Bottle cleaning question
Bottle cleaning question
So.. i know its prob been asked and I have searched but.....
I rinse my bottles (PET and glass) immediately with hot water, several times.
I then let them soak with clean water for a while and then empty out.
Finally I give em a squirt of starsan leaving some in the bottle, screw the cap back on or cover the top with foil.
Question.... is it ok to leave the bottles like this long term, with a bit of starsan in or should i be turning em upside down and letting them dry out?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I rinse my bottles (PET and glass) immediately with hot water, several times.
I then let them soak with clean water for a while and then empty out.
Finally I give em a squirt of starsan leaving some in the bottle, screw the cap back on or cover the top with foil.
Question.... is it ok to leave the bottles like this long term, with a bit of starsan in or should i be turning em upside down and letting them dry out?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
- Jocky
- Even further under the Table
- Posts: 2738
- Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2011 6:50 pm
- Location: Epsom, Surrey, UK
Re: Bottle cleaning question
As long as the bottle is clean, you don't really gain much by leaving starsan in it.
I used to do your procedure, but then found that after a couple of uses there would be yeast left on the sides of the bottles. So now I clean the bottles with PBW and a bottle brush.
I used to do your procedure, but then found that after a couple of uses there would be yeast left on the sides of the bottles. So now I clean the bottles with PBW and a bottle brush.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.
Re: Bottle cleaning question
I do the rinse with hot water straight after pouring the beer. If i look into the bottle by holding it up to the light there does appear to be a deposit inside the bottle. I think in my case this is a hard water deposit from the rinsing as i have very hard water. If i use oxyclean on them it makes it worse because of the hard water.
So i just stick with rinsing with hot water and let them dry. I put them in plastic crate type boxes to store. When ready to use i just then give them a rinse in cold water to remove any dust then a couple of squirts of star san from a bottle plunger washer thing, the bottle then goes on a bottle tree untill ready to use.
So i just stick with rinsing with hot water and let them dry. I put them in plastic crate type boxes to store. When ready to use i just then give them a rinse in cold water to remove any dust then a couple of squirts of star san from a bottle plunger washer thing, the bottle then goes on a bottle tree untill ready to use.
Re: Bottle cleaning question
Yes, rinse the bottle after emptying, but what then matters is how well you sanitise the bottle before you fill it the next time.
- Jocky
- Even further under the Table
- Posts: 2738
- Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2011 6:50 pm
- Location: Epsom, Surrey, UK
Re: Bottle cleaning question
Here's the yeasty deposit I've had in a bottle after a couple of uses - despite hot water rinse and starsan.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.
Re: Bottle cleaning question
Thanks for the help guys..
Will give the bottles another wash and let em dry out.
Bought some beer crates with the idea of turning bottles upside down and leaving on crate ... Kinda works but the bottle 'fall through ' the crate !...
Have a thought to design a 3d printed 'crate Topper' to allow upside down bottle draining / drying.
Sent from my Mi A1 using Tapatalk
Will give the bottles another wash and let em dry out.
Bought some beer crates with the idea of turning bottles upside down and leaving on crate ... Kinda works but the bottle 'fall through ' the crate !...
Have a thought to design a 3d printed 'crate Topper' to allow upside down bottle draining / drying.
Sent from my Mi A1 using Tapatalk
-
- Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
- Posts: 677
- Joined: Tue May 05, 2015 11:21 am
Re: Bottle cleaning question
+1 to percarbonate cleaners with a combination of plunge bottle washer and bottle brush
Star san to sterilise and shift any residue
Finally look into the fastrack upside down bottle holder, they are great
Star san to sterilise and shift any residue
Finally look into the fastrack upside down bottle holder, they are great
-
- Telling imaginary friend stories
- Posts: 5229
- Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:49 pm
- Location: Cowley, Oxford
Re: Bottle cleaning question
i wouldn't rely on rinsing alone myself to clean bottles..
I would suggest adding a cleaning stage involving a soak in a weak and warm generic laundry oxi solution too.
rinsing may not be sufficient to uncover all the inner surface of a bottle and if left covered in a thin film of crud, unwanted microlife could survive a starsan rinse.
I would suggest adding a cleaning stage involving a soak in a weak and warm generic laundry oxi solution too.
rinsing may not be sufficient to uncover all the inner surface of a bottle and if left covered in a thin film of crud, unwanted microlife could survive a starsan rinse.
ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate
- Meatymc
- Drunk as a Skunk
- Posts: 836
- Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:36 pm
- Location: Northallerton, North Yorkshire
Re: Bottle cleaning question
Rinse out with hot water after pouring contents then do a dishwasher batch. This is only to clean up the tops and outsides.
Thoroughly clean sink and draining area and spray with start san. When wanting to clean for bottling (or storage) dunk in VWP for 3 minutes then rinse twice in clean water. Leave stood on their ends to drain on sink drainer (which has alreday been sprayed). Finally, shake out any excess and give the whole lot a spray of star san.
