Please tell me...

[BruinTuns]

That there's a quicker, less tedious way to bulk sanitise empties prior to bottling?
I've just done it and boy, what a chore.
For a start all my fvs were in use so I had to fill the bath (with mains water from the electric shower). I guestimated the amount of thin bleach and vinegar to add and immersed the bottles. Is it easier to do in a bucket?
It then took at least 5 minutes to ensure all the bottles were filled and I had to keep double checking as some of them were determined to poke their necks up and out. Then a half hour soak, during which time I kept popping back in to turn them so that the insides were evenly sanitised.
Then the triple rinse out and dry off.. I didn't time it but I think it took about an hour all told.
As always I've tried to do my homework before asking. I know that a lot of the lads use VWP but from what I've read it's no quicker, and as it's chlorine based I couldn't see any advantage over thin bleach.
If this is just how it is, i.e. a chore to get through, then so be it, but if anyone has a magic solution you can have my soul in exchange.

 

[honeymonster]

If there is, I haven't found it yet

 

[Wolfracer]

How many is bulk?
I use a milton tablet in a sink full of water.
Shove bottles in, use 1 litre jug to fill to brim, put on draining board.
repeat.
when 20 bottles on drainer, empty back into sink, and put to one side.
repeat for next 20 bottles.
Then just pick up 2 bottles and empty dribbles out.
fill and forget. job done. No taint, no bacteria. No nowt. 20x40pint brews in a year says this works... seriously.

 

[BruinTuns]

"If there is, I haven't found it yet

"

I was afraid someone would say that :sick:
Have we just hit on a definitive argument for kegging?

 

[BruinTuns]

"How many is bulk?"
On this occasion only 24, but usually I guess it wil be the usual 40, maybe 80 if two brews happen to be ready the same day (unlikely).
Are Milton tabs 'no rinse'?

 

[tippseyTony]

I use the bottle tree with a bottle tree sanitation bowl on top off the tree . and use two Milton tablets which it rinse free and does not leave any after taste. I will post a few links for you

 

[tippseyTony]

https://www.dorsethomebrew.co.uk/sh...g-bottle-drainer-45-bottle-8006818152117.html

 

[tippseyTony]

The little bottler is really handy . I can bottle 80 bottles in 60 minutes .

 

[BruinTuns]

Thanks Tony. It seems Milton Tabs are the way forward..
Sound good to you honeymonster?

 

[MyQul]

Star san (or other no rinse sterilizer) and a bottle tree (I have a Fast Rack, but same principle).

1.Line bottles up. 2.
2. Fill bottles with about 1 cm of Star san. using jug.
3. Hold two bottles in each hand and vigourously shake for about 20-30 seconds
4. Pour star san into bucket
5. Put bottles on bottle tree to drain out any remaining star san
6. Repeat step 3-5 until all bottles finished
7. Job done

 

[BruinTuns]

Is the same 1cm of StarSan re-usable for all the other bottles?

 

[honeymonster]

I'd looked into star san before and thought it looked pretty good but isn't it just a steriliser? If you are reusing bottles that you'd have to clean them first, which takes time.

I'm using VWP atm because it cleans and sterlises, same as the thin bleach I guess.

Am I thinking about this right or does star san do both?

 

[MyQul]

Is the same 1cm of StarSan re-usable for all the other bottles?

Yup, star san is re-usable multiple times. So I use a 1L jug filled with star san fill as many bottles as I can with 1cm shake, then pour back in the jug and do as many more bottles as I can and repeat until all bottles are done. Some star san is lost when draining on the bottle tree

 

[Mikelewis]

I'm fairly new to this only made 5 batches so I would have done 100 bottles this way. (I'm using 1 litre lemonade bottles). I don't do any thing very precise or consistent but I have not had a bad bottle yet.

The way I see it none of the bottles are going to be dirty as they all had a clean liquid in them, this is assuming your not getting your bottles from a dirty bottle bank.

1- Make sure the bottles are pretty much empty and they are free from any visible dirt/left over sediment.
2- I tap a bit of VWP into the sink and then fill with about 8 inches warm of water.
3- Submerge the bottle, whilst it's filling I clean around the neck and thread with a cloth.
4- Once the bottle has about 2 inches in I screw the cap on and then shake hard for about 10 seconds.
5- Empty the steriliser back into the sink and place the bottle on the drying rack with the cap loosely fitted.
6- Once I am ready to brew I then fill each bottle with a few inches of water straight from the tap and shake the water out into the sink.
7- Screw the cap back on loosely and then remove and replace each cap prior to filling.

This normally take about half hour to bottle a 20 litre batch, not sure how good this method is but Iv still not had a bad bottle.

 

[MyQul]

I'd looked into star san before and thought it looked pretty good but isn't it just a steriliser? If you are reusing bottles that you'd have to clean them first, which takes time.

I'm using VWP atm because it cleans and sterlises, same as the thin bleach I guess.

Am I thinking about this right or does star san do both?

You right star san is a sterilizer only.

Cleaning bottles with a cleaning agent (even washing up liquid like i used to) is a MAJOR ball ache so nowadays I don't bother. After pouring a beer I just put some tap water in the bottom shake it about a bit to get the sediment out, do this three of four times until tap water runs out clear and drain on bottle tree, then sterilize on bottling day. Done this,must be, hundreds of times, never had a problem or infection

 

[honeymonster]

You right star san is a sterilizer only.

Cleaning bottles with a cleaning agent (even washing up liquid like i used to) is a MAJOR ball ache so nowadays I don't bother. After pouring a beer I just put some tap water in the bottom shake it about a bit to get the sediment out, do this three of four times until tap water runs out clear and drain on bottle tree, then sterilize on bottling day. Done this,must be, hundreds of times, never had a problem or infection

This makes a lot of sense.Cleaning 1 bottle like that takes no time at all. Its cleaning 40 at once that's a nightmare. I just need to get into the habit of washing the bottles out as I use them.

 

[MyQul]

This makes a lot of sense.Cleaning 1 bottle like that takes no time at all. Its cleaning 40 at once that's a nightmare. I just need to get into the habit of washing the bottles out as I use them.

When i first started brewing I was the same and would clean 30 or 40 bottles at a time which as you say is a nightmare especially if you use washing up liquid as I was which takes 5, 6 or more rinsing to rinse properly, so one day I just though feck it, I'll just rinse with water as I use em and see what happens. No infections, no problems - as long as I've rinsed all the sediment out and sterilized

 

[BruinTuns]

Now we're cooking! So Stsr San or Milton tabs, into previously rinsed bottles, = no rinse. total protection?
I'm a slob and no mistake, but I always thorouhly rinse a newly emptied bottle...

 

[Just]

I run my bottles through a sink of soda crystal hot water and then rinse off to clean, more intense if my bottles are inherits but less so if they were already mine (I can tell by a label being on or not!).

For sterilising 40, I get a trub bucket and put 4 litres of water plus 10ml of Videne. Then I put six bottles in and fill them, leave them for a few mins and then take one out, shake out the solution and put in upside down to drain while filling (drowning) an empty. Do this in rotation and each bottle is in the Videne solution for a few mins or so and if I can get a bottle in and out in 30 secs 40 bottles is taking me roughly 20 minutes plus say 10/15 mins setup and cleanup on top.

 

[magoorty]

My bottles live in a mouse infested shed, so a few days before bottling I put 40 of them in a big garden bin. Sprinkle some oxi clean, fill it up with the hose and put the lid on. Come bottling day, rinse and scoosh with starsan.