Goldcoast Crow Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 Sooooooo, as in another thread I have suggested that I am coming up to my first bottling day, cleaning and sanitation is my next step, my first batch are straight from the craft kit so minimal sanitation is needed, but moving forward what do most people use for cleaning equipment and used bottles? Bleach mixes, Coopers special powder or another method, bout to buy a heap more pet bottles of gumtree to keep my brews going after this first one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 (edited) For cleaning, a lot of folks on here (including myself) use a sodium percarbonate based laundry soaker eg. Napisan. However, Napisan is quite expensive so home brands are fine. I'm currently using a Coles brand soaker and have had no problems to date. For sanitising, I'm using sodium metabisulphite powder but it needs to be rinsed off. It works fine but I wouldn't recommend it. It irritates the skin. Gloves required when using it. I'm only using it because I bought it before I knew about no rinse sanitisers like Starsan and Stellarsan. These two latter products seem expensive but they get heavily diluted when used so they're actually quite economical. I rinse my bottles out as soon as I can after drinking the contents and then soak them overnight in the Napisan to clean them. If they're clean they don't need sanitising. If I get a bottle that gets any gunk built up in it I use the pictured silicon brush that I picked up from Kmart for $2. Edited April 7, 2020 by MUZZY 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer Baron Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 I used sodium percarbonate as a cleaner and Starsan as a sanitiser. I buy in bulk and it lasts me 2+ years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 6 hours ago, MUZZY said: I rinse my bottles out as soon as I can after drinking the contents Thats probably the best advice. Half fill the bottle with water put the cap on and give a good shake then rinse and store upside down. On bottling day another quick rinse and spray with starsan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 They should be cleaned with more than just water, otherwise they build up a hazy layer of shit inside them over time. I used to use sodium percarbonate for cleaning them, then I'd just rinse with hot water, drain dry and store them. Didn't bother with sanitising on bottling day. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_G Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 Once the bottles are clean they are clean. No need to sanitise. Need to understand that with out some sort of substrate to metabolise bacteria will not survive. So it is imperative that after use they are rinsed clean and drier preferably in the sun before being stored upside down. Then when you want to use them just go ahead. I have stored bottles for months that way and never a bomb was had. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 43 minutes ago, MartyG1525230263 said: Once the bottles are clean they are clean. No need to sanitise. Need to understand that with out some sort of substrate to metabolise bacteria will not survive. I remember reading something like this previously and it was likely you that posted it, Marty. Sounded sensible to me and I've cleaning without sanitising my bottles ever since. Haven't had any issues. I'm actually really pleased because I don't have to suffer skin irritation anymore from using sodium met unnecessarily. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_G Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 Thanks @MUZZY. Also Kelsey is right, every so often say every 5 or 10 brews they should be soaked in a cleaner like sodium perc then scrubbed to remove any residual build up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 That's why I used to soak them every use, because it prevented the buildup from occurring, also preventing the need to scrub them. Some guys use bleach to remove this hazy layer, which apparently works really well. As long as the bottles are dried fully it shouldn't lead to off flavours associated with chlorine. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 @MartyG1525230263 @Otto Von Blotto Yep, I actually soak in sod perc before every brew but I used to sanitise as well. Very laborious. Now it's just a matter of rinse and shake after consumption, then the overnight soak and rinse and dry in the sun before bottling. The only times I use the brush now is if I detect a ring around the neck (very rarely). Washing bottles is still a chore but nowhere near as bad as it was. Cheers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldcoast Crow Posted April 8, 2020 Author Share Posted April 8, 2020 All gd advise thanks guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 I don't soak unless bottle has sat empty for a few days and never had the problem with any hazy build up. Is this particular to pets? Mind you my glass bottles dont get much use as i keg most of my beer and only bottle the remains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 And i starsan the caps on bottling day lol. Maybe overkill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 Never used plastic, definitely noticed the buildup in glass bottles from my first stint brewing, when they were only ever washed out with hot tap water. