Cleaning bottles that have algae

[msa8967]

I made 4 cases of beer for a friend's wedding with the understanding that I would get the bottles returned to me. His friend that was in charge of cleaning and returning the bottles brought them back with algae in them. He said he soaked the bottles in oxyclean outside for a month and now there is algae growing inside many of the bottles....I am not amused by this but I don't want to throw these bottles out.

So this is how I am thinking of trying to clean them. Boil the bottles is water/oxyclean solution and then use a pressurized bottle cleaner to get the insides well rinsed. Anyone think this would be enough or should I try something else? The bottles are ones from Green Flash brewing and are heavy thick glass so I really don't want to just recycle them.

 

[Setesh]

Most of the algae should come off pretty easy, at least it always has for me. I would fill them up with plain warm water and let them soak, then pressure wash them out, then fill them with a PBW solution and let them soak overnight, then take a bottle brush to them, then pressure wash them out again. I would then visually inspect them for any crud left inside using a bright light to "candle" them. If they look clean then it's on to sanitizing. I have a friend that I used to give beer to all the time with the stipulation that he rinse my bottles twice and then put them in the dishwasher to dry. They kept coming back with algae and dead flies in them. He doesn't get to take beer home anymore....

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Don't know about Algae, but my general cleaning for mold or bacteria is pretty simple. Fill my tub with water hot as hell. Soak bottles for about 30 minutes or so. Shake bottles clean. Inspect bottles for stuff that won't come off. If clean let dry and unless the stuff comes back, you're fine.

Glass is pretty hard to have stuff like that stick around.

 

[unionrdr]

I've soaked moldering bottles in PBW & had the stuff float up & out by the next day. Scrub inside & out,rinse,& onto the bottle tree.

 

[Jaybird]

PBW!

Cheers
Jay

 

[msa8967]

Thanks everyone. I will get some PBW mixed up.