Bottle sanitation question

[Biere_Titan]

I’m still fairly new at this. For my first three batches I’m convinced I went overboard in cleaning and sanitizing my bottles. Going forward here’s what I’m thinking of doing:

After drinking a beer, I wash the bottle (without soap) and then turn it upside down to drain and dry. Early on bottling day, I run all the empties in the dishwasher (again without soap) with extra heat to kill any germs. Then, before I actually begin bottling, I spray Starsan into each bottle, turn them a couple of times to coat the insides and then place them back in the dishwasher rack upside down.

Is this good practice or do I need to do more? Thanks.

 

[atomicx6637]

That is exactly what I do. I usually run a bottle brush through them before I put them in the dish washer, just to make sure there isn't any residue left in the bottle.

So far everything has been good, granted I'm only on my 3rd batch.

Troy

 

[Golddiggie]

After a good rinse after being emptied of brew I would set them aside until needed. Then submerge in StarSan bucket to fill, let rest a moment (or three) then drain and either cover and chill (for filling from keg/tap) or put on bottle tree. IMO a dishwasher rack is not sanitary unless you spray it down with StarSan first. I spray the bottle tree with StarSan making sure that the spots that bottles are being placed onto is wet with StarSan first.

It amazes me at how many people trust dishwashers to sanitize their bottles. I don't have one (currently) and I wouldn't trust one that far even if I did.

 

[progmac]

i had always used the dishwasher but this last batch, i just let them sit for a minute in my bottling bucket, filled just high enough with sanitizer solution to cover the top of the bottles. i found this to be more convenient overall.

i always rinse after each use. if i had unrinsed bottles, i'd rinse them and soak in a cleaner like oxyclean

 

[CKing]

1. Rinse with hot water using a bottle brush, set upside down to dry.
2. Store in a covered box until needed.
3. Rinse then fill with cleaning/sanitizing solution (I use One Step, never had a problem) for 30-60 minutes.
4. Empty solution, fill with beer.

 

[BetterSense]

Unfortunately, I don't think rinsing is sufficient. I think a thin scum of yeast/sediment remains, even if you rinse the bottle out vigorously right after drinking. You can't see it if you just look at the bottle after rinsing, because it's an even coating. If you stick a bottle brush in the bottle, though, and remove it without brushing a lot, you can see the areas where the bottle brush has swept away the film, because of the contrast. I really hate brushing out bottles, but I don't think just rinsing them is good enough anymore. It's probably possible to bottle on top of the film that remains in the bottle and get away with it, but I won't risk my beer. You have to brush, there's no way around it if you want really clean bottles.

 

[estricklin]

After a good rinse after being emptied of brew I would set them aside until needed. Then submerge in StarSan bucket to fill, let rest a moment (or three) then drain and either cover and chill (for filling from keg/tap) or put on bottle tree. IMO a dishwasher rack is not sanitary unless you spray it down with StarSan first. I spray the bottle tree with StarSan making sure that the spots that bottles are being placed onto is wet with StarSan first.

It amazes me at how many people trust dishwashers to sanitize their bottles. I don't have one (currently) and I wouldn't trust one that far even if I did.

I must humbly disagree with you. The dishwasher I bought (as most of the newer ones), heats up to 190 degrees for 20 minutes during the sanitize cycle. AIN'T NOTHING surviving that.

When I get done drinking one I rinse and use a bottle brush, I set it aside or wash it until bottling day. Then on bottling day I put all 50 in the dishwasher and let it run, as soon as the cycle is over I open the door and let them cool down a bit before using them. Just can't get e'm that clean without heat. I do check the inside of every bottle though to make sure there isn't a tiny piece of crud or what have you. I put no dishes in with the bottle.

I used to use starsan in a bucket, I'd dunk e'm then rinse e'm. I even tried just dunking and not rinsing but the suds made it a pain to bottle, I also felt like it inhibited carbing somewhat.

 

[TheOneBuz]

I rinse immediately after use (no brush) and then store. On bottling day I rinse again using a bottle rinser on my sink and then use the vinater with star san to sanitize. I hang on a bottle tree to drain. Entire bottling cycle for a 5 gallon batch takes about an hour from start to cleanup and is easy. I've done over a dozen batches this way and never had a bad one.

 

[monkeymootj]

I always rinse and brush with hot water immediately after drinking then soak in star san just before bottling. Can't be too careful. what a waste it would be to get an infection after all that hard work because of skipping a couple simple steps

 

[jeremy0209]

This is what I do (keep in mind that I'm anal about sanitation): rinse right after drinking. The day of bottling, I soak the bottles in Oxyclean for at least an hour, run the bottle brush through them, rinse, sanitize, fill, and cap. Like I said, I'm terrified of bacteria ruining my beer.

 

[Biere_Titan]

I want to avoid having to dunk the bottles in Starsan to speed things up on bottling day. My dishwasher does have a anti-bacterial setting so I figure that will get the temp up high enough to kill any germs. But what about spaying the Starsan in the bottles afterwards, is that overkill?

 

[HBngNOK]

Rinse, drop in 1/4~1/2 teaspoon of Oxyclean Free or equivalent, and shake, rinse well, drain on bottle-tree, store upside down until needed. On bottling day, another rinse, dunk in starsan, and bottle.

 

[grimstuff]

I rinse, use a bottle brush, then load em into the dishwasher for a rinse and heat cycle. That's it. No cleaners, no starsan. I grab the bottles out of the dishwasher one by one and fill them right there.

However, if the bottles require de-labeling, I soak and scrape them in a solution of PBW prior to all that.

 

[evo8ur8]

Sanitize, we don't need no stinkin sanitize!!!

Fill my bathtub up with hot water dump some oxyclean in it and let them soak for a few hrs. The oxyclean also make labels fall right off. I then rinse them in the sink. Then use the idophore right when I am going to bottle!

 

[D_Nyholm]

Sanitize, we don't need no stinkin sanitize!!!

Fill my bathtub up with hot water dump some oxyclean in it and let them soak for a few hrs. The oxyclean also make labels fall right off. I then rinse them in the sink. Then use the idophore right when I am going to bottle!

+1 on this but I use pbw