no brew day..bloody bottle washing

[orlando]

I know, I was quite surprised myself, though it shouldn't be that surprising I suppose given that we are dealing with quite a hostile acid solution.

I suppose not, does it say anything about rubber on the spec sheet?

[Dave S]

I know, I was quite surprised myself, though it shouldn't be that surprising I suppose given that we are dealing with quite a hostile acid solution.

I suppose not, does it say anything about rubber on the spec sheet?

Don't know, I'll have a read. I would think though with rubber being organic, it wouldn't do it much good. But interesting that you've not had any such effects

[IPA]

3) stretch cling-film over the top of the bottle!

Try using these instead of cling film its much quicker they can be sanitised and you can re-use them.
http://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/index.ph ... ductId=513

[Coffeeuk]

I used those caps above, but found they split after the first use.

I got some of these instead

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.vi ... 1222596229

There silicone so should last a lot longer.

[timbo41]

See now I'd be tempted to say take the rubbers off and store seperately , just giving them a blast before bottling up
Bit of a faff though, but has the advantage of being able ti thouroughly clean the ceramic bit where rubb er sits.
I've always thought bottles only have two slight advantages over other dispensing methods... Appearance( the ta dah factor
) And that if you do get any unwanted beasties only a small proportion gets spoiled... Cos an infection in a pressure barrel, notorioiusly hard to clean, and 40 pints swilling down the plughole is the most dispiriting sound in the beer world

[orlando]

I used those caps above, but found they split after the first use.

I got some of these instead

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.vi ... 1222596229

There silicone so should last a lot longer.

You're right that some split, too many, but not after first use in my experience. Having said that I like the look of that alternative and would try those first, I found the others were sometimes tough to get off particularly when they are cold, possibly why a few split.

[Coffeeuk]

I used them for the first time, did 60 bottles. When I came to take them off, about 18 had split completely and 4 showed signs of starting to go. I threw the lot in the bin.

The silicone ones have been spot on.

[Jamie Mullen]

Thanks for the replies folks, looks like I'll be ordering Starsan and I'll have to accept the possibility of the rubber washers deteriorating sooner. Having just cleaned and sterilised 56 bottles, anything that reduces the process seems worth it.

So now I've got my day to day process sorted (rinsing after pouring then Starsan spray and seal) how can I speed up the bigger clean that newly acquired bottles require? I have 240 Grolsch bottles that I'd like to deep clean and store with a spray of Starsan ready for the next use. I've been soaking bottles in VWP in spare FV's followed by a scrub with a bottle brush that struggles to reach the bottom edges. The thing that takes forever is the rinsing due to the lingering detergent smell. So in short, is there a recommended brush for Grolsch bottles, a better cleaning product for the big cleans that doesn't need 5+ rinses and a better procedure to save me spending days washing?

[orlando]

I've been soaking bottles in VWP in spare FV's followed by a scrub with a bottle brush that struggles to reach the bottom edges.

Have a look at this device, not inexpensive but the pain of bottling makes it worth it. I also use it for my Erlenmeyer flasks to reduce scratching.

[IPA]

I used those caps above, but found they split after the first use.

I got some of these instead

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.vi ... 1222596229

There silicone so should last a lot longer.

You're right that some split, too many, but not after first use in my experience. Having said that I like the look of that alternative and would try those first, I found the others were sometimes tough to get off particularly when they are cold, possibly why a few split.

Strange as it may seem but I have never had one split and I have been using them for years. Perhaps its all down to the make as I have them in three different types White/Green/clear. The size of the hole in the bottle neck varies and I select the the cap to suit and I cap the bottles with the cap taken from a bowl of warm water. If you are going to Portugal the white and green ones are available in Continente supermarkets for 2.95€ a hundred!

[Charles1968]

I used to wash out the hardened yeast from home brew bottles with a bottling brush back in the 1980s when I started brewing. Massive job. Now my procedure is much simpler:

1. After pouring beer, put bottle under tap and fill about a quarter to a third.
2. Invert bottle, shake vigorously to dislodge any sediment.
3. Rinse in similar fashion two more times.
4. Store bottle. No starsan or cling film.
5. On bottling day, sanitise bottles with starsan in bottle rinser gadget. Before pressing the bottle down on the squirter, hold up to light and look inside to check there's no sediment at the bottom.

There isn't much point spraying starsan inside wet bottles after rinsing if you have hard water as the alkalinity of the water will prevent the pH dropping low enough for the sanitiser to work. Likewise, on bottling day, you need to be sure your starsan solution is made with soft water or you're wasting your time.

[Jamie Mullen]

Good point about the water, I live in a hard water area so I'd best take that into account.

[LeeH]

I have seen no damage to my swing tops.

I always wash then up in a clean bowl of detergent before the pots. Then rinse with hot tap water.

A few squirts, empty and repeat. Then cap.

Simples.