Bottling?

[willpower]

Hi guys. When bottling Cider in new bottles do I need to steralize the bottles at all? The bottles have not been used before. I got them from a DIY brewer shop.
Also I have been advised to add 140 gm of sugar per 20 Lt for carbonation. Is that right?

 

[Hatchy]

Yes, you need to sanitise them. 140g sugar sounds about right.

 

[J Grimmer]

When bottling Cider in new bottles do I need to steralize the bottles at all?
Yes... you don't know how long they ave been sealed, how have they ben stored open etc.

Also I have been advised to add 140 gm of sugar per 20 Lt for carbonation. Is that right?
I don't bulk prime i use the carbonation drops, it works for me so won't any furthure on this point.

Good luck
Jan.

 

[Pennywise]

The amount of priming sugar to add will be dependant of the fermentation temp, the lower the temp, the less you'll need to add, because there will be more residual co2 than if fermented higher.

 

[willpower]

Ok next question. How do I sanitize the bottles?

 

[DU99]

can use idopher(non rinse)..or a weak bleach solution(non fragrant) but rinse throughly

 

[Pennywise]

Rinse them out to get any dust or what not out of there (personally I'd soak em' in a cleaning solution regardless). Then the use of no-rinse sanitiser, like Starsan is prolly the best way to go about it. Sponsors sell it, a quick search for starsan will give you all the info you need on it. Best sanitiser eva, IMO.

 

[Greg.L]

I have to disagree about the need to sanitise bottles. They really just need rinsed. I have been making beer, wine and cider for years, I just rinse after emptying the bottle then rinse again before filling. New bottles just need rinsed.

If you are picky and don't like the idea of only rinsing, the dishwasher gives a good steam clean, better than a chemical wash.

140g in 20L sounds like how much I would use.

Greg

 

[_HOME_BREW_WALLACE_]

I have to disagree about the need to sanitise bottles. They really just need rinsed. I have been making beer, wine and cider for years, I just rinse after emptying the bottle then rinse again before filling. New bottles just need rinsed.

If you are picky and don't like the idea of only rinsing, the dishwasher gives a good steam clean, better than a chemical wash.

140g in 20L sounds like how much I would use.

Greg

And never had a bottle infection?? I'd never use the dishwasher either.....

OP'er - I used to rinse all the dust/dirt/shit outta the bottles and give them a good soak in some home brand bleach (2L $1.71 from woolies) (roughly 1 cup to a full laundry trough) and cold water, after an hour and a half i Rinse the bottles in very hot boiled water then fill the bottles and cap (caps went through a similiar sanitisation process)

Now i use Starsan........ I had a couple of issues getting the dosage right in the beginning but the amount i brew, the bottle will last a very very long time.

Put it this way...... After going through the hard, careful work of making your cider (watch it grow from a watered-down can of concentrated apple juice into a cider you can proudly call your own) say 7 to 10 days....... Then bottle into rinsed and unsanitised bottles? NO WAY! I Honestly dont think your going to get much advice on this site to not to bother to sanitise your bottles or steam clean them in a dishwasher.......... You Might be lucky... On the other hand you might end up with the greenest grass in your street.

Cheers :icon_cheers:

_wallace_

 

[Greg.L]

And never had a bottle infection?? I'd never use the dishwasher either.....





_wallace_

No never had a bottle infection, maybe I'm just lucky. I know of plenty other cider makers who just rinse, but it's a matter of how picky you want to be. If you have nasty microbes in your bottles a chemical soak won't kill them anyway. Keep your bottles clean and there won't be problems.

Greg

 

[Hatchy]

I have to disagree about the need to sanitise bottles. They really just need rinsed. I have been making beer, wine and cider for years, I just rinse after emptying the bottle then rinse again before filling. New bottles just need rinsed.

If you are picky and don't like the idea of only rinsing, the dishwasher gives a good steam clean, better than a chemical wash.

140g in 20L sounds like how much I would use.

Greg

You don't have to sanitise bottles just like you don't have to sanitise yr fermenter. I'll stick with sanitising my bottles personally.

