Hey all,
It has been quite a while since I brewed beer and I am getting ready to start again. Having fun going through my old recipes...
Anyway, when I used to brew I had access to a dishwasher and would sanitize bottles that way. I am realizing that is not going to happen this time, and was wondering how you guys sanitize your bottles? I should maybe add that I use old/saved/recycled bottles. And kegging is not an option for me.
Sorry if this question is too simple, any advice is much appreciated.
It has been quite a while since I brewed beer and I am getting ready to start again. Having fun going through my old recipes...
Anyway, when I used to brew I had access to a dishwasher and would sanitize bottles that way. I am realizing that is not going to happen this time, and was wondering how you guys sanitize your bottles? I should maybe add that I use old/saved/recycled bottles. And kegging is not an option for me.
Sorry if this question is too simple, any advice is much appreciated.
posted by:
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SF Bay Area
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Re: Sanitizing bottles
Tue, January 3, 2006 - 5:10 PMi like to batch sanitize...
step 1: fill bucket with water, and add bleach
step 2: drown bottles
step 3: PROFIT!!
I let these guys soak for as long as needed.... overnight, whatever.
Now, i use a brand spanking new rubbermade garbage can (30-something gallon) for my bucket. As long as i can smell bleach coming off of the water, the sanitizing action is good enough!!! =) -
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Re: Sanitizing bottles
Thu, January 5, 2006 - 12:36 PMThanks. Makes sense.
I'm gonna have to get creative on usng a small space if/when I do batch sanitizing!
M. -
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Re: Sanitizing bottles
Fri, May 26, 2006 - 4:04 PM"I'm gonna have to get creative on usng a small space if/when I do batch sanitizing! "
Use the bathtub. Most people's' bathrooms are cleaner than thier kitchens (biologically). Sick, but true.
C
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Re: Sanitizing bottles
Fri, January 6, 2006 - 3:55 PMdo you rinse after sanitizing?
i've been sanitizing with bleach water and i always do a little rinse with boiled water. people say it's not necessary, but bleach is yucky and i don't want it in my beer. maybe i'm just paranoid... -
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Re: Sanitizing bottles
Fri, January 6, 2006 - 5:51 PMYup.... with the hottest water known to mankind.
I use a jet blast bottle washer thingy which attaches to my kitchen faucet. A 5-10 second blast rinses all things away, and leaves it very hot to the touch. A specially prepare aluminum foil "condom" goes on the bottle, which stays on until the instant before bottling. (really, its just a 2" by 2" piece of foil, rolled down on top of the bottle...)
Water from your hot water heater should be well "pasteurized" don't ya think!?!? -
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Re: Sanitizing bottles
Sun, January 8, 2006 - 5:57 PMI use a product called Oxy-San. It is environmentally friendly, as it biodegrades. It is a mixture of epson salts and hydrogen peroxide. Super easy on your hands too!
I love the stuff, works like a charm
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Re: Sanitizing bottles
Tue, February 27, 2007 - 1:12 PMHi Tiny.
Actually, water from your hot water heater is not pasteurized unless it's set at 190 F, which is dangerously hot for domestic use. Domestic hot water is also full of metallic ions from the sacrificial anodes in the tank.
Bleach can also lock phenol molecules in the beer creating bad chlorophenols. For this reason I like to use Iodophor as a sanitizer, but the Oxy-clean stuff does sound enticing.
One can also use dry heat. Cooking the bottles in the over at 200 degrees and letting them cool fully in the (clean) oven works, but it takes a while.
Christian
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Re: Sanitizing bottles
Tue, February 7, 2006 - 1:27 PMI use something called "One Step" sanitizer. 1 Tbsp in a gallon of water. If the bottles are clean of "gunk" before, then all you do is rinse in the solution and set aside until you fill the bottles.
If you use a bleach solution, be sure to rinse it out before bottling, as it will kill the yeast and then your beer won't carbonate.
Enjoy.
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Re: Sanitizing bottles
Sun, March 5, 2006 - 10:59 PMI use "B.T.F. Iodophor Sanitizer" I really feel that bleach leaves a residue. If I haven't used the equipment in along time and can see moose turds or worse, I’ll wash with Bleach then let the bottles dry and then use the B.T.F. Iodophor Sanitizer. I am going to look into the Oxy-San as I feel the more natural that I can brew the better.
Guid forder! -
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Re: Sanitizing bottles
Fri, May 12, 2006 - 5:07 PMBoil several gallons of fresh Juniper branch tea and soak.
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Re: Sanitizing bottles
Mon, February 19, 2007 - 9:34 AMI use the same method that Tiny does (the large garbage can filled with bleach water). The garbage cans are cheap and they also are good for soaking the bottles when trying to get the gunk out of them. I am about to build several medium ply boards that have holes drilled (large enough for bottle necks) and has legs that stand it up several inches from the ground. This way I can use one-step sanitizer in the garbage can and let the bottles air dry up side down (I don't like the drying trees).
