Cleaning, Sterilising and Bottling?

[RichC]

i don't mind it so long as the bottles were properly washed after use.
40 bottles only takes about 15 minutes to sterilize in dozen batches.

Vinator and bottling tree cuts about 10mins off that

Sent from my XT890 using Tapatalk

[fishjam45 (Colin)]

I'm with CH on this one - complete pain the hole buts gotta be done.

[Ciderhead]

i don't mind it so long as the bottles were properly washed after use.
40 bottles only takes about 15 minutes to sterilize in dozen batches.

Vinator and bottling tree cuts about 10mins off that

Sent from my XT890 using Tapatalk

I have both of those and its still a pain in the hole, and although I hadn't done it in 12 months (last years comp) I was starting to find it strangely therapeutic this afternoon.

[Dunkel]

OK, I'm probably a bit strange, but I really enjoy the feeling when the bottling is done. 23l takes about 2 or 2.5 hours; I set an evening aside, stick my favourite music on the cd player, have a few beers, take my time and dance around at the same time (I'm a lovely mover  ) et voila! 40+ bottles of beer, neatly labelled (well, not really, just a coloured dot to tell me what it is), and all in crates ready to go into the living room (right temp) for a couple of weeks. Thence to the nether realms for coldish conditioning.

And I hereby claim the title for the longest sentence in a HBC forum comment 

[Ciderhead]

Alright there Peggy Spencer

[Pliskin]

I am going to be bottling my brew tonight I hope. The only steriliser I have at the moment is Milton. I used it last time I did one and didn't find it left a taste. However, it did involve sterilising them and then rinsing the bottles thoroughly. Since reading the comments in this section though, I am now concerned about using it for this brew as this is my first partial extract brew and I really want it to go well.

I think it will be ok if I like, fill a bucket and plonk the bottles in with the Milton and let them sit for 30 mins and then individually rinse each bottle under warm water and allow to dry? I don't have time to wait for a delivery of star san or anything like that at this point now, should have thought of it when ordering but didn't realise I was out.

[Will_D]

I think it will be ok if I like, fill a bucket and plonk the bottles in with the Milton and let them sit for 30 mins and then individually rinse each bottle under warm water and allow to dry?

Don't use warm water from the tap!

Just rinse under the kitchen tap.

Drain them, let them stand upright for 5 mins covered with a bit of foil or the crown caps (these also can be miltoned then rinsed in cold water).

Then just before filling drain out the last of the water. The bottles don't need to be totally dry.

[Chris]

I used Milton for a year when I started brewing with no difficulties. Soaked in Milton for 10mins then rinsed with tap water and drained well.

[Qs]

I'm bottling today too. Not hugely looking forward to it but I cleaned out most of my bottles yesterday so just a quick sanitise and they should be ready to go.

Needed a few extra bottles though and getting the labels off Irish bottles is horrendous. Especially White Gypsy, they have lovely big bottles but its so much work getting the label off.

[Pliskin]

Thanks guys! I shall do that then. Soak in Milton and then rinse with tap water Nice one!

I wouldn't be bothered taking the labels off some of the bottles haha, the caps are different enough to tell the difference. Some come off easy so that's fine, but for the other ones (like White Gypsy) I wouldn't be arsed haha. I have most 330ml used for this one, as it's a 7% brew. Didn't really want 500ml bottles, even though I have heard they can be better for Home Brews.

[Qs]

I don't think bottle size makes a big difference (though I'm a novice so could be completely wrong) think 500ml is just convenient for people. I've got 1L, 750ml, 500ml and 330s for my beer today.

[Motorbikeman]

I have a ritual of a 5 stage clean

1. Go to bottle bank and get a mixture of 330 and 500ml bottle.   (Never Tyske bottles,  The youngs bottle capper breaks the top of them)
Take them home and fill them all with a hose water blasting the crap out of them.  Let sit for a day.
2. Into the dishwasher after shaking all the hose water out .   Open the dishwasher 3/4 way through the cycle into the steamy bit. All the labels fall off in your hand.  then finish the cycle.
3. A wash in fairy and a bottle brushing in hot water to be sure the inside is clean and no odour exists.
4. A dip in 30ml of thin bleach , 20ml of vinegar mixed with 20l of water in a bucket .
5.  Final rinse in cold water to get the smell of bleach away, and bottle the beer within an hour.


I only do one stage a day except for 3 & 4.    I use the grocery home delivery creates as one will hold 40 pints of bottles  and so they can be done in batches.

Bit OTT but.

I end up with perfectly clean bottles that I am happy to share with friends with no fear of infection.   

[Qs]

I always rinse my bottles right after drinking them so no gunk builds up. If friends give me bottles I was them out properly immediately. Then for bottling yesterday I put all the non-swing tops in the dishwasher (I'm afraid the swing tops will rust or lose their rubber ring in the DW). So now I just need to wash and rinse the swing tops. Then to sanitise I have a squirty bottle full of star san so I'm gonna squirt each once and leave them to rinse off then. Then I'll bottle.

I'm buying a load of equipment soon to move from kit to all grain so I think I'll throw in a bottle tree and rinser to my order then to make life easier.

[brenmurph]

Id u have a burco boiler heat to about 65 c and you can use either good quality dishwasher tabs or oxy power from lidl,

Both extremely effective.

Rinse and sanitise with starsan solution.

If using old bottles from wherever look for signs of stubborn marks inside. A decent bottle brush that actually hits the sides AND Bottom of the bottles helps initially.

There are so many bottles around I dont keep any bottles that arnt spotlessly clean after the oxy action.
that way u collect the best and lowest risk bottles.

Great way to build collection is ask ur mates to save all beer type bottles and as soon as they  drink them, rinse well and keep for you. U must collect them asap as mould will form in damp and wet environment. that way u get fresh clean bottles with little work needed and low risk of those stubborn moiuld spores that can come from nowhere

[Qs]

Just finished. Wasn't too bad at all. Would have been a lot easier if my 10 week old beagle pup wasn't trying to pull all my towels away though.