MitchellScott Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 Hi all, hope you had a good weekend :). Wondering what your methods are for cleaning the PET bottles before another brew? I want to ensure mine are cleaned properly before re-filling. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 Hang on! I'm getting some popcorn. I wanna see the answers to this question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 I don't think I have the best method and I'm very keen to find a better one but until I do this is how I go about it: I rinse my bottles as soon as I can after consuming the contents. I wash in them in the kitchen sink using laundry soaker and the pictured bottle brush ($2 at Kmart). I sanitise using Sodium Metabisulphite. It's a cheaper sanitiser and more easily accessible from BigW than products like Starsan. However, it has to be used with caution because it gives me a rash on the back of my hands if I'm not careful. To dry my pets I use the pictured basket I happened to have at home. I couldn't bring myself to spend $50/60 on a bottle tree. I also think the basket is a more sanitary method because nothing touches the inside of the bottle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamus O'Sean Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 40 minutes ago, MitchellScott said: what your methods are for cleaning the PET bottles before another brew? Hi Mitch (Muzzy, your popcorn done?) I always try to wash them as they are emptied. 2 x quick rinse/swish with 1-2 inches of water to get rid of most of the yeast from the bottom of the bottle. 3/4 fill with water and wash out inside with a silicon bottle brush (does not scratch PET) (see Muzzy's picture) 2 x quick rinse/swish with 1-2 inches of water to get rid of any lingering floaties. Pop on bottle tree to drip dry. When I am ready to bottle my next brew I sanitise the bottles with a vinator and they are good to fill. Cheers Shamus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab Cat Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 Rinse out as soon as beer finished. Leave until next bottling. Quick soak in sanitiser and upend while getting the vinator ready. Few squirts in each bottle with the vinator and fill. No issues so far after 12 brews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thirsty Jim Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 I have never had an off bottle in 40 years and I am not nearly as obsessive as others can be about hygiene. I agree in principle that you can't be too obsessive about hygiene but in fact I am a bit of a pig but I do follow some simple principles that serve me well. I rinse the bottle straight after use to clear the sediment traps and dry upside down in glasses to catch the drips. Before use I sink them them in a container full of sodium percarbonate (Di_Oxy something or other - Laundry pre wash soaker) with the caps and leave them over night. Empty and tap water rinse on brew day. I have reclaimed some pretty funky glass bottles in the past. I just soak them in washing soda (sodium carbonate - good stuff) give them a scrub with an old school bottle brush and a soak in unscented bleach for a few hours, tap water rinse and dry in the sun preferably and have never had an issue. Nobody has ever detected any sort of bleach smell. I used to be paranoid about it and rinse with a vinegar solution but it isn't necessary. I originally used to use sodium metabisulphate but that stuff takes my breath away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 9 minutes ago, James of Bayswater said: I originally used to use sodium metabisulphate but that stuff takes my breath away. Yeah, it sanitises well but it definitely has it's drawbacks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_G Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 1 hour ago, James of Bayswater said: I have never had an off bottle in 40 years and I am not nearly as obsessive as others can be about hygiene. I agree in principle that you can't be too obsessive about hygiene but in fact I am a bit of a pig but I do follow some simple principles that serve me well. I rinse the bottle straight after use to clear the sediment traps and dry upside down in glasses to catch the drips. Before use I sink them them in a container full of sodium percarbonate (Di_Oxy something or other - Laundry pre wash soaker) with the caps and leave them over night. Empty and tap water rinse on brew day. I have reclaimed some pretty funky glass bottles in the past. I just soak them in washing soda (sodium carbonate - good stuff) give them a scrub with an old school bottle brush and a soak in unscented bleach for a few hours, tap water rinse and dry in the sun preferably and have never had an issue. Nobody has ever detected any sort of bleach smell. I used to be paranoid about it and rinse with a vinegar solution but it isn't necessary. I originally used to use sodium metabisulphate but that stuff takes my breath away. Pretty much the same but I use dishwasher tablets ... they are alkaline salt and a few enzymes to help remove proteins ... they denature the proteins in the cells membrane of bacteria ... great for sanitising and cheap as chips ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thirsty Jim Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 Great idea ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 If metabisulphite is taking your breath away it's not as effective as it should be and should be replaced. That is caused by sulphur dioxide being released from it, usually because it has been exposed to moisture. Being exposed to humidity can do