Cleaning Bottles

[kelbygreen]

mark at MHB said you can use PBW for sanitising to. I looked it up befor I did and it does say that chemical kills germs, fungus and anything nasty living that might effect the brew. So I took his word for it but I still clean with napisan first then use that to do a last clean and sanitise, only problem is that you gotto rinse the bottles so need some cooled boiled water

Edit: Ok I was wrong it was PSR (pink stain remover) not PBW lol (only used it once forgot what it said) its chlorinated trisodium phosphate just so you know

 

[durgarth]

I read this thread with interest as i have been bottling and kegging for many years and wanted to hear how others do it. I have only ever "officially" sterilised my bottles once and that was when I first got them. Ever since I just rinse with hot water after use and store in my brew cupboard. Of course making sure they are clean.

When I do a batch for bottling I simply put them all in the dishwasher, yep all 29 of them (Yes you cram them in if you try) turn the bottles so they face down onto the "spikes" and run the dishwasher on a short hot cycle with a heat cycle afterwards. The result is a bottle too hot to handle (in about 35 minutes or 2 beers).

Never once had an infection. Not once in 10 plus years.

 

[roller997]

I give all my bottles a good rinse 3-4 times with 65+ degree water till I can barely hold the bottle and then I leave the water sitting there for a day. Repeat rins 1-2 and leave the bottles to drip dry.
When completely dry, I apply re-usable plastic caps from my LHBS which keep the bottles sealed until I use them.
When ready for filling, for each bottle, I have a quick sniff of the bottle as I take off the plastic seal and it is immediately evident if a bottle isn't 100% clean.
I have found about 8-10 bottles using my process where they didn't smell right and these were treated with a dose of plain bleach for 2 days and a bottle brush afterwards.
All the bottles that pass the sniff test are treated with a dose of Metabisulphite or no-rinse sanitizer and then I subject them to a quick rinse of boiled water that was cooled down.
Looking back at what I do, I might be quicker off using a brush on all the bottles but then I have 2 bottle cleaners so I work on two bottles at once.
I haven't had an infection that could be detected as yet and I have gone through between 800-1000 bottles.

 

[chillihilli]

Hi my name is Peter and I am a bleacher...

I use bleach for sanitising the fermenter (40ml per 10L) as well as my PET bottles (10ml per litre)

I rinse bottles 3 times in hot water immediately after drinking and let them drain dry.

Before bottling they get a rinse in about 10ml bleach per litre (I use non scented white king @ $3 a big bottle from the reject shop) using the bottle rinser thingy that can sit on top of the bottle tree. 3 squirts usually does it to cover all of the bottle. It's then on to the bottle tree for draining. I then refill the washer thingy with really hot water, and rinse the bleach out (again 3 squirts is usually enough as your bleach solution has all but drained out anyway.

Hot water is important as it helps evaporate the chlorine/bleach and effectively dissolve nullify the bleach.

I try and let them drain dry before use, but this is not always possible due to my impatience, so a good shake/flick usually scatters the last few drops.

I also give the caps a similar treatment.

I've only done a handful of brews, but no infections yet and no bleach smell either.

Oh and by the way, the bottle washer thingy doesn't work well with PET bottles due the opening size. It seems to go too far into the bottle. I solved this by using the collar off a nylex garden hose click on fitting to stop the bottle going down to far. It works a treat.

And last tip... When handling bleach, where an apron. It does interesting things to your clothes if it hits them neat.

Most importantly, have a cold brew on hand whilst washing bottles. It makes it's so much less painful.

 

[Anofre]

My 2c:
One of my uncles is a rinse 3x coldwater & reuse... never has problems, tho a quick turnaround on use to rebottle.

I do something different, taught 2 me by another uncle brewer;
-3 rinse on the bottle after use (and I must admit sometimes they sit a bit onger then after use -use hot if older)

-keep an overconcentrated batch of metabisulphate under the kitchen sink in a widemouth milk bottle. Put your neck of a rinsed bottle inside the larger mouth of the millk bottle, fill to half & tip back in. Repeat for as manny batches as you like.