Tend to do mine in batches of 90 or 130 (for botting batches of 40 plus spares) so the rest go into storage. These are 'stoppered' with a double layer of cling film. As the bottles are still warm and assuming you've cling filmed effectively you'll find when you come to want to use them - having given the whole lot a spray of star san, the cling film should be slightly concave. They will also open with a distinctive 'sucking' noise as air pressure equalises.
If the film isn't concave and/or no noise, I put them back into the cleaning cycle.
Brought this in after losing a batch in February and reviewing everything. No problems since although never did identify the root cause of the problem.
Thoroughly clean sink and draining area and spray with start san. When wanting to clean for bottling (or storage) dunk in VWP for 3 minutes then rinse twice in clean water. Leave stood on their ends to drain on sink drainer (which has alreday been sprayed). Finally, shake out any excess and give the whole lot a spray of star san.
Tend to do mine in batches of 90 or 130 (for botting batches of 40 plus spares) so the rest go into storage. These are 'stoppered' with a double layer of cling film. As the bottles are still warm and assuming you've cling filmed effectively you'll find when you come to want to use them - having given the whole lot a spray of star san, the cling film should be slightly concave. They will also open with a distinctive 'sucking' noise as air pressure equalises.
If the film isn't concave and/or no noise, I put them back into the cleaning cycle.
Brought this in after losing a batch in February and reviewing everything. No problems since although never did identify the root cause of the problem.
Re: Bottle cleaning question
Liking the fastrack idea. Picked one up from t'ebay.
Using oxyclean.. what's the recommended dosage for a 'weak' solution?
Sent from my Mi A1 using Tapatalk
Using oxyclean.. what's the recommended dosage for a 'weak' solution?
Sent from my Mi A1 using Tapatalk
- HTH1975
- Piss Artist
- Posts: 224
- Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2017 8:24 pm
- Location: Thirsk, North Yorks (ex-pat Geordie)
Re: Bottle cleaning question
I always find that oxyclean leaves a white residue. I’ve had better results with PBW, or just a hot caustic soak, then rinse. I tend to give my bottles a rinse on bottling day in a PAA solution.
Simply rinsing and shaking with some hot water immediately after use shifts the majority of the yeast in the bottle. If you do it st this stage you save yourself a whole load of work later on.
Simply rinsing and shaking with some hot water immediately after use shifts the majority of the yeast in the bottle. If you do it st this stage you save yourself a whole load of work later on.
- orlando
- So far gone I'm on the way back again!
- Posts: 7197
- Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2011 3:22 pm
- Location: North Norfolk: Nearest breweries All Day Brewery, Salle. Panther, Reepham. Yetman's, Holt
Re: Bottle cleaning question
Invest in one of these and bottling will shift ever so slightly into less of a chore, but only just.
I am "The Little Red Brooster"
Fermenting:
Conditioning:
Drinking: Southwold Again,
Up Next: John Barleycorn (Barley Wine)
Planning: Winter drinking Beer
Fermenting:
Conditioning:
Drinking: Southwold Again,
Up Next: John Barleycorn (Barley Wine)
Planning: Winter drinking Beer
-
- Hollow Legs
- Posts: 387
- Joined: Tue Jun 27, 2017 11:03 pm
- Location: Derbyshire, UK
Re: Bottle cleaning question
I also live in a hard water area and find Oxy clean leaves a white residue. PBW is good for the cleaner, then rinse and drain dry before storing.
A really useful tip from this forum was to use silicone beer bottle caps from AliExpress on the dried clean bottles. Much easier and quicker than cling film, a few pence each and reusable. I then store in 35litre Really Useful Boxes with lids that stack. 23 x 500 Ml bottles fit in each.
On bottling day silicone caps off then starsan from yellow squirting bottle steriliser and drain but no need to rinse.
A really useful tip from this forum was to use silicone beer bottle caps from AliExpress on the dried clean bottles. Much easier and quicker than cling film, a few pence each and reusable. I then store in 35litre Really Useful Boxes with lids that stack. 23 x 500 Ml bottles fit in each.
On bottling day silicone caps off then starsan from yellow squirting bottle steriliser and drain but no need to rinse.
-
- Tippler
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 4:03 pm
Re: Bottle cleaning question
I plan on bottling tomorrow. I've got used glass bottles from shop purchased beer. I rinsed each bottle straight after drinking the beer with water and they look visibly clean. Is starsan enough or do I need a dose of vmp and a brush first? I'm keen that beer doesn't taste of vmp also...
-
- Hollow Legs
- Posts: 387
- Joined: Tue Jun 27, 2017 11:03 pm
- Location: Derbyshire, UK
Re: Bottle cleaning question
I would definitely use a brush. Your choice of cleaning agent too, Starsan excellent for pre bottling sterilising and is no rinse which is great, but it won't shift any residue which could harbour contaminants.Brown beer wrote: ↑Tue Feb 12, 2019 10:54 pmI plan on bottling tomorrow. I've got used glass bottles from shop purchased beer. I rinsed each bottle straight after drinking the beer with water and they look visibly clean. Is starsan enough or do I need a dose of vmp and a brush first? I'm keen that beer doesn't taste of vmp also...