Cleaning Bottles?

[staggalee]

Will do.
Thanks.

staggalee.

 

[mynameisrodney]

A few questions with the bleach vinegar mix.

With the bleach diluted this much, will it still remove colour from laminated benchtops, wood etc? I usually spray the whole benchtop with sanitizer before starting a brew, but i'm a bit worried about destroying it with the bleach.

Also, one mixed how long does the solution remain active? I have a tub which i fill with rinsed out bottles in order to soak them for easy removal of the labels. I am planing on filling it with this mix. The bottles are already rinsed so this is not to clean them just to stop crap growing in the tub. I usually only empty it when it gets full, so will it stay active for a week or so, or after a few days am i going to get mould and other stuff appearing in there?

Cheers,
Chris

 

[Pollux]

I haven't noticed any changes in my benchtop, although they are white with a pattern and quite old so it wouldn't be too obvious, that said, while using the bleach/vinegar solution I have splashed some on dark coloured cargo pants, which are still the same colour and even had some hit me in the eye while vigorously shaking a fermenter with no ill effects.....

I generally soak new bottles that have labels in the laundry tub with a mixture of hot water/dishwashing liquid/bleach for 24+ hours, then scrub the outsides to remove any glue, rinse well 3-4 times and then dry and pop in a box until bottling day where I just use the b/v solution in the bulk priming vessel.

As for age? not sure how long it lasts, I always make fresh batches when I need it, which reminds me, pick up some syringes from the chemist to measure it with, best option ever.

 

[Cube]

Just a quick tip on 'quick measuring' bleach and vinegar. One cap full off a pet bottle is 8mls. Standard cap, coke or whatever, and all brands seem to be, 8 mls :beerbang:

 

[Carbonator]

Seriously, its cheaper to buy a 100mL bottle of iodophor which will last you for over a year (and its about $10). The benefits are you also do not have to rinse.

+1, since I got 4L for free about 5 years ago.

1.2 ml per litre of water.

It can be recycled, it has a die that goes away (changes from purple to clear) when it is no longer effective!
I use it in my air locks and when it goes clear, I replace it!
It smells like a hospitals, band aids and Iodine, so you know it's good!
When the mongrel dog next door bit me, I put a bit on the wound, straight, it stung like never ever before (it's acid), (I'm older than 40), and there was no infection, so I know it's good!

1 minute contact time required.

It will NOT corrode your metal fittings - EVER.

 

[reviled]

+1, since I got 4L for free about 5 years ago.

1.2 ml per litre of water.

It can be recycled, it has a die that goes away (changes from purple to clear) when it is no longer effective!
I use it in my air locks and when it goes clear, I replace it!
It smells like a hospitals, band aids and Iodine, so you know it's good!
When the mongrel dog next door bit me, I put a bit on the wound, straight, it stung like never ever before (it's acid), (I'm older than 40), and there was no infection, so I know it's good!

1 minute contact time required.

It will NOT corrode your metal fittings - EVER.

+2, Iodophor is good stuff, may stain your plastic a slight brown colour, but at least its sanitary a

 

[staggalee]

+1, since I got 4L for free about 5 years ago.

1.2 ml per litre of water.

It can be recycled, it has a die that goes away (changes from purple to clear) when it is no longer effective!
I use it in my air locks and when it goes clear, I replace it!
It smells like a hospitals, band aids and Iodine, so you know it's good!
When the mongrel dog next door bit me, I put a bit on the wound, straight, it stung like never ever before (it's acid), (I'm older than 40), and there was no infection, so I know it's good!

1 minute contact time required.

It will NOT corrode your metal fittings - EVER.

:icon_offtopic: why did the dog bite you?

staggalee.

 

[chimera]

I too have found that bottle brushes aren't necessary.

Rinse after emptying, stack, rack, box, whatever until needed again.
Fill laundry trough with hot water and a couple of shakes napisan, soak for half, remove, shake, drain on the rack for another half then refill.

Couldn't be lazier, 50 brews this weekend and i would have had one gusher 2-3 years back.

 

[Carbonator]

:icon_offtopic: why did the dog bite you?

staggalee.

Must have thought I was very tasty!

What do owners expect when they lock-up their JRT's in a shed 18 Hrs a day, 7 days a week. Those POS mongrels want to kill my kids too. It's not a good situation. My kids are scared to play in our back yard!

 

[chimera]

that is sad Carby..
get the local rangers involved, they feel rather strongly about dogs being locked up in sheds

 

[staggalee]

that is sad Carby..
get the local rangers involved, they feel rather strongly about dogs being locked up in sheds

So do I.
The owners need a good arsekicking and the dog taken off them.
The RSPCA would be interested in the situation.

staggalee.

 

[Mantis]

Must have thought I was very tasty!

What do owners expect when they lock-up their JRT's in a shed 18 Hrs a day, 7 days a week. Those POS mongrels want to kill my kids too. It's not a good situation. My kids are scared to play in our back yard!