If over concentrated the metabi- forms crystals at the bottoim when it drys & you can store for AGES untill bottletime without worry.
Even spiders seem to stay away & doesnt matter howlong from drink to re-bottle, just rinse & fill

I have a different opinion about kegs & plastic tho - keep any steriliser chemicals off them.
They absorb as all plastic does.
Just use boiling only & refill ASAP after use

 

[rendo]

Well I bottled them now. Rinsed them a few times with cold water then a couple of times with hot tap water at around 70 degrees. Then filled them with a bit of no rinse San from brewcraft and shock the shit out of them and let stand for about 15 mins. All went well except for when I lost myself daydreaming and overfilled a bottle. It was on cause I had a towel underneath, but I got tasty beer all over my hand.

Hey Siborg,

I just came back from the brauhaus (aka garage). Bottled my LC Bright Ale clone. It was so nice, I wanted to drink a stubbie right outta the fermenter. What an amazing difference a brew fridge makes, and cold crashing plus glelatine. WOW!!! There was no detectable yeast taste, crystal clear and so so nice. I guess it was also better because I was bottling cold, approx 5-8 deg...anyway...I cant wait for this to carb up. I will be sampling (for scientific purposes) this brew at weekly intervals, then by week 3 or 4, I shall be guzzling it!!

Shame we are in diff states or we could organise to sample our LCBA clones.

Ahh well, I am sure we will figure out something one day, no rush, I aint going anywhere (i hope)

 

[rendo]

I think Peter has nailed it. No matter what your method, I think Peter's advice is the best!

Interesting thread....

Most importantly, have a cold brew on hand whilst washing bottles. It makes it's so much less painful.

 

[praxis178]

shit, after reading some of your methods, I hope I haven't f**ked it up! I just shook the shit out of em a few times, then brewcraft no rinse san and shook again. Time will tell.

Nah, the no rinse stuff at the end of your routine will see you through!

I'm just too cheap to buy chemicals when I have live steam on hand 10hrs a day (4KW boiler in that coffee machine), so why spend even MORE money on chemicals than I already do for a great coffee, er beer that's right I meant beer......

 

[kaspa07]

Dont bother bottling...(unless you make a style that requires bottling) Get a keg setup mate. I did 12 months ago best thing I ever did saves heaps of time and ******* around with bottles.

 

[kaspa07]

Nah, the no rinse stuff at the end of your routine will see you through!

I'm just too cheap to buy chemicals when I have live steam on hand 10hrs a day (4KW boiler in that coffee machine), so why spend even MORE money on chemicals than I already do for a great coffee, er beer that's right I meant beer......

boiling water kills all....I added some of the coopers sanitiser stuff into a spray bottle then rinsed with boiling water....never had a problem. I do the same with my kegs still no problem

 

[Thefatdoghead]

I read this thread with interest as i have been bottling and kegging for many years and wanted to hear how others do it. I have only ever "officially" sterilised my bottles once and that was when I first got them. Ever since I just rinse with hot water after use and store in my brew cupboard. Of course making sure they are clean.

When I do a batch for bottling I simply put them all in the dishwasher, yep all 29 of them (Yes you cram them in if you try) turn the bottles so they face down onto the "spikes" and run the dishwasher on a short hot cycle with a heat cycle afterwards. The result is a bottle too hot to handle (in about 35 minutes or 2 beers).

Never once had an infection. Not once in 10 plus years.

I was reading through this thread trying to find the simplest best method I thought would work as well and yours looks bloody good to me. Although I have 750ml flip top bottles, have to see how the dishwasher handles them. I have 6 kegs and usually keg but I wanted bottles to take to mates etc.....
I'll probably soak them in Idaphore just before I bottle just to sure. :lol:

 

[DU99]

i use napisan for a clean,rinse and when ready to bottle either starsan /iodophor..you can sanitize all you gear also..

 

[Fourstar]

starting with rinsed clean commercial bottles with no gunge. Start this process 3 hours before bedtime.* (there is a good reason for this)

1. empty all racks in the oven (i havnt tried with a gas oven, only used electric fan forced)
2. ensuring the bottles are dry, pop a 5x5cm square of foil over the mouth of each bottle
3. place bottles into oven
4. set oven to 200 degrees
5. bake for 2 hours
6. turn off oven and goto bed

next morning remove bottles from oven and they are sterile and ready to go. no further preperation necessary.

