Cleaning Bottles

[Abrewba]

Getting ready to bottle... The bottles I am using are new from the homebrew store (22 oz bottles)...

Usually when reusing bottles, id go through the whole process of cleaning, scrubbing, rinsing, sanitizing...

But with new bottles can I just rinse them out, sanitize, and then go?

 

[pricelessbrewing]

How clean is your lhbs? Id probably do it anyways if it were my bottles.

 

[unionrdr]

As long as they've been sealed in their box & basically clean, yes. Just rinse, sanitize & go. And use a bottling wand. It not only fills the bottles from the bottom up, but it also gives the right head space by way of volume displacement.

 

[Snowden]

I'd probably run them through a cycle in the dishwasher without soap to get any dust etc. out before sanitizing.

 

[flars]

I will use a cleaning solution on new bottles with a brush installed in a battery powered drill. There could be lubricating oils in the bottles along with bacteria laden dust. Jet rinse and then sanitize.

 

[IslandLizard]

Sorry, but the dishwasher is not going to get water up the skinny necks, all the way to the bottom (which is up) and rinse the sides. I use a bottle brush in an a basin with hot water and PBW or washing soda, followed by a good thorough hot rinse with one of those bottle jet sprayers that attach to your faucet. Then dunk them in Starsan and let them drain out, right before filling.

Bottles from your brew store may have grain dust in or on them, which is covered in lactobacillus. Makes for nice sours if handled correctly.

 

[unionrdr]

Good point about the grain dust. didn't think of that aspect of it. But a good hot rinse & Starsan should take care of that.

 

[IslandLizard]

I will use a cleaning solution on new bottles with a brush installed in a battery powered drill. There could be lubricating oils in the bottles along with bacteria laden dust. Jet rinse and then sanitize.

So right. It's easy to forget about those oils and other residues from manufacturing, packaging, warehousing, and distributing. Yes, they need a wash, not just a quick rinse, although one may get away with it most of the time.

I wonder how you got that drill and brush rigged. I need both hands to wash and clean bottles.

 

[flars]

So right. It's easy to forget about those oils and other residues from manufacturing, packaging, warehousing, and distributing. Yes, they need a wash, not just a quick rinse, although one may get away with it most of the time.

I wonder how you got that drill and brush rigged. I need both hands to wash and clean bottles.

I cut the loop off the end of the brush to chuck it in the drill. Plenty of length left to do the 22 ounce bombers. I have second brush with the loop attached just for cleaning at the very top of carboys. Bent this one for the appropriate cleaning angle.

 

[flars]

Forgot to add the rest of the procedure. The bottle is held in a small diameter bucket of cleaning solution. Let some of the solution drain into the bottle. Use my left hand at the mouth of the bottle as a guide for starting the brush into the bottle mouth.
Start at low speed and remove the brush at slow speed to limit spray.

 

[IslandLizard]

I cut the loop off the end of the brush to chuck it in the drill. Plenty of length left to do the 22 ounce bombers. I have second brush with the loop attached just for cleaning at the very top of carboys. Bent this one for the appropriate cleaning angle.

Bottle in one hand, drill with brush in the other? I was more hoping for a drill press kinda contraption.

 

[eadavis80]

The first time I use a bottle I soak it in OxyClean solution and get the label off and scrub it with a bottling brush. After that's done the first time though, I always just rinse my beer bottles 4 times with hot water after pouring the beer into a glass and put 'em in the dishwasher. On bottling day, I submerge them in a Star San solution for two minutes and then place on the bottling tree just prior to filling them with beer.

 

[julioardz]

All my new bottles get a few rinses with hot water then go into the dishwasher with no soap, hottest setting, heated dry.

I rinse every bottle after pouring a beer, spray with sanitizer and set aside until the next use. Those also go through the dishwasher at the hottest setting and heated dry before bottling another batch. The dishwasher is easy and has never given me problems.

 

[Abrewba]

Someone suggested to me that after the bottles were clean to fill the bottles all the way with star san, and then dump right before filling... Does anybody else do that?

 

[flars]

Someone suggested to me that after the bottles were clean to fill the bottles all the way with star san, and then dump right before filling... Does anybody else do that?

No need to fill. Add a little solution, shake, dump in bucket for sanitizing other equipment, and then upside down in rack to drain.

 

[eadavis80]

I fill them with Star San and then dump the Star San back into my sanitizer bucket.

 

[unionrdr]

I have a vinator on top of my bottle tree that fill half way with Starsan. Then 3 pumps each & onto the bottle tree right before filling.

 

[Abrewba]

I am using 22oz bottles... How much headspace should I leave when filling?

With 12oz it's around 1 inch... So should it be around 2?

I am using a bottle filler so will it naturally leave the right amount if I fill to the top and then remove because of displacement?

 

[flars]

I am using 22oz bottles... How much headspace should I leave when filling?

With 12oz it's around 1 inch... So should it be around 2?

I am using a bottle filler so will it naturally leave the right amount if I fill to the top and then remove because of displacement?

The bottle filler will give you the proper amount of head space. The proper amount of head space is not a definitive number of inches. When using a bottling wand the short fat bottles will have less head space than tall thin bottles. The bottles will carbonate the same.

 

[unionrdr]

Yes. Removing the bottling wand from a bottle filled to the top will leave the right head space by volume displacement.

 

[NinjaPoodles]

I'd throw them in dish washer with nothing else in, at Anti-Bacterial Sanitizing options if you have it, or just sanitize inside with spray bottle.
If dirty -> in the sanitized bath with cleaning solution over night, then the first step (sanitizing in dish washer, or spray bottle.)

Dont forget to let the bottle caps in a bowl with sanitizing solution in too!