Lots of Grolsch Bottles, but how to clean them?

Stu · Mar 15, 2013

I won an eBay auction last weekend and finally picked up the bottles last night.

Crates of awesomeness as they are the 500ml ones.

However, I really need to bottle up my lager and these bottles are donkey's years old. So without spending hundreds of pounds on professional bottle washers (and I don't have a dishwasher), what's the best way to clean up this many bottles?

I have to pop into town at lunchtime so I'm not averse to popping into my LHBS or Wilko if I need something. I have plenty of cleaner and sanitiser.

Cheers : cheers:

mmaguy41 · Mar 15, 2013

A cheapo steam cleaner can be very useful, but if not then a really good soak and a good go with a bottle brush should sort it. Make sure you replace the rubber seals, they are only cheap and easily replaced.

Stu · Mar 15, 2013

mmaguy41 said:
A cheapo steam cleaner can be very useful, but if not then a really good soak and a good go with a bottle brush should sort it. Make sure you replace the rubber seals, they are only cheap and easily replaced.

Yup, I don't fancy the nasties in 20+ year old Grolsch bottle rubbers. I'll take a picture later on.

I'll look at a steam cleaner for next time though.

Andyhull · Mar 15, 2013

Soak them in an oxyclean solution, the grub will come away without even scrubbing.
Then rince and repeat with the really bad ones.

Stu · Mar 15, 2013

Oops! One of the responses disappeared? where did it go? The one about VWP?

Anyway, thanks all. Sounds like it won't be as difficult as envisaged.

I've just got them out and it turns out they are the old brown 450ml ones not the 500s (as I was told).
Best Before on them is 1990 :lol:

Plus 3 bottles of newquay steam beer.

The rubbers are indeed very dry and unusable. They came off rather too easily! In addition, I've taken all of the tops off the bottles and currently soaking in VWP (I had some which came with a kit - didn't realise I had it). I'll get a bottle brush shortly though and as I have to pop to Mr 'Sco, I'll pick up some oxiclean for good measure.