Bottle usage / There must be an easier way... Challenge accepted

[dibby33]

I have a dream. A dream where I drink a beer, rinse it out, cap the bottle, fill it up, repeat...

My current process (Using Grolsch bottles) :

Drinking :
1. Empty bottle into a glass.
2. Drink beer.
3. Rinse the bottle. (Sodium Metabisulphite solution from a barrel with a tap)
4. Confirm no dreg.
5. Rinse the bottle again (checking and rinsing the rubber seal), and then fill with 2inch of the Sodium Metabisulphite solution
6. Reseal.
7. Next day / whenever, empty the "water" out, reseal.


Bottling :
8. Open bottle, pour out the little bit of "water" that will have remained
9. Fill
10. Seal
11. Goto 1.



My questions :
1. Does Sodium Metabisulphite remain effective only for a certain period of time. I don't want to have to make it up everyday...
2. Will a rinse suffice? The bottles were sterile at the start of the process, if I keep cleaning them using my method will I eventually have a problem.

 

[n87]

only new to the home brew scene, but i:

Pour into glass
rinse bottle (tap)
inspect for dregs and chips
continue rinse if nessasary
spray with sanitiser (starsan) in spray bottle
put on bottle tree next to sink

bottling:
sanitise
fill
seal
repeat

 

[dibby33]

This is leading nicely onto my on to my next set of questions (which are only going to be of use if the first process is effective).
After getting the bottle cleaned again (spray / rinse whatever), is there an easy method (apart from capping - too much time!) to seal the bottles against the environment. I would not like to leave them too long on the tree, but that is just me.

All sterile of course : Plastic stoppers, aluminium foil, cling film, water balloons stretched over the top...

 

[n87]

Usually i will eventually put them back in a (cardboard) case for storage.
i have one of those bottle rinser steraliser thingos that shoot the jet of water (steraliser) up the bottle, so that should get rid of any dust/stuff that accumulates in storage.

of course if they are visibly dirty, i put them aside for the next round of cleaning.

 

[manticle]

I have a dream. A dream where I drink a beer, rinse it out, cap the bottle, fill it up, repeat...

My current process (Using Grolsch bottles) :

Drinking :
1. Empty bottle into a glass.
2. Drink beer.
3. Rinse the bottle. (Sodium Metabisulphite solution from a barrel with a tap)
4. Confirm no dreg.
5. Rinse the bottle again (checking and rinsing the rubber seal), and then fill with 2inch of the Sodium Metabisulphite solution
6. Reseal.
7. Next day / whenever, empty the "water" out, reseal.


Bottling :
8. Open bottle, pour out the little bit of "water" that will have remained
9. Fill
10. Seal
11. Goto 1.



My questions :
1. Does Sodium Metabisulphite remain effective only for a certain period of time. I don't want to have to make it up everyday...
2. Will a rinse suffice? The bottles were sterile at the start of the process, if I keep cleaning them using my method will I eventually have a problem.

The higher the concentration of sodium met in solution, the longer the shelf life. Yes it does have a shelf life though - as does the dry stuff.

It's also not great to breathe in and should probably be rinsed off the bottles before use. I used to use sodium met but long ago switched to starsan and I would recommend it for ease of use, effectiveness and economy.

Then you can simply:

1. Drink
2. Rinse (water/hot water)
3. Drain
4. Starsan and bottle when ready.

I would not rely solely on rinsing. Put some water in a rinsed beer bottle, seal it up and leave it in your shed for a month. Then smell the water.

 

[indica86]

1. Drink
2. Rinse (water/hot water)
3. Drain
4. Starsan and bottle when ready.

that is what I do.

 

[menoetes]

Then you can simply:

1. Drink
2. Rinse (water/hot water)
3. Drain
4. Starsan and bottle when ready.

Seconded, it works fine for me in both glass and plastic.

 

[Coalminer]

This is leading nicely onto my on to my next set of questions (which are only going to be of use if the first process is effective).
After getting the bottle cleaned again (spray / rinse whatever), is there an easy method (apart from capping - too much time!) to seal the bottles against the environment. I would not like to leave them too long on the tree, but that is just me.

