Cleaning Bottles

[evanvine]

Sounds like "dish washer" powder would be a good cleaning agent anyway!

 

[Smod]

To clean bottles and Demijohns I use a sheet of "Plenty" kitchen roll and a little amount of water. That way you can give it a really good shake without the risk of breaking the glass as you would with hard abrasive materials. The "Plenty" sheet doesn't disintegrate much so you can use it on a few bottles.

Works for me. :thumb:

 

[Moley]

To clean demijohns I rinse immediately after use with a little soapy water. Next comes a tsp of Steri-Cleen (other cleaning powders are available), fill the jar to the brim with hot water, let it stand for half a hour then go in with a bent DJ brush. Two (full fill, stand for 10 mins) hot rinses, empty, crush in 2 CTs, add one pint hot water, palm of hand over neck of DJ and swirl. Wrap neck of DJ with tinfoil and store behind sofa in bay window of sitting room (or other convenient location of your choice), give it another swirl every few days. Re-use in rotation. If a DJ should remain unused for a couple of months, renew sulphite solution.

My spare DJs are always good to go.

 

[grinchy]

Didn't realise you could leave the CT's in there for that long!!

Mine are sterilised, dryed and then bunged (with a sterile bung of course).

Incidentally, is there any reason why you cant use cling film to cover the top of sterile bottles before use? I've heard lots of talk of silver foil....

 

[evanvine]

You can leave campden tablets in forever, the only snag is the Sulphur Dioxide will gradualy dissipate into the atmosphere rendering them useless.

 

[Moley]

Incidentally, is there any reason why you cant use cling film to cover the top of sterile bottles before use? I've heard lots of talk of silver foil....

Only because I usually put the jars away warm, so the air inside would cool, suck the clingfilm inside and perhaps pop it. As long as you cover the jar fairly well, if you give it a swirl, remove the foil and sniff you will still get a nose full of SO2 a month or two later.*




*not recommended for asthmatics.

 

[Frisp]

Newly donated bottles go in the dishwasher and immediately the cycle is completed I whip em out and strip the labels etc off. I have found that this deals with most gunk but on occasion there is some stubborn crud left at the bottom.

So what I do is mix up beer line cleaner and half fill each bottle, put on a plastic beer saver cap, shake it , let it stand for a day , shake , drain and rinse. Spotless....

If im going to use immediately give em a swill with Videne.

If not I close with a plastic beer saver and store.
When needed give em a quick hot water rinse , slosh with videne and away we go...

When I empy a bottle I simply rinse the bottle a couple of times. slosh with some videne I keep ready made and plastic cap it until I need to refill it..... then rinse fresh videne slosh and fill

Simples.....