Cleaning bottles

A forum to discuss the various ways of getting beer into your glass.
Manngold
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 769
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 6:45 pm
Location: Bromley

Cleaning bottles

Post by Manngold » Wed Apr 19, 2017 6:32 pm

I have the mamouth task of bottling two beers this weekend but do t have the full time to clean bottles. Can I put the bottles (glass) through the dishwasher? I usually oxy clean them. If I put them through the dishwasher do I put in the standard tablet as well?

Thanks all

Rookie
Falling off the Barstool
Posts: 3552
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 5:30 pm
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana

Re: Cleaning bottles

Post by Rookie » Wed Apr 19, 2017 6:39 pm

Manngold wrote:I have the mamouth task of bottling two beers this weekend but do t have the full time to clean bottles. Can I put the bottles (glass) through the dishwasher? I usually oxy clean them. If I put them through the dishwasher do I put in the standard tablet as well?

Thanks all
The standard tablet probably has stuff in it that would be a head killer.
How much longer than the dishwasher cycle would you need to oxy clean them?
I'm just here for the beer.

User avatar
k1100t
Piss Artist
Posts: 223
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 12:59 am
Location: Cambridge, UK
Contact:

Re: Cleaning bottles

Post by k1100t » Wed Apr 19, 2017 6:51 pm

I put all my bottles through the dishwasher; highest temp, extra hygiene, extra dry, the works. I don't use a tablet though, as the bottles are clean, it's just the heat cycle to sterilise them, that I'm after.

If I'm doing multiple batches in a day, I've done three before, then the next load of bottles goes in while I get on with bottling. Give you a bit of a breather between bottling runs while you wait on the machine.

Cheers,
I like beer --- Currently rebuilding the brewery, this time with stainless...

Manngold
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 769
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 6:45 pm
Location: Bromley

Re: Cleaning bottles

Post by Manngold » Wed Apr 19, 2017 7:13 pm

k1100t wrote:I put all my bottles through the dishwasher; highest temp, extra hygiene, extra dry, the works. I don't use a tablet though, as the bottles are clean, it's just the heat cycle to sterilise them, that I'm after.

If I'm doing multiple batches in a day, I've done three before, then the next load of bottles goes in while I get on with bottling. Give you a bit of a breather between bottling runs while you wait on the machine.

Cheers,
Thanks. What type of clean have you done before the dish washer, or is the dishwasher the only cleaning that you do. For them?

Also, for the previous message, it is more that I only have about two hours over the weekend to bottle as I am doing it for a mate, so he is cleaning th for me in his dishwasher.

User avatar
k1100t
Piss Artist
Posts: 223
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 12:59 am
Location: Cambridge, UK
Contact:

Re: Cleaning bottles

Post by k1100t » Thu Apr 20, 2017 11:47 am

Manngold wrote:Thanks. What type of clean have you done before the dish washer, or is the dishwasher the only cleaning that you do. For them?
Depends on the type of bottle, but if it's one I've just drunk the beer from, then it's a jolly good rinse, followed by a soak to get the label off. Once dry, they go into storage, then get put in the dishwasher, on a timer, ready for bottling. Some bottles require soaking for months, after being left in the sun, for the label glue to give up the ghost. Those get scrubbed, put through the dishwasher and then stored.

Sometimes I think it would be easier just to buy in the required number of clean, empty bottles. But when you have 350 litres of cider needing bottled and no money, you do what you have to... :wink:

Cheers,
Last edited by k1100t on Thu Apr 20, 2017 12:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I like beer --- Currently rebuilding the brewery, this time with stainless...

TheSumOfAllBeers
Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
Posts: 677
Joined: Tue May 05, 2015 11:21 am

Re: Cleaning bottles

Post by TheSumOfAllBeers » Thu Apr 20, 2017 12:39 pm

If the bottles are dirty, then straight into the dishwasher with no detergent. Out of the dishwasher and straight into a bucket of star San solution until bottling day.

