the quickest way to get bottles clean enough

[mr_wibble]

Before I knew about sanitisers etc. I used to wash and rinse the bottles, then put them in the oven (starting cold) and cook them for an hour @ 180C
a bit of a PITA for a large amount of bottles though.

 

[squirrell]

thanks for reply everyone - whats news to me is that unclean/non sanatised bottles can lead to bottle bombs as opposed to merely a bad tasting/infected brew. I'd only thought bombs could occur when fermenting hadnt completed pre bottling or too much priming sugar added.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

I would expect in most cases the bombs caused by bottling early / over priming would detonate sooner than an infected bottle would.

 

[431neb]

This was fun

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/71241-best-way-to-clean-and-sanitise-bottles/

 

[MaltyHops]

... I'd only thought bombs could occur when fermenting hadnt completed pre bottling or too much priming sugar added.

Apparently, bacteria in some infections may be capable of fermenting the sugars in beer that yeast are unable to ferment ... so it is a bit like an incomplete fermentation (but complete as far as the yeast you've put inis concerned).

 

[431neb]

My apologies. I meant to add the link for this thread to another. My bad.

 

[Greg.L]

I have been bottling beer and cider for about 18 years. I used to wash them thoroughly before bottling, now I just rinse them (x3) after emptying and leave a lid on before filling, which may be months or years later. Never had an infection , unless the cap wasn't put on properly, and zero bottle bombs. I bought 1000 glass bottles on a pallet from plasdene, screw caps with plastic caps. I can rinse then put the cap back on, I re-use the caps when bottling. The only problems are the seal sometimes doesn't work, about 1%. I have also done hundreds of bottles of beer this way.
It is fine if you want to be cautious and do the whole sanitise thing but it really isn't necessary. Rinse clean is good enough.

 

[Yob]

Tell that to the next bloke that loses an eye from a bottle bomb through not sanitising...

Rinse, dry, gladwrap over the neck, starsan before filling. Never had one of my own explode

 

[Beer Ninja]

As most have said, give them a good rinse under the tap after pouring, check to see that nothing remains in the bottle. If there is, use a cleaning solution and then rinse well.

When bottling, I have a jug of pre mixed sanitiser on hand, I sit 6 bottles on the sink and using a funnel, I pour about 100mls into each bottle, give them a good shake, dunk the neck of the bottle into the jug, to make sure the entire top of the bottle is sanitised and pour the contents of the bottle back into the jug. Place the bottles on the bottle tree and repeat.

I do exactly the same. The only thing I do different is squeeze a matchstick head sized blob of cheap washing up liquid in the rinsed bottle with water and shake, then transfer to another bottle. I think I'll stop doing the latter as I have to rinse the bottles four or five times to make sure the suds are gone, then worry they might not be and I'll have flat beer. I uses Morgans no rinse sanitiser but will probably move on to Star San.

I don't use a bottle tree as to my mind it's just another item to sanitise. I made a simple drying rack to go on the brewing bench in the garage, takes 30 x 750ml PET bottles.

 

[contrarian]

I mainly keg but still bottle the odd brew. I rinse after use and stick on the bottle tree. When ready to use I have a spray bottle with starsan made up and give each bottle a couple of squirts just before bottling.

Haven't had a problem yet.

 

[Tahoose]

Just put some dirty bottles in soak to clean them for tomorrows bottling, 1 cap of Aldi Di-San Oxy (purple) in one of those big bunnings rubbery plastic flexi tubs, filled with cold water, submerge all of my bottles and sit my empty milk crate on top so that the bottom inch is also submerged.

Then when I rinse the crate and all of the bottles I can sit them inside the crate upside down to drain away the excess water.

This chews through any mould which may be there if I use some bottles that have been sitting in the garage for months, and also the paper type labels just slide off.

Little bit of time to rinse thoroughly but worth it.