Sanitize caps?

[masterblaster]

Bottling my first beer next weekend and I don't know if you sanitize caps. Everything else gets sanitized, but I wondered if it would damage the oxygen absorbing stuff on the cap. Or get sanitizer stuck on it.

 

[jdhasse]

Yes, sanitize the caps. I usually will bring a small pot of water to boil and once it is boiling I will remove from the heat and and add the caps and let sit for a little while.

I have heard others soak their caps in cheap vodka.

Cheers

 

[Begin2Brew]

Yes, sanitize them as well. I usually keep them soaking in a bowl or Star-san solution as I bottle.

 

[dmashl]

yes, just throw them in a small tub of sanitizer.

 

[masterblaster]

Thanks guys. Didn't want To ruin my first batch.

 

[Shred]

Some caps don't like being boiled. I put mine in a little dish of starsan and take them out, one at a time, as I cap.

 

[Im_brewing_beer]

Yes, sanitize them as well. I usually keep them soaking in a bowl or Star-san solution as I bottle.

+1

I find this is the quickest way for me. Be sure to toss one or two extra in, just in case you mess one up, the backup is ready.

Enjoy!

 

[Tupperwolf]

Toss them in a bowl of Sar-san. If you're using oxygen absorbing caps, be aware that getting wet is what activates them, so just toss a few in the bowl at a time as you bottle so you don't end up with a bunch left over that are activated.

 

[unionrdr]

Don't boil them,or you can damage the liner in the cap,or even worse. I just dip them in starsan as I need to set them on filled bottles of beer. Wetting the o2 barrier caps activates them,so I prefer to keep exposure to liquids down.

 

[ScottageCheese]

So I would assume that once the caps got wet... They are no good any more?

 

[unionrdr]

Basically,yes. don't wet it with sanitizer (o2 barrier ones) until you're sure it's going onto a bottle at that moment. Otherwise,keep'em dry. Just like black powder shootin..."keep yer powder dry".

 

[AnOldUR]

Basically,yes. don't wet it with sanitizer (o2 barrier ones) until you're sure it's going onto a bottle at that moment. Otherwise,keep'em dry. Just like black powder shootin..."keep yer powder dry".

This is wrong. It takes several hours for the O2 caps to do their thing. Letting them soak in Starsan while you're bottling is fine.

 

[woozy]

So I would assume that once the caps got wet... They are no good any more?

Only the oxygen barrier caps. And they are still as good as normal caps; they just don't prevent the oxidation as a well.

Here's info on sanitizing them: https://southwestgrapeandgrain.gostorego.com/how-to-use-oxygen-barrier-caps

 

[unionrdr]

This is wrong. It takes several hours for the O2 caps to do their thing. Letting them soak in Starsan while you're bottling is fine.

Not quite. Though it takes a few hours for them to absorb any o2 in the head space,or thast might get in,wetting them activates them to start that process. That's what we're refering to.

 

[mysteryshrimp]

If you don't want to get the caps wet, you could sanitize them in the oven. 180 for 10 minutes should be more than you need.

 

[unionrdr]

Or just dunk them in starsan right before placing them on the filled bottle. works well for me everytime.

 

[AnOldUR]

"It is a slow reaction that takes days."

On Basic brewing the host contacted the maker of Oxygen Absorbing Caps (Crown Beverage), and actually recommended you santize them quickly, evidently the "Oxygen Absorbing Effect" of the caps is not immediate and they need to be wet for a period of time before the magic happens, like days.

Click to listen

It's within the first few minutes of the podcast.

They recommend sanitizing ONLY the caps you are using, and sanitizing just before bottling.

 

[unionrdr]

So the way I'm doing it is good. I also tip the bottle to wet the inside of tha cap with beer when I crimp them before going into the boxes to condition & carb.

 

[woozy]

Seems to me, union and AnOldUr, is that you two are merely negotiating price as the old joke goes. Getting them wet with San-star might (or might not) start the activation process but as you are bottling, the cap will be on the bottle within a matter of minutes (1/2 hour tops) so accidentally activating them isn't a concern. Yes?