ianh
Well-Known Member
Gee I just rinse my bottles with water when they are emptied then again before filling. Use a bit of bleach when they get dirty.
Low effort bottle sanitation technique
- Thread starter jbaker9
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Ok, I'm just gonna put it out there...
When bottling the environment is not very bacteria friendly (anaerobic and alcoholic ). Most bugs will have a tough time surviving there in low concentrations... at start of fermentation it's a different story.
I am of the belief that if you rinse a sanitised bottle even with cold water it is unlikely to have enough bacteria to affect a beer above 4-5% abv and consumed within a year unless you are very unlucky or cross contaminate with sour beer bugs.
No matter what some bacteria will make its way into your beer, but as long as you have a good ferment they have limited opportunity to multiply to a level that will affect your beer, then they are suppressed by alcohol level.
Having said that I'm going to go with starsan rinse. For all the effort that goes in to brewing I'm not going to take the risk (albeit small) for a small time saving.
When bottling the environment is not very bacteria friendly (anaerobic and alcoholic ). Most bugs will have a tough time surviving there in low concentrations... at start of fermentation it's a different story.
I am of the belief that if you rinse a sanitised bottle even with cold water it is unlikely to have enough bacteria to affect a beer above 4-5% abv and consumed within a year unless you are very unlucky or cross contaminate with sour beer bugs.
No matter what some bacteria will make its way into your beer, but as long as you have a good ferment they have limited opportunity to multiply to a level that will affect your beer, then they are suppressed by alcohol level.
Having said that I'm going to go with starsan rinse. For all the effort that goes in to brewing I'm not going to take the risk (albeit small) for a small time saving.
GABBA110360
Well-Known Member
my general sanitising method is after drinking the stubbies/ tallys I wash /rinse about 3 times to get any residue from beer/yeast from the bottle
the then go to the bottle tree to drain /dry
when it's time to bottle I have a 80 l container/esky full of starsan mix @the 1.5 % rate that I submerge the bottles in ti full then empty back into esky and back onto b/tree to drain then bottle whether still wet or dry
if the bottles look clean I don't go through the soak/clean process every time I bottle as it is a pintas for bottles that are visually very clean
I soak bottles in sodium percarb a metric cup of 100 % in a 70 l fish tub for at least a day they are sparkling clean the rinse thoroughly before sanitising to bottle
it's worked for me for my little 4 years brewing
ken
the then go to the bottle tree to drain /dry
when it's time to bottle I have a 80 l container/esky full of starsan mix @the 1.5 % rate that I submerge the bottles in ti full then empty back into esky and back onto b/tree to drain then bottle whether still wet or dry
if the bottles look clean I don't go through the soak/clean process every time I bottle as it is a pintas for bottles that are visually very clean
I soak bottles in sodium percarb a metric cup of 100 % in a 70 l fish tub for at least a day they are sparkling clean the rinse thoroughly before sanitising to bottle
it's worked for me for my little 4 years brewing
ken
Rinse bottles out with cold water as soon as the beer goes in the glass and then it goes in the dish rack. The next morning/day they go into plastic crates in the shed.
Brew day they get a slug of starsan in them, shaken and left while 3 more bottles are done.
The starsan is tipped back into a measuring cup, the bottle neck gets dunked in the starsan and then onto the bottle tree.
Brew day they get a slug of starsan in them, shaken and left while 3 more bottles are done.
The starsan is tipped back into a measuring cup, the bottle neck gets dunked in the starsan and then onto the bottle tree.
manticle
Standing up for the Aussie Bottler
Sanitising clean bottles is pretty low effort anyway. Do it properly, avoid the heartache of tipping out even 1 bad batch.
I would not rely on ethanol level of beer to prevent infection. It may make it slightly more hostile for some bacteria and the high numbers of yeast may assist in out competing but eventually that yeast stops reproducing and goes dormant.
Be clean.
Be sanitary.
Piece of piss that stops your beer turning into piss (at least till it's reached past your tongue and got to your kidneys).
I would not rely on ethanol level of beer to prevent infection. It may make it slightly more hostile for some bacteria and the high numbers of yeast may assist in out competing but eventually that yeast stops reproducing and goes dormant.
Be clean.
Be sanitary.
Piece of piss that stops your beer turning into piss (at least till it's reached past your tongue and got to your kidneys).
Having imaginary drunk them, do you get imaginary drunk? And then suffer from an imaginary hangover? Hmm.
