Love brewing drying tree or draining rack

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danmac

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Has anyone got either of these and can you recommend which if either is best please☺️
 
I got a bottle tree. I got it permanently set up on the work too in the garage so I have somewhere to store my rinsed empties. It seems to fill up quite quickly...before you know it there's 50 clean bottles hanging off the tree!
 
I got a bottle tree. I got it permanently set up on the work too in the garage so I have somewhere to store my rinsed empties. It seems to fill up quite quickly...before you know it there's 50 clean bottles hanging off the tree!
It looks like it's more compact than the drainer do you have the bottle cleaning machine or do you do it by hand
 
I got the bottle washer...you must get one! Makes sterilising on bottling day a doddle. Plus I chuck in the required amount of bottle caps and fish them out along the way.
 
I got the bottle washer...you must get one! Makes sterilising on bottling day a doddle. Plus I chuck in the required amount of bottle caps and fish them out along the way.
Yeah it looks handy rather that washing each one by hand
 
On bottling day...
I rinse and sanitise bottle tree.
Fill bottle washer with Starsan and chuck in my caps.
Fill sink with hot oxi solution and give every bottle a good thrashing out with a bottle brush and a rinse.
As each bottle is scrubbed it gets a few squirts on the washer then hung on the tree.
As my bottles are kept in the shed or garage I check each one for critters before washing as these need removing and the bottle needs a longer soak or gets put aside.
 
On bottling day...
I rinse and sanitise bottle tree.
Fill bottle washer with Starsan and chuck in my caps.
Fill sink with hot oxi solution and give every bottle a good thrashing out with a bottle brush and a rinse.
As each bottle is scrubbed it gets a few squirts on the washer then hung on the tree.
As my bottles are kept in the shed or garage I check each one for critters before washing as these need removing and the bottle needs a longer soak or gets put aside.
Do you rinse out the oxi solution then put the starsan on straight away or is the oxi non rinse as well
 
I rinse the oxi off...a bit overkill but I think if you put your beer into dirty bottles what's the point...it could spoil.
There are other ways to stetilise your bottles,some use just hot water some put them in the oven. It's about finding what works for you. I'd get some rubber gloves while you're at it.
 
I rinse the oxi off...a bit overkill but I think if you put your beer into dirty bottles what's the point...it could spoil.
There are other ways to stetilise your bottles,some use just hot water some put them in the oven. It's about finding what works for you. I'd get some rubber gloves while you're at it.
I've got the pet bottles but only 24 so gonna order another 48 as I got 2 plastic demi John's yesterday to do turbo cider in
 
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I bought this for rincing bottles. Good piece of kit but only fits the outside tap so washed my bottles outside yesterday. Bloody cold.
 
i've got a bottle tree and a bottle washer like the one @Clint talks about.

I find a bucket of milton works best for cleaning bottles, oxi is a pain to get off without lots of rinsing. If the bottles are already clean they get a quick washout from the hot tap and a few squirts of chemsan in the bottle washer.

My bottles are usually clean as a rinse them out straight away, but sometimes I need to draw on the bottle vault in the back of the shed and some of those need a more thorough cleaning.
 
I happen to have an IKEA draining rack and the top of a bottle fits in the slot perfectly.

Yes - it takes up more space, but we already had it knocking about.

Yes - it probably has a smaller capacity, but I clean bottles way before bottling day and I brew small batches so no need to drain 50 odd bottles.

20210303_154640.jpg
 
I wash my bottles straight after using them and store them upside down in boxes. So on bottling day I just sterilise using Chem San and a bottle washer. I don't have a bottle tree yet, but I will get one some day. For the time being I just lay a few sheets of Kitchen toweling down on the kitchen table. I sterilise the bottles using the bottle washer and place the bottles upside down on the paper towels to drain. It works fine. I then take 20 bottles to the bottling bucket and place them to the right hand side on the floor. As I fill them I place the full bottles to my left hand side. And then I cap them and repeat.
 

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I happen to have an IKEA draining rack and the top of a bottle fits in the slot perfectly.

Yes - it takes up more space, but we already had it knocking about.

Yes - it probably has a smaller capacity, but I clean bottles way before bottling day and I brew small batches so no need to drain 50 odd bottles.

View attachment 42471
Haha I have the exact same rack for getting stuff out of the oven lol
 

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