Yep , get the ranger to have a talk to them.
+1 for the arsekicking

 

[br33zy]

We got sick of the scrub and sanitise process very quickly. The brushes are expensive; $5 (ish) and only lasting two or three batches. The sanitisers (we used both iodophur and sodium percarbonate) were expensive - especially when bought in small batches from the LHBS.

So, (and this suggestion came from our LHBS guy - name omitted to save him from the wrath of his employers) we now use a plastic 200L drum, on its side with a large access panel cut out for easy use. As the bottles come in (from restaurants, pubs, our own purchases, or previous batches), we put them all in the barrel and submerge them fully in a solution of generic brand unscented napi-san (active ingredient sodium percarbonate - 27%).

The bottles sit there for the week(s) leading up to bottle day and clean themselves. Its worth noting that the labels just slide off the vast majority of bottles - except for the Grand Ridge stubbies and none of us drink those any more!. We even had a batch of bottles from a restaurant which I forgot to rinse. The insides were well furry with mould and (we thought) beyond redemption. However, two weeks in the barrel had them sparkling clean - with no scrubbing whatsoever.

On bottling day, we unscrew the bung from the end of the barrel (its positioned so the bung is at the bottom); let the water out, rinse them thoroughly and whack them on the bottling stand ready for bottling.

No effort. No brushes. Said generic brand napi-san costs about $4 and does two 120 bottle batches.

Our bottling evenings have been transformed!

Cheers

Mike

 

[reviled]

We got sick of the scrub and sanitise process very quickly. The brushes are expensive; $5 (ish) and only lasting two or three batches. The sanitisers (we used both iodophur and sodium percarbonate) were expensive - especially when bought in small batches from the LHBS.

So, (and this suggestion came from our LHBS guy - name omitted to save him from the wrath of his employers) we now use a plastic 200L drum, on its side with a large access panel cut out for easy use. As the bottles come in (from restaurants, pubs, our own purchases, or previous batches), we put them all in the barrel and submerge them fully in a solution of generic brand unscented napi-san (active ingredient sodium percarbonate - 27%).

The bottles sit there for the week(s) leading up to bottle day and clean themselves. Its worth noting that the labels just slide off the vast majority of bottles - except for the Grand Ridge stubbies and none of us drink those any more!. We even had a batch of bottles from a restaurant which I forgot to rinse. The insides were well furry with mould and (we thought) beyond redemption. However, two weeks in the barrel had them sparkling clean - with no scrubbing whatsoever.

On bottling day, we unscrew the bung from the end of the barrel (its positioned so the bung is at the bottom); let the water out, rinse them thoroughly and whack them on the bottling stand ready for bottling.

No effort. No brushes. Said generic brand napi-san costs about $4 and does two 120 bottle batches.

Our bottling evenings have been transformed!

Cheers

Mike

Can I ask who "we" is?

 

[Rodolphe01]

Rinse with cold water ASAP after drinking to remove yeast, store upside down or cover to stop bugs/dirt getting in. Brew day rinse with no rinse sanitiser transferring from bottle to bottle with a funnel.

If bottles have been sitting for a while or are given to me or something, I stick a small teaspoon of percarb in each bottle, top up with water and leave for ~1hr then rinse thoroughly. Brew day rinse with no rinse sanitiser transferring from bottle to bottle with a funnel.

 

[petesbrew]

JRT = Jack Russell Terrier right?
Those dogs are hyperactive even when tired.... being locked up all day, they must be going f'ing mad.
+1 for the ranger and the arse kicking. There are a LOT of people who shouldn't be allowed pets.

Back on topic, I must give the iodophor a try with my bottles next time. I've been a tad lazy lately, and just wash them after drinking, and rinse with very hot water before bottling.
So far I've been lucky.

 

[br33zy]

Can I ask who "we" is?

We is five like minded beer loving boys with a common need for quality shed time. The fact that our shed time yields the odd bottle of beer is a happy one

We brew just off Brunswick St in Melbourne from the back of a music studio operated by a couple of the guys. Have been at it for just over six months now and are up to brew 13 - a extract Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone. First BIAB is imminent.

 

[reviled]

We is five like minded beer loving boys with a common need for quality shed time. The fact that our shed time yields the odd bottle of beer is a happy one

We brew just off Brunswick St in Melbourne from the back of a music studio operated by a couple of the guys. Have been at it for just over six months now and are up to brew 13 - a extract Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone. First BIAB is imminent.

Thats awesome stuff, love the comment about quality shed time too :lol:

And go for the BIAB, all the way, you wont look back :beerbang:

 

[TheWineBrewer]

Hey I got a great video on cleaning bottles here:

 

[poggor]

I sanitise my bottles by using a squirt bottle full of dilute sanitiser.
4 squirts per bottle, then rinse with hot tap water (my water heater is nuts- hot water comes out at 80c)
I lay sanitised caps on the bottles whilst getting everything ready.