Double check that your bottles are clean!

[Dutto]

Just a reminder to really check that your bottles are clean before letting them dry out.

After I've poured out a bottle I immediately rinse them out with at least three changes of cold water, check that they are clear and then put them on the bottle-rack to drain and dry ready for the next time.

Fortunately, the bottle-rack is sat next to the garage door and a sunbeam shining through a gap in the door curtain shone right through the bottle that I had "cleaned" yesterday; and showed me that a very fine layer of yeast was still sticking to the sides of the bottle!

I checked the bottles already on the rack and found that six of them were also showing a very fine layer of yeast stuck to the sides of the bottle whereas the rest (about fifteen bottles) were all clear.

I suspect that the warmer weather and increased temperature in the garage has resulted in some secondary fermentation in the bottles. Logic dictates that this will probably be at the warmest places; which is on the sides of the bottle towards the top.

At the moment, the offending bottles are soaking in plain water and will be scrubbed out with a brush when the dried layer of yeast has softened; and I will be checking the bottles more carefully in the future!

 

[Martybhoy]

I second this.

I had some bottles cleaned and ready for putting away. I had a final cleanliness check and noticed a thin film inside some of the bottles. So I soaked them in oxi, and was surprised at the crud which rose to the top of each bottle.

Will maybe make this a regular part of my cleaning process

 

[Nicks90]

When you say Oxi, I take it you mean the Oxi powder that hangs round unused next to the washing machine?
If so, would bunging a couple of measures full in a bath and bunging the bottles in 'en Masse's work?

 

[MyQul]

I do similar to what you do. Which is rinse thoroughly after pouring then put in my rack to drain and dry. However before I put them away I always 'oven' my bottles then put a little cling film cap on. Doing this has ensured that any bottles that may have any yeast stuck in them still, will be very dead (along with most other microbes) when when it comes to next putting beer into them

 

[crowcrow]

I think I've been lucky so far - I soak in a cold water bath for a few hours to get the labels off and then drain them all. I think spray some steriliser from a pump spray garden bottle and leave them upright for an hour and then tip them onto my drying rack and leave until ready for bottling day. Then I just rinse them out and leave on the rack again ready to bottle.

Doesn't usually take too long, and so far not had a bad bottle since I've more to glass bottles.

-

Your 'empties' routine seems similar to mine, I rinse every bottle as soon as I pour it and then stick it on a radiator by the kitchen door, for no other reason than that it is out of eyesight. Never noticed any yeast left in there - and only takes 10 seconds to clean - maybe I'm not looking hard enough?

 

[Dutto]

I thought of using a sanitiser like Oxi or Starsan (or even Tesco Thin Bleach), but none of them would actually remove the fine dusting of yeast; so although the yeast would be dead it would still be there.

Looking to future use, I reckoned that a dusting of dead yeast stuck to the side of the bottle would form a great key for future yeast growths and feared that I could be looking forward to an increasing problem if I didn't stop it right now.

The six bottles that were left soaking in water cleaned up okay this evening with a stiff brush (thank-you Lidl) and were pristine after a rinse out with fresh water.

 

[Clint]

Mine get the Dutto rinse then left to dry. On bottling day they get an oxi scrub out another rinse and starsan then on the bottling tree..OCD ...me?

 

[Dutto]

Mine get the Dutto rinse then left to dry. On bottling day they get an oxi scrub out another rinse and starsan then on the bottling tree..OCD ...me?

Ditto me before bottling! :thumb:

What I don't want is a film of dried on yeast in the bottles on bottling day 'cos I have been known to be down to my last three bottles so suspending bottling whilst I spend a few hours soaking and scrubbing out bottles is something I wish to avoid! :angry:

PS

OCD? I used to be quite cavalier about sanitising bottles and PBs and "Looks clean to me!" was a sentence much used ...

... until I had two consecutive 23 litre brews turn to vinegar and an OCD attitude was easily acquired! :thumb:

 

[BREWERS DROOP]

I keep all my bottle permanently in a solution of pipeline cleaner in a big black plastic dustbin, when needed they get a rinse with cold water then into another black dustbin full of starsan overnight then onto the bottle tree.
Don't do a lot of bottling now since kegging all my beers, i use a beer gun if anyone wants any.