For me its a triple rinse in tap water, bottles upside down 'till dry, then a rinse in sanitizer prior to refilling the bottles. Never had a problem, and very quick and easy.
For me its a triple rinse in tap water, bottles upside down 'till dry, then a rinse in sanitizer prior to refilling the bottles. Never had a problem, and very quick and easy.
While I drink the imaginary beer from an imaginary keg, I always drink real beer from the real bottle. I love the pfft tssss of levering off the cap. I love the sound of a perfect pour from the bottle.malbeven said:
If I go a bit too hard on the real stuff, I have a real hangover to go with the imaginary one.
manticle
Standing up for the Aussie Bottler
I have an imaginary harem.
manticle
Standing up for the Aussie Bottler
MartinOC
Insert something suitably witty here
I make a habit of processing all my bottles for the upcoming year during Summer (any idiot can stick their arms in freezing-cold water in winter).
200L ex-olive storage drum with a screw-on lid.
6-7 Doz. long-necks at a time get a good soaking in perc. (or home-made PBW if they're really manky) for a few days.
Jet bottle-washer rinse on the hot tap.
Fill one of those pumpy-things with Starsan & give each one a few strokes to cover everything inside.
Cap with a square of alfoil & put them back in their box. On bottling-day, I just rip the alfoil off & fill them.
Never had a problem.
Edit: I normally do this on public holidays when I'm hungover, as it's something that doesn't require thought, just processing...
200L ex-olive storage drum with a screw-on lid.
6-7 Doz. long-necks at a time get a good soaking in perc. (or home-made PBW if they're really manky) for a few days.
Jet bottle-washer rinse on the hot tap.
Fill one of those pumpy-things with Starsan & give each one a few strokes to cover everything inside.
Cap with a square of alfoil & put them back in their box. On bottling-day, I just rip the alfoil off & fill them.
Never had a problem.
Edit: I normally do this on public holidays when I'm hungover, as it's something that doesn't require thought, just processing...
altone
Well-Known Member
Manticle - not the cycles Mattrox was talking about - you need to get out more 
I mainly keg, but for bottles I soak in Napisan/Oxywash overnight to remove gunk and labels if needed.
When I'm bottling I'll then rinse in tapwater and spray with starsan.
I only see downsides using bleach and no benefit.
I mainly keg, but for bottles I soak in Napisan/Oxywash overnight to remove gunk and labels if needed.
When I'm bottling I'll then rinse in tapwater and spray with starsan.
I only see downsides using bleach and no benefit.
damoninja
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Seems a lot lengthier and time consuming than my process
As with a lot of the chaps here, I immediately triple rinse a bottle once it's emptied and place it upside down on the dishrack, bottles seldom get used anymore anyway on account of kegging...
I leave them alone until I need them then use a funnel and jug to put 50-100mL starsan in 5-10 bottles, shake and pour the starsan in to the next bottle.
As with a lot of the chaps here, I immediately triple rinse a bottle once it's emptied and place it upside down on the dishrack, bottles seldom get used anymore anyway on account of kegging...
I leave them alone until I need them then use a funnel and jug to put 50-100mL starsan in 5-10 bottles, shake and pour the starsan in to the next bottle.
I run a fairly simple process for bottle cleaning. Triple rinse after use, dry by draining upside down on rack or bottle tree. When dry, they go into plastic crates. At bottling, I use a sanitising solution and put this through each bottle on their way back from crate to the bottle tree, wait 20 minutes, and then to filling. Any bottles with tricky staining either get a chemical soak & scrub, or the recycling bin. It's a simple routine and has worked well for me, especially now I bottle only 8-12 litres batches.
fraser_john
Go Pies
For those few beers I do bottle, when I drink a bottle I rinse immediately, drain and put a foil cap on it, sit next to oven until I next use the oven, after baking whatever was baked, I chuck bottles in at 100C or more for 15 minutes. Cool, put in a box until I need them. Foil cap keeps then sanitised till they are used.
Very simple and chemical free.
Very simple and chemical free.
I haven't bottled in a while, but used to rinse, soak in hot sodium perc, rinse, star san. On bottling day hit them with starsan again.
Takes stuff all time really in the scheme of things. Why half ass it.
If I bottled again in future I'd consider using an oven.
Takes stuff all time really in the scheme of things. Why half ass it.
If I bottled again in future I'd consider using an oven.
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