 

[Greg.L]

You don't have to sanitise bottles just like you don't have to sanitise yr fermenter. I'll stick with sanitising my bottles personally.

I'm not trying to change anybody's mind, just putting a different POV. Sanitising 1 fermenter is a lot easier than 25-50 bottles, for a start you can bet your hands inside the fermenter.

Greg

 

[SuiCIDER]

I'm not trying to change anybody's mind, just putting a different POV. Sanitising 1 fermenter is a lot easier than 25-50 bottles, for a start you can bet your hands inside the fermenter.

Greg

Depends if you're using a carboy or a bucket. If you don't sanitise you risk infections from bacteria/wild yeast which could end up imparting off tastes and more importantly, bottle bombs.

 

[bum]

My personal opinion is that cleaning and sanitising bottles is worth the piece of mind so I do it and it would be my recommendation that a new brewer do the same until they work out (and understand) what level of risk they are willing to accept.

...BUT...

I have personally read an email from a Coopers HB representative that advised that as long as the bottles look clean to the naked eye then between the alcohol and active yeast of a batch of beer an infection is unlikely to take hold. I do recall thinking 'BULLSHIT' at the time but Greg's position isn't all that controversial, guys - just maybe needs some better defined qualifiers.

I do agree with the criticism of using a dishwasher though - no way in hell I'd defend that.

 

[Acasta]

Bottling 2 batches at once its alot of bottles and a pain in the ass to bleach and rinse multiple times each, so i've switched to a no-rise sanitiser, that way i just mix a bit of solution and pass if from bottle to bottle and done. Its quick and hasn't been a problem yet.

Greg, how hot is your water?

 

[michael_aussie]

I have to disagree about the need to sanitise bottles. They really just need rinsed. I have been making beer, wine and cider for years, I just rinse after emptying the bottle then rinse again before filling. New bottles just need rinsed.

If you are picky and don't like the idea of only rinsing, the dishwasher gives a good steam clean, better than a chemical wash.
Greg

I'll defend Greg.
Before I found this web site, I made about 10 batches, and all I used to clean my bottles was detergent, hot water and elbow grease, and then a run though the dish-washer on the hottest setting with no detergent.
I had no infections.

Does this mean that you won't get infections without sanitising?? Of course not..... You might.

However, now that I've read this web site, I do use chemicals to sanitise, because .... as pointed out, if you do have an infection, you have wasted your time, your ingredients, and the chance to drink your own brew. Sanitising chemicals are so cheap in the whole scheme of things that why would you risk an infection.

In saying all that, I suspect my biggest infection risk is me getting lazy, and not being as diligent with my cleaning as I should be. If you miss a lump of shit in your bottles/fermenter/whatever, it doesn't matter how many chemicals you use .. you are now in the lap of the beer Gods.

 

[Greg.L]

Bottling 2 batches at once its alot of bottles and a pain in the ass to bleach and rinse multiple times each, so i've switched to a no-rise sanitiser, that way i just mix a bit of solution and pass if from bottle to bottle and done. Its quick and hasn't been a problem yet.

Greg, how hot is your water?

I think water in a normal dishwasher is 65-70C. With the hot water and steam, for 30+ minutes, even if water doesn't get inside the bottle, steam will.
Steam is much better at killing germs than any chemical. Of course I don't use detergent when putting bottles in the dishwasher. If you don't like germs the dishwasher is your friend, nearly as good as an autoclave.

Normally, I just rinse with cold water. (creek water at that).

Normal commercial practise for new bottles is just a rinse, I have seen bottling lines in action for wine, they don't use sanitising agents.

Greg

 

[Wimmig]

Starsan. Make a 5gal batch up and process all bottles on the same day. No problem.

 

[willpower]

Well. I dont have an oppurtunity to get to a place that selld sanitiser. My Cider is ready to bottle. What about a cap full of white king in a sink of hot water followed by a hot water rinse?

 

[Sinfathisar]

Cleanliness is next to brewliness IMO the cleaner the better to be sure to be sure