Ring of Scum - Cleaning Bottles

[Luxo_Aussie]

G'day All,

I've been back brewing for nearly 9 months and I've been coming across a recurring issue with regards to cleaning my bottles. Some (just over half) of my bottles have a ring of scum at the high-beer point in each bottle, and each have needed a good scrub with the bottle brush to get back to spotless :

Dirty Bottles - Ring of scum at beer level

• Luxo_Aussie
• 3/9/19

I'm wondering if this is to be expected or if I'm doing something wrong? If the bottles are looking clean I'm just sanitising with Star San before filling. It's not happening to every batch, otherwise every bottle would need a scrub and that ins't the case.

Cheers & Thanks!

Tristan

 

[mongey]

all normal

I make 2 big tubs of sodium perc every batch and submerge and soak the bottles for at least a few hours . they don't even need scurbbing after that,. just a rinse and then a sanitize .

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Bottles need to be brushed inside everytime IMO. Some residues left from beer can be stubborn, like hop resin. You may not see it but its there and will accumulate each use until it is visible.

 

[Reg Holt]

As Dan says definitely better to give a quick scrub, filling with hot water and sodium perc will generally leave a tide mark near the top of the bottle.

 

[Drewgong]

I completely submerge them in hot sodium perc and they come out spotless. As for the ring your getting in the first place are you beers heavily dry hopped?

 

[Sidney Harbour-Bridge]

I thought this might be a punk take on the Johnny Cash classic, oh well.

I get the same thing in my wheat beer bottles, not highly hopped, only 10 IBU. Like the other guys, I give em a good soak in perc. when I clean my mash tun and kettle.

 

[Markbeer]

I will put the flame suit on.

I add a big squirt of Domestos, fill to the brim and leave for a day then empty, ring gone! Fill the next bottle with the same liquid. Rinse and then sanitise when ready to use. It's the sodium hydroxide in it that cleans glass nicely. It rinses easily out of glass.

 

[Luxo_Aussie]

I completely submerge them in hot sodium perc and they come out spotless. As for the ring your getting in the first place are you beers heavily dry hopped?

Of the 17 batches since January, only three have been dry hopped & one was dry hopped at more than 1g/L, but I've had some with fruit & a few wheat beers which could have also caused some issues.

Looks like a soak in Sodium Percarbonate is the way to go & maybe a quick brush once soaked - will adopt this moving forward for each batch. What would the dosage rate be per L?

Appreciate the feedback!

 

[dkril]

Of the 17 batches since January, only three have been dry hopped & one was dry hopped at more than 1g/L, but I've had some with fruit & a few wheat beers which could have also caused some issues.

Looks like a soak in Sodium Percarbonate is the way to go & maybe a quick brush once soaked - will adopt this moving forward for each batch. What would the dosage rate be per L?

Appreciate the feedback!

One scoop per 20-odd litres. I can weigh it tomorrow for you.

I (try to) rinse all my bottles when I empty them, then just sanitise on bottling day. Usually find 5 or 6 that have somehow missed the rinse cycle and look nasty inside. An overnight soak in boiling percarbonate and they look like the glass from a dishwasher add -- absolutely sparkling clean.

 

[Drewgong]

Of the 17 batches since January, only three have been dry hopped & one was dry hopped at more than 1g/L, but I've had some with fruit & a few wheat beers which could have also caused some issues.

Looks like a soak in Sodium Percarbonate is the way to go & maybe a quick brush once soaked - will adopt this moving forward for each batch. What would the dosage rate be per L?

Appreciate the feedback!

I use a lot less than recommended . I dont have jar in hand to tell you the recommended but i use 15 grams per 10l of HOT water it foams up nice and strips anything . Give it a few rinses with water then hold it up to a light. mine are always perfectly clean soak in non rinse sanitizer befor use . i clean my fermenters mash tun and brew kettle all the same way never have to scrub anything .

 

[MartinOC]

If your beers aren't heavily hopped, then your "ring of confidence" at the liquid/gas interface is an indication of an infection somewhere in your process. The most obvious one is a very thin skin/layer of gunk on top of the liquid in your bottles.

Do your beers develop more carbonation over time? Does the flavour change rapidly? Chances are it's an infection.

 

[Luxo_Aussie]

If your beers aren't heavily hopped, then your "ring of confidence" at the liquid/gas interface is an indication of an infection somewhere in your process. The most obvious one is a very thin skin/layer of gunk on top of the liquid in your bottles.

Do your beers develop more carbonation over time? Does the flavour change rapidly? Chances are it's an infection.

I was initially worried about an infection but there hasn't been any beer tasting off or having a carbonation more than it should have been (one batch has been a bit fizzy but my own fault for putting in too much Dextrose).