it as I found out with some potassium metabisulphite last year. This gas is what does the sanitising so if it's being released its not gonna be there to sanitise equipment. Nappy soakers contain about 30% sodium percarbonate, give or take, with the majority of the rest being made up of sodium carbonate. You may as well just use them for reclaiming old bottles rather than buying separate stuff. I usually get pure sodium percarbonate (well 88% pure anyway) for cleaning stuff. I buy it in 25kg bags from either craftbrewer or bulk buys when they happen. It works well but doesn't froth up like nappy soakers as it contains far less sodium carbonate. Seems to take a lot less rinsing to remove the residue as well. Sanitising is done with starsan. I use potassium metabisulphite in my brewing water. When I use tap water its purpose is to remove chloramines. I usually dump a teaspoon into my cubes of distilled water as well as a preventative disinfectant, just to be on the safe side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 I dont use pets and never had a problem. 750 ml tallies. As soon as the bottle poured i rinse initial crap out then half fill with hot water and do the Macarena on it. Then a couple inches hot water and leave to stand. Repeat next day and store. Bottling day quick rinse and fill. My bottles have never been past starsan in a bus, only thing that gets a spray are the caps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thirsty Jim Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 I am just wondering - who has had a problem ? Who has ever had to throw out a brew because of bottle contamination ? Not me, and I have brewed in rubbish bins and in the deep bush and on islands in the South Pacific and reclaimed a heap of funky bottles from the back of the scout hall in my time. None have gone bad on me. They have exploded, they have gone flat, but none have gone bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_G Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 Not me .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchellScott Posted February 24, 2019 Author Share Posted February 24, 2019 Thanks guys! I have currently been rinsing as soon as I finish the bottle, then filling with warm water and some Napisan and leaving for a few days to soak, then rinse out and sanitise with Stellasan right before bottling again so sounds like I am on the right path :). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussiekraut Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 11 hours ago, MUZZY said: I don't think I have the best method and I'm very keen to find a better one but until I do this is how I go about it: I rinse my bottles as soon as I can after consuming the contents. I wash in them in the kitchen sink using laundry soaker and the pictured bottle brush ($2 at Kmart). I sanitise using Sodium Metabisulphite. It's a cheaper sanitiser and more easily accessible from BigW than products like Starsan. However, it has to be used with caution because it gives me a rash on the back of my hands if I'm not careful. To dry my pets I use the pictured basket I happened to have at home. I couldn't bring myself to spend $50/60 on a bottle tree. I also think the basket is a more sanitary method because nothing touches the inside of the bottle. I have one of those K-Mart bottle brushes. I tried to use it on the w/e and found it doesn't reach all the way to the bottom of a lot of my bottles. I like your drying rack though. What an ingenious idea that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 48 minutes ago, Aussiekraut said: I have one of those K-Mart bottle brushes. I tried to use it on the w/e and found it doesn't reach all the way to the bottom of a lot of my bottles. I like your drying rack though. What an ingenious idea that is. The bottle brush is long enough for the Coopers PET bottles. Yes, I can imagine it'd be too short for glass long necks. Perhaps you could fashion some kind of extension to the handle? The inspiration for the drying rack came from watching a King Ruddager (a regular contributor on here) youtube video. He used a basket to keep his bottles submerged in a tub while they soaked in sodium perc solution. It was just evolution to use a basket as a drier too. I had the basket already so it didn't cost me anything. One problem I have is my socks are now just sprawled all over the wardrobe floor. It was my sock basket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussiekraut Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 33 minutes ago, MUZZY said: The bottle brush is long enough for the Coopers PET bottles. Yes, I can imagine it'd be too short for glass long necks. Perhaps you could fashion some kind of extension to the handle? The inspiration for the drying rack came from watching a King Ruddager (a regular contributor on here) youtube video. He used a basket to keep his bottles submerged in a tub while they soaked in sodium perc solution. It was just evolution to use a basket as a drier too. I had the basket already so it didn't cost me anything. One problem I have is my socks are now just sprawled all over the wardrobe floor. It was my sock basket. It was actually a stubby bottle. I had 2 cartons in the shed which needed a lot of cleaning. My usual brush works fine but the K-Mart one is too short. SWMBO wanted to help but couldn't. Maybe there are different sizes. We used to have 3 of those baskets around and they were always in the way, so knowing my luck, they've been thrown out. I'll see. They're certainly no sock baskets though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_G Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 