clean (distinct from sanitary) such as PET caps, I would have no qualms reusing sanitizer solution. I recently brewed with a friend of mine who is microbiologist, they swear by 70-80% ethanol-water solutions. I use the generic sanitizing solution for large volume things i.e. kegs, cubes, fermenters etc. but for surface jobs I think ethanol-water is nice as it evaporates faster relative to a starsan solution. I'm also thinking of using EtOH/H20 mix for storing my 1 micron cartridge filter in as I'm concerned the fragrance or chemical used in the generic starsan hangs around.
 
Starsan solutions are reusable, and if something is already relatively clean (distinct from sanitary) such as PET caps, I would have no qualms reusing sanitizer solution. I recently brewed with a friend of mine who is microbiologist, they swear by 70-80% ethanol-water solutions. I use the generic sanitizing solution for large volume things i.e. kegs, cubes, fermenters etc. but for surface jobs I think ethanol-water is nice as it evaporates faster relative to a starsan solution. I'm also thinking of using EtOH/H20 mix for storing my 1 micron cartridge filter in as I'm concerned the fragrance or chemical used in the generic starsan hangs around.

Where do you get your 70%+ ethanol/water solution? How does it work out on price compared to starsan. The fast evaporoation sounds good.
 
I got home from work and my wife had bought me a doz Pils, so that bottle's got a reprieve for a couple more days. ;)

Do you have another batch down yet? If so, try to hold off cracking one until you bottle your next batch - that will help get you into a cycle that removes the temptation of cracking one early (since you'll be drinking the previous batch).

I've got one on at the moment, still got a little over a week to go - only been four days. I don't want to get stuck into the bottles, just one as a taster. My birthday is in a few more weeks, want to save them (or at least some of them) for that.
 
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