Sterilising Bottle Caps

[taflex]

I've been reading How to Brew and noticed Palmer reccomends sterilising bottle caps before bottling, and this is something I've never done in my short brewing career.

How important is this? Until now I'd just assumed that since they were coming fresh out of a sealed bag that they'd be sanitary enough to use straight off the bat.

 

[ausdb]

Its no drama to have them sitting in a little container of sanitiser as you use them and I'd rather be safe than sorry, especially if its an old pack thats been in the cupboard for a while.

I use 1shot no rinse sanitiser (phosphoric acid base)

Ausdb

 

[sintax69]

I just use one of those spray bottles spray some of the lids to eazy also spray any thing that moves with it

sintax

 

[sosman]

Until now I'd just assumed that since they were coming fresh out of a sealed bag that they'd be sanitary enough to use straight off the bat.

You can buy chook manure fresh in sealed bags.

Anway, I tend to use the spray or soak with dilute phos acid.

cheers

 

[JasonY]

I think most of the time you will get away with it but given that you are sanitising the bottles it doesn't hurt to turf the lids in a cup of steriliser before capping. A no rinse one as ausdb suggested is perfect.

If you are capping a yeast for storage then I would say it should be compulsory as you want to be sure you are not storing some bacteria!

 

[big d]

usually keg but when i do bottle i occasionally boil the caps before use.havent had any infections using them straight from the bag either.
recon its your call.

cheers
big d

 

[Kai]

They might be sealed in the bag, but you don't know what else is sealed in there too.

I sanitise my caps, but I don't think the chances of infection from an unsanitised cap are very high.

 

[Weizguy]

I used to boil my caps for 10 min, but haven't had a lid problem since I changed to just covering with boiling water.

My 2 bob's worth...

 

[Jovial_Monk]

I recall some debate vaguely on either HBD or the OzCraftBrewer forum about the big boys not sanitising their caps. . .I use Terminater (same oas one shot but cheaper ) a litre or so in bucket or icecream container, why take a chance on infection?

Jovial Monk

 

[Trough Lolly]

Never sanitised them myself, and haven't had any infections (touch wood!). Mind you, they do sit in a cupboard alongside a bottle of Oxonia that has a leaking cap - phew, nothing crawls around in my cellar!!

Weizguy - I thought boiling lids would only weaken their sealing properties - and as many previous articles have suggested, boiling does not necessarily kill every form of bacteria...Just a thought.

TL

 

[Backlane Brewery]

We sanitise caps in no-rinse...just as easy to chuck in a handful when doing anything else that needs it.
Only issue we ever had was a batch that had cork inserts, some got too soggy & drifted off their caps...figured these weren't really up to the job so ditched them for plastic lined.

 

[taflex]

Some things to think about in there. And LOL @ "chook manure fresh in sealed bags" Sosman.

Thanks for the posts.