Bottle Brush

[gkinrade]

Does anyone else have problems with bottle brushes (I have one of these http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/nylon-bottle-brush.html) getting jammed in the neck of bottles?

Last time I was washing out some bottles I was sure that it was permenantly stuck in one...... or that I would shatter the bottle by having to pull it out so hard...

Anyone have any ideas / suggestions as to how to avoid this problem?

Cheers

GK

 

[broadfordbrewer]

I have that brush and agree it can be stubborn.
What kinda of bottles are you using? although I can't imagine that should be the problem as its only the bristles giving the resistence. You'll have to do 20 press-ups for every pint of home brew you drink :whistle:

 

[gkinrade]

Just using regular beer bottles (500ml ones) - not looking forward to cleaning the next lot of 40 bottles using it....

 

[jamesb]

They're bloody awful those brushes. They'll also just tend to scratch at the sediment rather than remove it all.

Use a square of nylon scrubbie taped to a plastic stick, it's much more effective.

(Dave Line's idea, not mine)

 

[broadfordbrewer]

cheers James... I'll try that too

 

[Moley]

They're bloody awful those brushes.

I'll second that. Where the end wire is folded back on itself it can make a very tight fit. I've only ever broken the neck of one bottle when trying to pull the brush out, but it simply won't fit inside the 660ml cider bottles I use at all. There are also no bristles right on the end where you need them.

I use the head off a Wilko's 50p bottle brush with the wire drilled into a length of dowel or bamboo cane, as their handles aren't quite long enough to reach the bottom of a wine bottle.

Thanks for passing on that tip James, I will also be giving it a try.

 

[Aleman]

I twist a length of green scrubby onto some wire . . . which then goes onto a rod . . . into the drill . .. when the drill is on the scrubby cleans the sediment off . . . Allow the drill to stop before removing scrubby from bottle.

Although nowadays, Fill bowl with hot water (65C) add two scoops of oxiclean . . . add bottles and leave for 15 minutes . . . rinse bottles . . . if not clean put bottles in recycling bin . . . sorted

 

[snail59]

Thought it was just me. First bottle I tried to clean with mine it wouldn't fit. So its never been used. Nice idea with the srubbie on a drill AM :thumb: .