Sterilising bottles

[Roger Wilko]

Hi all, just bought myself a load of bottles to put my brew in and was thinking of a quick easy way of sterilising them. I use vwp and it says you can use it to sterilise a dishwasher. So what’s people’s thoughts on sticking my bottles in the dishwasher filling the dispenser with vwp and hey presto clean bottles.

 

[Alfie]

VWP not a friend of Stainless Steel I think? Personally I use a cheap black bin and fill that with VWP to soak bottles in the clean and remove labels. Then rinse. The StarSan. Just to be sure sure.

Plastic labels and adhesive are a bugger though and I peel those labels off then use DeSolvIt to get the glue off. Then soak and clean etc.


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[Roger Wilko]

It says you can use it in dishwashers in the label to sterilise the dishwasher. I’m going to give it a go tomorrow. Got some porter to bottle off

 

[GerritT]

Dishwashers are okay for outside, and for a few inches of the inside. I seriously doubt if dishwashers ever reach the bottom. But your bottles are new so a thorough soak in a bucket, bit of tap rinsing and a hot rinse in the dishwasher should do it.

 

[Clint]

I remove only easy paper labels...plastic and foil type get left on. They get a damn good oxi soak and thrashing with the bottle brush,then rinsed and starsan. Any cruddy ones get more oxi but on a more intense basis. The vwp or similar in a bin sounds good for stuff you need to really kill.

 

[lancon]

If they are new then just starsan them, I use a bottle rinser and bottle tree the best buy I've made.

 

[MmmBeer]

I half fill used bottles with hot water after use, shake vigorously and drain, check that no residue remains and put away until bottling day.
On bottling day, put bottles in dishwasher with a good scoop of oxi, on a hot wash. Then spray with Star San using bottle washer and hang on bottle tree to dry.

Bottling today, so off to load dishwasher.

 

[Mr Fro]

You can sterilise in a dishwasher using only water if it has a long 70 degree cycle. You still need to clean them first though.

For sticky stiff I use one of those metal scouring pad things and for really stubborn stuff like the adhesive from plastic labels I use a bit of acetone - it comes right off.

 

[Dutto]

There is no easy way to sanitise bottles for HomeBrew! (A "stick 'em in and forget em" bottle-washing and sanitising machine will cost as much as a small house!)

As a result there is only one way to be absolutely sure that the bottles are clean and ready to be used:

1. Rinse a bottle (singular 'cos you have to do each one separately) out with cold water.
2. Check the bottle against the light for ANY contaminants. (e.g. dead snails, old yeast, old label glue, dust etc.)
3. If anything is seen inside or outside of the bottle then get a brush, scrub away the offending material, rinse and re-check.
4. When satisfied that the bottle is clear of debris, immerse the bottle in a sanitising solution (e.g. Starsan or VWP) for 10 minutes minimum,
5. Whilst the bottles are soaking:
   • Clean and sanitise the bottle rack with a brush and spray bottle of sanitising liquid.
   • Count out and check the correct number caps/washers etc needed to bottle and cap the brew.
6. Drain the sanitising liquid from the bottles, do a final cleanliness check and put them on the bottle rack to drain.

Whilst the bottles are draining:

• Sanitise the caps/washers etc.
• Sanitise Bottling Wand.
• Sanitise Bottling Bucket.
• Sanitise syphon.
• Transfer brew from FV to Bottling Bucket.
• Add carbonation sugar & Hop Tea to Bottling Bucket.
• Fit Bottling Wand.

You are now ready to start bottling your brew ...

... and if you think that this is a bit OCD, it isn't! :thumb:

 

[GerritT]

ISN'T BREWING A FUN HOBBY?! :thumb:

 

[BeerisGOD]

If they are new then just starsan them, I use a bottle rinser and bottle tree the best buy I've made.

I need a bottle rinser
Any recommendations?

 

[GhostShip]

I need a bottle rinser
Any recommendations?

I bought this one a year or so ago and it's brilliant. Wouldn't be without it!

https://amzn.to/2KFPrCC

 

[Alfie]

I bought this one a year or so ago and it's brilliant. Wouldn't be without it!

https://amzn.to/2KFPrCC

Ditto! Comes apart easily for cleaning too. [emoji106]


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[GhostShip]

Forgot to say that I use that bottle rinser with Starsan. It’s a doddle.

 

[BeerisGOD]

Forgot to say that I use that bottle rinser with Starsan. It’s a doddle.

I struggle with the sediment in the coopers pet bottles due to the design
Glass are easier but I'm going off glass

 

[GerritT]

Well, birthday approaching so I'll drop some hints...

 

[MmmBeer]

I need a bottle rinser
Any recommendations?

I have a spare one if anyone is interested in taking it off my hands.

https://www.beerhawk.co.uk/vinator-...MIz7uxgJqQ3AIVArDtCh2y2A2lEAQYASABEgImgfD_BwE

I bought it half price in the Black Friday sale last year and accidentally set the quantity to 2. It's unused and in its box and they are very useful. PM me if you are interested.

 

[GhostShip]

I struggle with the sediment in the coopers pet bottles due to the design
Glass are easier but I'm going off glass

What I really like about PET bottles is the fact that you can ‘feel’ that secondary fermentation has taken place. After a week or two, the whole bottle tightens up and you can feel the pressure within. It’s quite reassuring!

 

[GerritT]

What I really like about PET bottles is the fact that you can ‘feel’ that secondary fermentation has taken place. After a week or two, the whole bottle tightens up and you can feel the pressure within. It’s quite reassuring!

Hence my routine of adding 1.5L of bottled water (3x0.5) to get some more minerals in the water (tapwater here is softest in the country) and using those 3 bottles as the first ones in the bottling line 2 weeks later. They're stored in the pantry in a crate so there aint much light damage.

 

[ukphiltr7]

I bought this one a year or so ago and it's brilliant. Wouldn't be without it!

https://amzn.to/2KFPrCC

I brought one of these not so long ago and found that I needed a washer to go on the stem to stop the bottle from going all the way down. With the washer to stop it, it is an easy process to clean the bottles. However, you can still get wet from it occasionally spraying out.

I would not trust a dishwasher to do the job. Expecially with the opening of the bottles being so small. You never know if the water will get in the bottle.

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