The dishwasher will kill bugs under the stains that star San can't reach, and the star San solution will stop anything recolonising the bottles.

Manngold
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 769
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 6:45 pm
Location: Bromley

Re: Cleaning bottles

Post by Manngold » Thu Apr 20, 2017 12:59 pm

Thanks all.

I always used to Oxy clean, which would take a while and require me to rinse afterwards for ages (plus I normally do it in the bath and always paranoid about the little one getting at it). This seems to be a much easier method. Obviously I will use a no rinse steriliser afterwards.

Thanks very much.

TheSumOfAllBeers
Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
Posts: 677
Joined: Tue May 05, 2015 11:21 am

Re: Cleaning bottles

Post by TheSumOfAllBeers » Thu Apr 20, 2017 1:35 pm

I have a lot of flip tops, which
Means high reuse and that means some bottles get cruddy really fast.

Oxi every time is too impractical, so I just segment away the dirty stuff for a more robust clean at a later date.

If it's dirt free, star San will sort it.

Bazz
Piss Artist
Posts: 284
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2014 11:22 am
Location: East Sussex

Re: Cleaning bottles

Post by Bazz » Thu Apr 20, 2017 3:12 pm

I, as a rule don't bottle, but for every 23l batch there is always a couple of litres to bottle after a corny has been filled. I'm fairly lazy but i always wash bottle before storing them then on bottling day i just use a Karcher steam cleaner to steam clean the inside of the bottle, just blast with steam until to hot too hold, fill and cap. Never had a problem.

Stewb

Re: Cleaning bottles

Post by Stewb » Fri Apr 21, 2017 1:33 pm

I'm a lazy bottler.

I rinse after drinking to get out yeast at the bottom then put them through the dishwasher. I then either stick on a reusable plastic cap or just stick them in a big plastic crate with a sealable lid

Like these below (though these now have beer in). Come brewday i then just bottle.

Image

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

User avatar
MarkA
Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
Posts: 592
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 11:26 am
Location: Aberdeenshire

Re: Cleaning bottles

Post by MarkA » Fri Apr 21, 2017 2:28 pm

Stewb wrote:I'm a lazy bottler
Me Too! I do much the same - rinse 3 or 4 times after drinking, empty the drips, stick a plastic resealable cap on to keep the dust/spiders out. On bottling day, a quick squirt of Starsan, drain, and fill with beer :D

Stewb

Re: Cleaning bottles

Post by Stewb » Fri Apr 21, 2017 3:30 pm

MarkA wrote: Me Too! :D
"Lazy brewers unite"


"Meh. Maybe tomorrow. The sofa's actually quite comfy at the moment"

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Manngold
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 769
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 6:45 pm
Location: Bromley

Re: Cleaning bottles

Post by Manngold » Fri Apr 21, 2017 3:42 pm

Brilliant, thanks for all the replies. Have stuck them in the dishwasher on a relatively high temp setting and seem to be good!

Thanks all

User avatar
MarkA
Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
Posts: 592
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 11:26 am
Location: Aberdeenshire

Re: Cleaning bottles

Post by MarkA » Fri Apr 21, 2017 4:39 pm

Stewb wrote:
MarkA wrote: Me Too! :D
"Lazy brewers unite"

"Meh. Maybe tomorrow. The sofa's actually quite comfy at the moment"
:lol:

Kohoutec
Steady Drinker
Posts: 47
Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2013 8:49 pm

Re: Cleaning bottles

Post by Kohoutec » Thu Apr 27, 2017 10:25 pm

I rinse bottles after use and store in a lidded "really useful box" (holds about 23 500ml bottles). Then on bottling day into the dishwasher on the highest heat setting, no tablet but do add a couple squirts of Milton steriliser.

Once done they get a rinse with Starsan via a bottle washer and then onto the bottle tree to drain.

Works for me... Might be overkill but it's doable. Still hate bottling day though

Sent from my XT1092 using Tapatalk

Post Reply