Sterilisation of Bottles

[Justin Dean]

Bottle trees I have used, but these days I use fastrack, easier to use

 

[Derek Smalls]

After drinking: a good rinse, shake & drain. Then a visual inspection (my bottles are mostly clear glass). If any stains are visible inside, then a few hours soaking with a thin bleach/water solution (1/20), a bottle brushing and a thorough rinse.

Before bottling: a few mins soak in VWP, followed by a thorough rinse and left to drain. If not enough time, then bake in a hot oven for 5mins.

I never used to bother with sterilising the caps, after all (I reasoned) they never came into contact with the beer, but then I had a batch of uncarbonated beer a few weeks back. The solution involved turning all the bottles upside down for 3 days, so the beer definitely came into contact with the caps then! So I now give the caps a quick soak in boiling water.

On the whole I get the impression we can get too anal about sterilising equipment that’s used with fermented beer. A 5% alcohol content should do a reasonable job of discouraging bacterial infection.

 

[Clint]

Bottling is tedious...

 

[JFB]

Keep the bottle cap after you open it and after pouring swill and snap the cap back on. Good if you store the bottles where slugs n stuff can crawl inside.

I definitely need to do this.. always the misses that ends up with the slug

 

[Subtle Duck]

I rinse all bottles after use to make sure they're clean and then before bottling about 1/4 bottle of Milton solution, shaken not stirred, for 15 mins before rinsing. Never had a problem

 

[Nidger]

Hot water rinse bottles after pouring, shake and rinse again.
Less hot if plastic
Let drain and fit screw top to plastic or old cap to glass.

Sanitise with milton using this

I chuck the new caps in there to sanitise too.


Drain on this and leave for at least 15 minutes.

One thing I try and do is use the same sanitiser to get other brews on the go whilst bottling save wasting it

 

[johncrobinson]

When we are making our wines we all tend to super sanitation.
When later drinking the product of our efforts it all seems to go out of the window

 

[pilgrimhudd]

I've stopped using the bottle brush now, unless it's full of crap. I fill a bucket with 15l of water, use vwp or 30mls of bleach and leave them to soak. Rinse, leave to dry and spray with star san just before filing.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

I have been thinking though, I don't wear gloves when handling any of it, does anyone else?

 

[big yogi]

Dishwasher for me!, I then put tinfoil over the top of them until i bottle, I have never had a issue yet

 

[NickCarroll]

I have been thinking though, I don't wear gloves when handling any of it, does anyone else?

I haven't been

 

[Clint]

Nor me usually but the last couple of times cleaning with hot water and oxi I have as the water was burning my skin off nearly!
Wearing gloves when bottling,getting those caps out the Starsan and placing on the bottle etc is asking for trouble!

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Nor me usually but the last couple of times cleaning with hot water and oxi I have as the water was burning my skin off nearly!
Wearing gloves when bottling,getting those caps out the Starsan and placing on the bottle etc is asking for trouble!

Never thought of that, why is starsan so bad Clint?

 

[Clint]

It's acid based...although I think my last comments could be taken either way...I meant that I DON'T wear gloves when bottling due to the dexterity required...you're bound to drop one!
Perhaps those thin ones would be ok?

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Aahh yes unread it that way.

I tend to make sure I avoid splashing it about but never thought about what it does to my hands.

 

[Clint]

You'll get hands like chickens feet like mine!

 

[MZonard]

We moved to our 'new' home a while back and found 8 filthy DJs in a shed. Cleaned them with limescale remover mixed with sodium percarb and swished baking beads around to scrape off the stuck-on cack. I have resorted to using a jetwasher on the inside of bottles that friends donate but fail to rinse out. It works...
There was a thread on label removal. I can't be bothered with the plastic labels e.g. Butcombe or Wadsworth. Life's too short etc.

 

[Nidger]

I have been thinking though, I don't wear gloves when handling any of it, does anyone else?

Sometimes i wear surgical type gloves.

 

[Hopperty]

Do you fully recap by crimping? When bleach breaks down it's suprising but stuff just loves to grow in it. I've had no end of wine bottles and demijohns with stuff floating in them after leaving bleach solutions in. One demijohn I thought had a dead beedin rat in it.

Yes, I crimp the tops back on

Not sure what could grow in it ? the bottle and top are very clean when they come out of the dishwasher then the mild mix of thin bleach should ensure the water is free from any organism.

I did 18 months ago leave two bottles outside one filled with tap water and the other with the mild bleach, both bottles were re-capped. They are both still visually very clear, Since they have all of the summers sun I did wonder if one would get a bit green algae going.


What would be best after the dishwasher. re-sealing an empty bottle or one full of a mild bleach ?

 

[johncrobinson]

Hello oldchap.
Soooooo........... Your wife's in on it too.!!!!!!!

Brewing bliss is what its known as (in the trade)

For bottles make sure they are clean (obvious i know) then after using any chlorine based sanitizer rinse with sulphite solution to eliminate any chlorine.(sulphite kills bugs even better than chlorine,Sulphite instantly eliminates chlorine.)
Err indoors cider will be less affected but still.!!!!
Chlorine in beer is xxxxxxx due to a reaction with the hops.

You are right about sprays.You need to reach the parts other sprays cannot reach.

Welcome aboard.