Cleaning / sterilizing bottles

[ryan]

Just had an idea!! :idea: *bing*

If I were to rinse the yeast out from every homebrew bottle after I pour em, then fill em up with a sodium met solution and recap em (swingtop grolsch bottles), would I be able to just pour this out before rebottling the next batch and assume the bottles are clean and sterilized?!!

 

[ryan]

I'm thinking maybe I could rinse them out, give them a squirt or two of a strong sodium met solution from a big liquid soap type dispenser, then fill up with water. Hopefully I'd just need to calculate beforehand how much sodium met would be in each squirt and then I could make up the right dosage when I fill the dispenser.

Is this just wishfull thinking?! Does a sodium met solution become ineffective after a while spend sat idle in water?

 

[jamesb]

Sodium Met is a sanitiser, not a cleaner. If you're sure that your bottles are "clean" then that should be ok.

 

[ryan]

Yeah the rinse should clean them... they wouldn't be dirty after just having homebrew in really would they? no bacteria at least... I'm sure the yeast would die in the sodium met solution.

 

[jamesb]

Just because you can't see dirt doesn't mean it isn't there. I'd give them a damn good rinse first.

I'd do them in beer line cleaner or bleach, but other people's methods may vary.

 

[ryan]

well I'd make sure they're all clean to start with and I suppose I'd give them a proper clean every 3 or 4 batches just to make sure there's nothing sticking in there. should be a lot easier anyway than soaking them all in cleaner/sterilizer in a fermenter of hot water after every batch, and then having to rinse them all one by one after

 

[tubby_shaw]

I don't want to spoil a brilliant idea but, if you leave the solution in the bottles for any length of time the sulphur dioxide produced will perish the rubber seals on your bottle tops
A better idea might be to clean after drinking and then seal, then before use give them a good swill out with your sodium met solution or a no rinse sanitiser :thumb:
Just check that they haven't gone furry on the inside during storage

 

[ryan]

sounds good enough for me :

 

[ryan]

what about iodophor instead?

 

[tubby_shaw]

I would guess it would be fine but I have no experience of storing iodophor for more than a couple of weeks, although I think aleman wrote that he keeps a solution of iodophor in a corny and he hasn't reported any problems with o rings perishing :hmm:
Bitter experience taught me the effect of SO2 on rubber :cry:

 

[Aleman]

I killed a rotokeg storing Sod Met in it

My practice is to rinse the bottle clean . . . rinse with 70C water three times then invert the bottle and allow to dry . .. when dry cover with silver foil and store . . . when ready for use sanitise with a no rinse solution, allow to drain and bottle . . . . Of course any bottle I get from an unknown source gets cleaned in antiformin / Bleach . . . and then rinsed and dried.

Iodophor does not rot seals . . . but I would not recommend storing iodophor in bottles long term . . . store them clean and dry . . . possibly even drying them in a warm oven . . .

 

[ryan]

Need to source some iodaphor then .. Is the homebrew shop likley to stock it or do I need to look elsewhere?

 

[jamesb]

Most decent HBS should have it.

 

[Vossy1]

Need to source some iodaphor then .. Is the homebrew shop likley to stock it or do I need to look elsewhere?

Your local chemist can get it as videne antiseptic solution, it costs £4-£5/500ml, depending on the shop.
HBS sell it also, but it's very expensive compared to the chemists :thumb:

 

[ryan]

Noted... will be phoning the local shortly :thumb:

Cheers all

 

[GeordieBrewer]

Morning Guys,

On one of the youtube home brewing videos the guy uses a really quick method of spraying sanitizer into the bottles.. its like an inverted push pump with a spay head attached that fits into the neck of the bottle??? Its super quick...

Here is the link... (Home brewing the easy way part 4)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hfd7p4r ... FC&index=3

I love the idea of this (although the sanitizer contact time is not that long so i'm assuming he is using some mega strong solution?????)

Any one know where I could get one? or whether you would risk this quick method?

Cheers
GB

 

[ryan]

I've seen them around on the homebrew sites.. shouldn't be too hard to find.. try morebeer.com if you don't find any english sites that stock em