Swing top bottles

The place to discuss all things about brewing hygiene!
Post Reply
bubblehead

Swing top bottles

Post by bubblehead » Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:46 am

I've just acquired some used once ( commercial beer ) swing top bottles.
I already use swing tops but the ones I've just got have the rubber washer bonded to the top.
My normal bottling procedure is to remove the rubber washers, sit them in sanitizer and as I fill up, pop the washer on and close the top.

My question is.

Will I have problems sanitizing the top properly as there's a hairline join between the top and the washer where nasty's could hide which will be inside the bottle?

Any advice/comments would be appreciated.

Tony1951

Re: Swing top bottles

Post by Tony1951 » Wed Mar 23, 2016 2:31 pm

I spray the clean bottles with oxy clean no rinse solution, leave them half an hour and then rinse before filling. I've been doing this for more than a year with swing tops and have had no issues at all. After pouring the beer I carefully clean the bottles immediately by rinsing and shaking them half full of clean tap water. I do this at least three times then drain and store them.

User avatar
Notlaw
Piss Artist
Posts: 153
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2016 11:43 am
Location: Garstang, Lancashire

Re: Swing top bottles

Post by Notlaw » Wed Mar 23, 2016 2:40 pm

Tony1951 wrote:I spray the clean bottles with oxy clean no rinse solution, leave them half an hour and then rinse before filling. I've been doing this for more than a year with swing tops and have had no issues at all. After pouring the beer I carefully clean the bottles immediately by rinsing and shaking them half full of clean tap water. I do this at least three times then drain and store them.
Same here, I do that with my Grolsch bottles.

AnthonyUK

Re: Swing top bottles

Post by AnthonyUK » Wed Mar 23, 2016 3:51 pm

Tony1951 wrote:I spray the clean bottles with oxy clean no rinse solution...
Are you sure you mean oxyclean or Starsan?

Oxyclean is fine to clean but isn't an effective sanitiser and I'd definitely rinse it.

I just put mine in the dishwasher without detergent.

You can buy new stoppers BTW - http://www.ampulla.co.uk/Glass-Swing-To ... -221-1559/

Tony1951

Re: Swing top bottles

Post by Tony1951 » Wed Mar 23, 2016 4:02 pm

[quote="AnthonyUK"][quote="Tony1951"]I spray the clean bottles with oxy clean no rinse solution...[/quote]

Are you sure you mean oxyclean or Starsan?

Oxyclean is fine to clean but isn't an effective sanitiser and I'd definitely rinse it.

I just put mine in the dishwasher without detergent.

You can buy new stoppers BTW - http://www.ampulla.co.uk/Glass-Swing-To ... -221-1559/[/quote]

My mistake the product is ChemiPro Oxi. It was recommended by the maker of some mini kegs I bought. It is the only product I use besides cold tap water. I use the same things for all my cleaning and sterilising jobs, but I also have something called VWP which MUST BE THOROUGHLY RINSED.

In fact I rinse everything in cold tap water straight out of the tap.

I've never had an issue related to beer going off.

bubblehead

Re: Swing top bottles

Post by bubblehead » Wed Mar 23, 2016 8:14 pm

Thanks for your input gents.

Post Reply