As I have mentioned before i have a degree in Environmental microbiology ... the infection that will send beer off is bacterial as it metabolises 2 of the 6 hydrogen atoms on the alcohol molecule to become acetic acid, vinegar (been a couple of decades since I have done any formal organic chemistry but it is close to that ) ... the thing with sanitising, once the bottle is clean and free of any debris bacteria will not have anywhere to live ... bacteria live in microfilms and need a substrate live on ... they convert single small molecules and the molecule that is created through metabolism is the energy source for a different bacteria ... so if the bottle has been sanitised and all sediment and any other crap removed from the bottle the bottle will remain sanitised ... the glass is inert so there is no substrate that they can use as energy ... so in simple terms if the bottle is rinsed after use and no residue is in the bottle it is clean enough ... no need to sanitise again ... so steeping in napisan and stuff is overkill .... best to just rinse thoroughly, and scrub if you want then dry in the sun ... if you have a glass bottle that is dodgy like some that can be picked up free and you are still not sure of it after loads of cleaning just rinse with water and zap in microwave ... the microwave will boil the cytoplasm inside the bacterial cell and and it will explode and the cell will die ... ... sorry for the microbiology 101 but it helps to understand how the infection occur and what bacteria need to live ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer Baron Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 13 hours ago, Titan said: I dont use pets and never had a problem. I tried using my pets!! The cats tongue was small enough to get in the opening but not long enough to get to the bottom of the bottle and the dogs tongue was long enough but too fat to get into the opening!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab Cat Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 2 hours ago, MartyG1525230263 said: As I have mentioned before i have a degree in Environmental microbiology ... the infection that will send beer off is bacterial as it metabolises 2 of the 6 hydrogen atoms on the alcohol molecule to become acetic acid, vinegar (been a couple of decades since I have done any formal organic chemistry but it is close to that ) ... the thing with sanitising, once the bottle is clean and free of any debris bacteria will not have anywhere to live ... bacteria live in microfilms and need a substrate live on ... they convert single small molecules and the molecule that is created through metabolism is the energy source for a different bacteria ... so if the bottle has been sanitised and all sediment and any other crap removed from the bottle the bottle will remain sanitised ... the glass is inert so there is no substrate that they can use as energy ... so in simple terms if the bottle is rinsed after use and no residue is in the bottle it is clean enough ... no need to sanitise again ... so steeping in napisan and stuff is overkill .... best to just rinse thoroughly, and scrub if you want then dry in the sun ... if you have a glass bottle that is dodgy like some that can be picked up free and you are still not sure of it after loads of cleaning just rinse with water and zap in microwave ... the microwave will boil the cytoplasm inside the bacterial cell and and it will explode and the cell will die ... ... sorry for the microbiology 101 but it helps to understand how the infection occur and what bacteria need to live ... He's definitely a scientist. They all write like that. If you can't measure and isolate grammar and punctuation, they aren't interested in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_G Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 1 minute ago, Lab Rat said: He's definitely a scientist. They all write like that. If you can't measure and isolate grammar and punctuation, they aren't interested in it. Hate prose .... cut the fluff and use dot point ....short sentences ... next idea .... move to next .... another concept .... etc .... etc .... summary .... yep that is it ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 3 hours ago, Beer Baron said: I tried using my pets!! The cats tongue was small enough to get in the opening but not long enough to get to the bottom of the bottle and the dogs tongue was long enough but too fat to get into the opening!! Try using the tail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detroit D Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 Interesting stuff Marty G, my regime seems quite lacking compared to others. I rinse out after I pour the beer, scrub the neck (using tallies). stand them for a bit, then later on tip the last bit of water out... then store. Bottling day I pour in 50mm of Brew mart pink neo, swish around then rinse with tap water Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Worthog Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 And for those who steep grains and late hops, and have noticed the internal bottle glazing and scum lines, PB2 has the definitive solution; Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark D Pirate Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 Just for clarity peoples ....do not put your pets in the microwave. I wanted to test this so caught the neighbours cat and before I even got close to the kitchen it scratched my arms and chest up pretty bad. Take care when attempting to microwave pets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.