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleStavvy Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, Titan said: And i starsan the caps on bottling day lol. Maybe overkill. Nope, is best practice I think. When I was brewing back in the day my stouts were all getting a horrible metallic taste. Sanitise everything that comes in contact with the brew is the rule. I never put a finger on what was causing it.... Edited April 8, 2020 by UncleStavvy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldcoast Crow Posted April 8, 2020 Author Share Posted April 8, 2020 Haha just picked up my “2 dozen” used pet bottles For$15, turned out to be closer to 6 dozen winner 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 13 hours ago, Goldcoast Crow said: Haha just picked up my “2 dozen” used pet bottles For$15, turned out to be closer to 6 dozen winner Winning! Those bottles I'd definitely give a sanitising after washing though, because of not knowing their history. Anything could have been stored in them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldcoast Crow Posted April 8, 2020 Author Share Posted April 8, 2020 Yeah it’ll get a full clean and I’m picking some woolies napisan stuff tonight 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 14 hours ago, UncleStavvy said: Nope, is best practice I think. When I was brewing back in the day my stouts were all getting a horrible metallic taste. Sanitise everything that comes in contact with the brew is the rule. I never put a finger on what was causing it.... I go a step further - I sanitise everything that comes into contact with anything that comes into contact with my brew. Door handles, cupboard space, chux... If SWMBO comes into the brew room I'd spray her down as well. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 (edited) 18 minutes ago, Journeyman said: I go a step further - I sanitise everything that comes into contact with anything that comes into contact with my brew. Door handles, cupboard space, chux... If SWMBO comes into the brew room I'd spray her down as well. Coronavirus doesn't stand a chance with you, JM. Do door handles fully ferment out or do they add body to your brew? Edited April 8, 2020 by MUZZY 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 I think there can be overkill. Aside from not sanitising bottles I never did the caps either, but they never actually came in contact with the brew as they were always stored upright and not shaken or inverted. Didn't have any problems with infection or weird flavours in thousands of bottles. It's less susceptible to infection after fermentation anyway. I tend to use sanitiser in kegs though, because the whole batch can get ruined if there's something in a keg. They get cleaned in hot sodium percarbonate followed by a hot rinse, then filled with CO2 so they're probably fine, but it's a bit of added insurance. I have done kegs without it that have been fine too though. At least if a bottle goes it's only a bottle and not the whole thing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 17 minutes ago, MUZZY said: Coronavirus doesn't stand a chance with you, JM. Do door handles fully ferment out or do they add body to your brew? I like the slight smell of burning flesh as one contacts an acid-bathed handle. Gives a tang to the air. My brews are precious to me. OCD about killing the bastards that want to take over the ferment for their own purposes is a natural response. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 (edited) 2 minutes ago, Otto Von Blotto said: I tend to use sanitiser in kegs though, because the whole batch can get ruined if there's something in a keg. They get cleaned in hot sodium percarbonate followed by a hot rinse, then filled with CO2 so they're probably fine, but it's a bit of added insurance. I have done kegs without it that have been fine too though. At least if a bottle goes it's only a bottle and not the whole thing. When you say 'hot,' how hot do you mean? Just hot tap water? Because I recall seeing a post (on FB site I think) where a guy had a problems with kegs and was told by the supplier that he used water that was too hot and caused failure of the seals. He didn't really specify how hot - maybe he used boiling water? Edited April 8, 2020 by Journeyman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 Just hot tap water. Sometimes I've put boiling water in them to swish around in lieu of sanitiser but it hasn't caused any problems. I only run the hot tap water through the lines and taps, not boiling. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldcoast Crow Posted April 9, 2020 Author Share Posted April 9, 2020 So I just bought some woolies brand napisan, active ingredient is sodium percarbonate at the same level as napisan.... wondering what the water to powder ratio is needed to get the bottles ready for bottling as my brew is nearing the big day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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