Cleaning, Sterilising and Bottling?

[fishjam45 (Colin)]

Hello all,

I've started my first home brew yesterday but am already thinking ahead to the bottling stage.
I have Coopers Carbonation Drops and 48 Coopers ox bar bottles.
I also have a capper, caps and empty glass 330ml and 500ml bottles.

When its time to bottle I would like to try bottling with both bottles.
Firstly, I would like to re-use the old glass bottles but whats the best thing to do to get them clean and sterilised? I found http://www.homebrewwest.ie/brewsmarter-mini-bottle-rinser--sterilizer-fits-coopers-oxbars-2937-p.asp and i reckon that'll be a good choice for sterilising them but alas those guys are out of stock of chemipro oxy - any other suggestions?

Lastly, have you guys any suggestions of how to get the glass bottles clean before i sterilise them?

[Shanna]

1. Soak bottles in a warm solution of oxy or wvp and flush out with cold water when done
Or
2. Run the glasd bottles through a cycle in the dish washer

Either way when done give them a squirt of star San.

Shanna

[RichC]

@fishjam, the bottle rinser is a must for bottling but won't clean off engrained dirt. It'll only spray sanitiser. You'll only ever have to thoroughly clean bottles once, then rinse after use and use rinser with sanitiser fluid on bottling day

[fishjam45 (Colin)]

1. Soak bottles in a warm solution of oxy or wvp and flush out with cold water when done
Or
2. Run the glasd bottles through a cycle in the dish washer

Either way when done give them a squirt of star San.

Shanna

So to clean them, not sanitise you reckon  popping them in the dishwasher?

[fishjam45 (Colin)]

You'll only ever have to thoroughly clean bottles once

What do you do to clean your bottles?

[Eoin]

The dishwasher will kill the head on your beer. Rinse aid kills the head.

Sent from my HTC One

[mr hoppy]

I clean my bottles after I use them, run them through the dishwater - with water only - at 70 degrees C and then spray them all with starsan from a spray bottle.

Mind, at the moment I'm just kegging everything!

[beerfly]

you would only need to use vwp/oxy if there is visable grime in the bottle otherwise you should be ok giving them a rinse with water and then your sanatiser of choice just before bottling

when i have a bottle im goin to reuse i just rinse it out after pouring (important with bottle conditioned beer before the yeast dries in)  then leave it in the press untill i need it

[brenmurph]

sort of agree.
Need to differentiate between cleaning and sanitising. Our routine:
When we drink a bottle we rinse well and put in dishwasher, allow dry and store the right way up in crated with some newspaper on top to stop spiders / flies going in.
If bottles are second hand and dirty.
Hot W5 oxy action from lidl, soak overnight to be sure and bottles shjould be delabled ( but not some bottles like porterhouse) and spotless. Rinse the oxyaction out and follow dishwasher protocol above

[fishjam45 (Colin)]

Thanks guys, off to Lidl I go so!!!

[brenmurph]

Wear rubber gloves when handling oxyaction. You wont get any effects untill a couple of days when your skin will be iirritated and cracked.  So about 1 scoop in a gallon of warm/ hot water ( not cold) should do if soaking overnight. Solution depends on hot water for best performance...keep away from kids and all that

[Will_D]

Just to be clear:

Its Lidl W5 Oxy Power in the purple tub!

Don't get the perfumed pink expensive stuff!

[RichC]

You'll only ever have to thoroughly clean bottles once

What do you do to clean your bottles?

Before the first time I user them, I soak them in water & PBW and get a bottle brush at them and peel off the labels and rinse them. Then I just sanitise them with a bottle rinser and starsan on bottling day.
When I drink one of my beers I just rinse bottle under the tap and its ready for reuse. Just need to rinse enough to remove the yeast cake(most of which goes down my neck anyway).

[Ciderhead]

Just to be clear:

Its Lidl W5 Oxy Power in the purple tub!

Don't get the perfumed pink expensive stuff!

Out to the shed to clean a carboy and mine was stolen!
"Oh yeah I borrowed it to clean crud from a glass vase, its great stuff" 

[fishjam45 (Colin)]

Cool, I have some 33cl Heineken bottles, will soak them in the W5 mix, whack em through the dishwasher with no detergent. Then in bottling day I'll give them a quick rinse in the bottle rinser.

Thanks for all the advice!!!