All sterile of course : Plastic stoppers, aluminium foil, cling film, water balloons stretched over the top...

Try using new PET lids (new ones that still have the anti-tamper ring attached)
used ones are no good
they clip onto the top of a crown seal bottle nicely and keep the dust/bugs out

 

[LiquidGold]

1. Drink
2. Rinse (water/hot water)
3. Drain
4. Starsan and bottle when ready.

This way works for me as well but I'd also point out that I try to store in a sealed box or at least upside down to prevent dust buildup.

 

[manticle]

OP has grolsch bottles.

 

[Bribie G]

Does long term use degrade the rubber seals on swing top bottles? Are replacements available?

 

[mje1980]

Yes replacements are available. I was wrapt when I got a heap of grolsch bottles. The love affair didn't last long though. Now, I'm a champagne bottle man.




That last sentence sounds a bit wrong huh?

 

[n87]

the grolsh style seals are available next to the caps at most HB stores ive been to


EDIT

Also, i remove the seals of the flip top bottles when i rinse them and put them aside.
I figure it gives the enemy less places to hide.

 

[Airgead]

Hummm... yeah.... Sodium met isn't the best sanitiser around. Its a bacterial inhibitor and antioxidant more than its a sanitiser. Its also (as manticle said) really bad news to breathe in. It was the best you could get 30 years ago but things have moved on since. A lot of brew shops push it because they don't know any better.

The active ingredient will also evaporate off (yes, even with a sealed bottle... its only effective in liquid form so when it becomes a gas its not working for you)

I'd be using something like starsan rather than met. As long as the PH of the solution stays within its working range it will stay active.

Iodophor wouldn't work for what you are doing as it will loose effectiveness over time as the iodine in solution sublimates. Starsan would be my goto for this.

Or buy some kegs...

 

[carniebrew]

I'll also jump on board and agree with the simple method above. Pour, rinse, drain with a vigorous shake, quick eyeball to see it looks clean, then put on bottle tree to dry. Once dry they go into a suitable box with the lid closed to keep the dust out. When I want to use them again I give them a squirt of starsan with my bottle rinser, then back on the tree to drain while I rack/bulk prime.

As long as I get onto rinsing my bottles soon after they're empty, I don't bother using any kind of cleaning chemicals on them at all, they come up fine. If they get left overnight then they'll get a proper wash with sodium perc the next day.

 

[Black Devil Dog]

I use a ship load of swingtops and my system works pretty well for me.

Drink.
Rinse straight away. (3 -4 times until the bottle is clean)
Remove seal.
Drain upside down overnight.
Store upright with lid flipped over to prevent dust entering bottle.

Filling.

Line up about 10 bottles.
Sanitise seals.
Fit sanitised seals to bottles.
Pour sanitiser into bottles using funnel.
Shake bottle and empty sanitiser back into container.
Let bottles drain on bottle tree.
Fill bottles with beer..

 

[luggy]

I rinse my bottles after I drink out of them, before I fill I scrub with a bottle brush, rinse, drain, sanitise, drain then bottle.
Like everything in making beer it comes down to the brewer

 

[GABBA110360]

drink
rinse
drain
starsan
fill straight away

 

[mxd]

keg h34r:

A friend does as you've described and it "works" for him

 

[dibby33]

Thanks for all the good advice.

I do have some grolsch but no where near enough for a decent stock.
The barrel of sodium met is beside the outside door of my cellar so fumes will not be an issue. I will keep using that for rinsing as it should keep the water from going rancid and kill anything that falls in!

Bottles will be rinsed and stored in plastic crates. Kinda already doing that.

Kegging is not an option just now but I am saving up! Can you tell I am getting sick of bottles!



Seals on grolsch to be taken off and cleaned prior to Bottling.

star san to be purchased. Never used it before.
I have a bottle tree and have another out on loan which I may retrieve.