Vinator alternative

[Kingfish]

In collecting pieces to get back into brewing I started thinking about bottling and what a pain sanitizing bottles is. I want to keg but am just not there yet. Mostly because I don't have room for a keezer. I looked at vinators but they just did not seem very efficient. I then thought about a water hose nozzle. Then I ran across this.

AquaAntics Water Bomb Factory

I figure hook it up to a small (NEW) garden sprayer filled with Starsan. Could also use water to blast crud from bottles.

 

[horseinmay]

It might work. I don't know how you would get the starsan in the hose, though. What is it about the vinator that isn't efficient? I love mine.

 

[rifraf]

What about a small super soaker? Being serious...I thought about picking one up at a garage sale and just shooting up into each bottle and refilling with what comes out

 

[Kingfish]

I guess efficient is not the right word. It just does not look really stable. The balloon filler would be clamped to a table.

As far as how to get the starsan from the garden sprayer to the nozzle I would just use an old garden hose fitting for one end and some tubing for the other. Connect the two with a plastic barbed reducer.

 

[Kingfish]

What about a small super soaker? Being serious...I thought about picking one up at a garage sale and just shooting up into each bottle and refilling with what comes out

Not hands free...Although I am sure you could rig up a foot pedal...Hmmm

 

[Fizzycist]

I paid 30 cents for a little plastic sprayer bottle, just hit each bottle with a few squirts.

 

[horseinmay]

I guess efficient is not the right word. It just does not look really stable. The balloon filler would be clamped to a table.

As far as how to get the starsan from the garden sprayer to the nozzle I would just use an old garden hose fitting for one end and some tubing for the other. Connect the two with a plastic barbed reducer.

I guess I still don't understand the problem. Not to nitpick, but my vinator sits on top of my bottle tree, and it's quite stable. No, I don't work for vinator, but haven't heard of anything not to like about it until now.
All the other things suggested here would probably work too.

 

[camiller]

The vinator I have is about 9 inches in diameter and is very stable setting on the counter top and does have the ability to attach to a bottle tree as well. Also, you are re-using the star-san since most of the excess drains right back from the bottle into the vinator, so less waste of sanitizer. Plus, I also dip the neck of the bottle into the vinator basin after squirting to make sure the top of the bottle is also sanitized.

Quite frankly, the cheap plastic water balloon filler will probably not clip "that" securely to your table, and where is the star-san gonna dribble out to?

 

[Kingfish]

The vinator I have is about 9 inches in diameter and is very stable setting on the counter top and does have the ability to attach to a bottle tree as well. Also, you are re-using the star-san since most of the excess drains right back from the bottle into the vinator, so less waste of sanitizer. Plus, I also dip the neck of the bottle into the vinator basin after squirting to make sure the top of the bottle is also sanitized.

Quite frankly, the cheap plastic water balloon filler will probably not clip "that" securely to your table, and where is the star-san gonna dribble out to?

Good points. From the pictures it looks a lot smaller than nine inches.

 

[camiller]

Good points. From the pictures it looks a lot smaller than nine inches.

There is a pic about half way down this page (not mine) showing it with a bottle: http://www.onemansbrew.com/bottling-my-double-chocolate-stout-with-pictures/

 

[tre9er]

Good points. From the pictures it looks a lot smaller than nine inches.

TWSS...sorry, I had to :fro:

 

[DroolingNeoBrewery]

I paid 30 cents for a little plastic sprayer bottle, just hit each bottle with a few squirts.

Anybody else doing this? I am about to bottle and had this idea. Normally I put a gallon of star san in the bottling bucket and fill each bottle about 1/5 full shake, drain back into bottling bucket and then shake out excess foam, dip neck in star san, and place upside down to drain. That's really damn tedious.

I'm thinking a couple sprays, dip and drain. Thoughts?
Vinators are just to expensive for what they are (a squirt gun with a base). I have a spray bottle already

 

[petey_c]

the vinator i have is about 9 inches in diameter and is very stable setting on the counter top and does have the ability to attach to a bottle tree as well. Also, you are re-using the star-san since most of the excess drains right back from the bottle into the vinator, so less waste of sanitizer. Plus, i also dip the neck of the bottle into the vinator basin after squirting to make sure the top of the bottle is also sanitized.

Quite frankly, the cheap plastic water balloon filler will probably not clip "that" securely to your table, and where is the star-san gonna dribble out to?

+1

 

[petey_c]

KingFish, If you've got crud on the bottom of your bottles soak them in oxiclean. One simple push with the bottle on the vinator and you're done, I swirl the mouth of the bottle in the bucket of Starsan, before I sanitize the inside. I do my sanitizing in the "slop sink" in the basement. I make up about 2 qts. 1 for the vinator and one to soak the bottle caps in prior to bottling (I use PET bottles, by the way). After I'm done with a bottle, I turn it upside down in a case with a sanitized garbage bag in the bottom. I used to make a couple of gallons of sanitizer (One Step, I think) and let the bottles soak for a minute or so, then drain. The vinator saved me money in sanitizer and time.

 

[Fizzycist]

Anybody else doing this? I am about to bottle and had this idea. Normally I put a gallon of star san in the bottling bucket and fill each bottle about 1/5 full shake, drain back into bottling bucket and then shake out excess foam, dip neck in star san, and place upside down to drain. That's really damn tedious.

I'm thinking a couple sprays, dip and drain. Thoughts?
Vinators are just to expensive for what they are (a squirt gun with a base). I have a spray bottle already

I'm 4 batches in, still using the cheapo squirt bottle, never had a problem. Just hit it with a few squirts, swish, dump, fill, cap. Super easy.

 

[SenorPepe]

I use the squirt bottle method. But I only bottle 2.5 gallon batches and I still find it a pain in the ass. I'll be getting a vinator soon. Can't beat the squirt bottle price, though.

 

[beergolf]

I just use a turkey baster. I put a bowl of starsan on the open dishwasher door. A good squit into the bottle, a quick shake, drain into the bowl, a quick dip of the mouth of the bottle into the starsan and into the dishwasher to drain.

 

[mjmac85]

Spray bottle works just fine. I soak them and drain them for awhile. Right before I bottle I do about 5 sprays swish swirl dump and fill.

 

[Stauffbier]

I used to use a spray bottle. I got a vinator, and I won't go back now. The vinator is super fast and easy.

EDIT: I should mention I like my spray bottle too. I still use it for all kinds of stuff. Just not for bottling anymore...

 

[Zamial]

I use: http://www.homedepot.com/Cleaning-C...splay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051

I use that for everything. It is ugly and really durable (had the same one for almost 2 years now ) so I need not worry about the wife thinking it is something it is not plus it is easy to spot with a quick glance.

FWIW Starsan is not a submersion sanitizer it is a contact sanitizer. Meaning I squirt the bottle tree down. Then squirt each 12oz bottle once maybe twice to get the bottle cap lip, then straight onto the tree.

I also have a small Gladware dish I put a little Starsan in add my bottle caps, snap lid on and shake gently a few times. When it is time to bottle I grab from the tree, fill and cap.

The spray bottle also sanitizes almost everything else in my brewery as well. I use very little Starsan this way...