* you dont want to finish baking them and quickly open the oven. the extreme change in temperature can cause the bottles to crack or weaken them so when it comes to bottling day, you may end up with bottles cracking or bombs due to weak spots.

If you dont open the oven and let them cool slowly. you will be safe as churches!

 

[Chiro]

starting with rinsed clean commercial bottles with no gunge. Start this process 3 hours before bedtime.* (there is a good reason for this)

1. empty all racks in the oven (i havnt tried with a gas oven, only used electric fan forced)
2. ensuring the bottles are dry, pop a 5x5cm square of foil over the mouth of each bottle
3. place bottles into oven
4. set oven to 200 degrees
5. bake for 2 hours
6. turn off oven and goto bed

next morning remove bottles from oven and they are sterile and ready to go. no further preperation necessary.

* you dont want to finish baking them and quickly open the oven. the extreme change in temperature can cause the bottles to crack or weaken them so when it comes to bottling day, you may end up with bottles cracking or bombs due to weak spots.

If you dont open the oven and let them cool slowly. you will be safe as churches!

Never thought of doing that. I think I'll give that a go. Thanks for the tip. I've always hit them with bleach then the boiling water. I have just bought some starsan so I'll do a batch either way.

With the starsan I was just going to make up a brew bottle of it and use a funnel and go from one bottle to the next without rinsing. Is this the best way to go with sanitiser?

 

[felten]

Thats more or less how I do it ATM. Funnel some into the bottles, shake for a bit, then tip it out and drain them on my bottle tree.

 

[Chiro]

Thats more or less how I do it ATM. Funnel some into the bottles, shake for a bit, then tip it out and drain them on my bottle tree.

Sound good then.

 

[mILLrAT]

l

starting with rinsed clean commercial bottles with no gunge. Start this process 3 hours before bedtime.* (there is a good reason for this)

1. empty all racks in the oven (i havnt tried with a gas oven, only used electric fan forced)
2. ensuring the bottles are dry, pop a 5x5cm square of foil over the mouth of each bottle
3. place bottles into oven
4. set oven to 200 degrees
5. bake for 2 hours
6. turn off oven and goto bed

next morning remove bottles from oven and they are sterile and ready to go. no further preperation necessary.

* you dont want to finish baking them and quickly open the oven. the extreme change in temperature can cause the bottles to crack or weaken them so when it comes to bottling day, you may end up with bottles cracking or bombs due to weak spots.

If you dont open the oven and let them cool slowly. you will be safe as churches!

I use the oven process with the added step of "capping" the bottles with 50mm squares of alfoil. I cut the alfoil and putit loose it in the oven with the bottles. After cooking the bottles I wait till they have cooled to the point of just bearable to touch and "cap" each bottle with alfoil. I leave the alfoil on until I am ready to fill. No random gushers since I moved to this regime.
​

 

[Kevman]

I've read elsewhere that a film can be deposited on the inside of the bottle from homebrews and that a bottle brush is useful for getting rid of this film.

I don't know whether this is a hombrew issue or this could also occur with commercial beers also, if they reused bottles.

 

[soundawake]

I think I do less than just about anyone, haven't had an infection yet. I use PET bottles.

As soon as the beer is poured I give the bottle a shake and rinse a few times with warm water and put it onto the bottle tree.

On bottling day I just give them another shake and rinse with warm water then a quick squirt inside with starsan from a squirt bottle, small shake then back onto the bottle tree to drain (which has also been sprayed with starsan).

 

[sic_vl]

At the moment I have a 20L bucket filled with industrial sanitiser. When Ive drank a bottle I rinse them out a couple of times to get rid of the heavy stuff. I put them in my bucket of industrial sanitiser and usually just soak them over night. Any labels, glue, yeast build up come straight off. No scrubbing needed. They come out crystal clean, its unbelievable.
On bottling day, I rinse them out again with regular sanitiser and then rinse off with hot tap water. this method works well for me.

My Dad noticed that the bottles he has been using for years, maybe even a couple of decades, got a film build up on the inside of the bottles, after doing the soak method mentioned above they come out as brand new bottles.

So thats why ill keep doing the soak method above.

But in the end, everyone has their own bottle cleaning method.