Pre-Sanitizing

[JimH]

So, I have a batch I plan on bottling tomorrow. 4 gallons of beer, and I was not busy today, and I thought I could get the tedious part out of the way. Planning on using some flip top and some cappers. The cappers, I was going to sanitize, then flip them upside down and shove them in a trash bag lined 12 pack box. Simple enough, and I know I have heard of others using this method. For the flip toppers, I was thinking I could just dump as much star san out as possible, then pop on the top. Won't allow anything in. Should I worry about leaving the star san in with the top on? It is a no rinse, and I keep it in a jug when not in use. I don't know why I am worrying about this, but I thought I would run it by the collective knowledge of the just in case I was overlooking something that could be bad.

[Gymrat]

After cleaning my bottles I put foil on them and bake them in my oven at 250 for an hour then put them away. Then when I need bottles they are sanitized and waiting for me where I have them stored.

[FrozenInTime]

I've pre-sanitized many times a day or 2 in advance. Even the fliptops (which I hate). I do just as u do, sanitize, empty, sit upside down in a box and use them as needed. Never a problem.

[jimjohson]

I don't think that'd be a problem. or you could leave the top off and put them upside down like the cappers and just spray the flip caps with star san just before closing.

[JimH]

Yeah, I thought about putting them in the racks upside down, but they are open bottom, and it gives me uneasiness. I know infections don't crawl in, but after dealing with an infection in my LBKs, I don't like taking chances anymore.

And, I think I need to do this more often. It is taking me forever to clean and sanitize. Tomorrow would have been a wicked long bottling day. If I can get it all sanitized today, then tomorrow it is as easy as getting the priming solution ready, sanitize bottling bucket, rack, bottle and go! Should cut the bottling day in half. I might just start sanitizing my flippers right after emptying them, and storing them sanitized. Then 12 packs of bottles as a group.

[jimjohson]

so put a piece of cardboard on the bottom of the rack, spray it w/star san then put the bottles in there. then it's no different than the modelo boxes I keep 'em in 'til needed.

[Banjo-guy]

After cleaning my bottles I put foil on them and bake them in my oven at 250 for an hour then put them away. Then when I need bottles they are sanitized and waiting for me where I have them stored.

How long can they be stored after baking?.
I've read that the glass becomes more brittle after baking. Do you find that your bottles are more prone to breaking? I've only broken one bottle while brewing. It was when I put the cap on.

I think pre- sanitizing is a great idea.

[yankfan9]

Jim I just recently started cleaning and sanitizing my bottles the day before a bottling day and it is does make the things go by much quicker when it comes time to bottle! I do a similar thing with brew days. The day before I am to brew I set out all the equipment in my garage as if I were getting ready to brew that day, that way when I wake up in the morning I go out, crush the grains, fill the kettle with water and start heating the strike water, no need to worry about setting anything up.

[FedoraDave]

The part I hate most about this hobby is the washing and sanitizing everything. But not because it takes too long; just because I find it tedious and boring.

Tell me, Jim, what's your sanitizing procedure? Because the more streamlined you can make it, the less you'll resent it. I tend to start with the things that may take more time, but will take care of themselves. For instance, I start heating the water for my priming solution before I even start washing up. It's got to boil for 15 minutes, so I set the timer and then get to washing.

Then I use an ice water bath to cool it, which also takes time, and by then I'm almost done washing and am ready to sanitize my priming bucket and bottles. By the time all of that's done, my priming solution is at a good temperature, and I'm ready to rack the beer into the bucket and sanitize my bottles, which I do with a vinator, which is very quick.

By multitasking and having certain equipment for some tasks, it saves me a lot of time on bottling day.

[RickBeer]

I have the same perspective as Dave. I don't do things the day ahead, mostly because I have no way to leave the stuff out. When I bottle, I put the water on to boil (I don't boil for 15, just to boiling), and then do something else. When it's cooling, I'm sanitizing bottles (my rack holds 45 which is not quite enough space, but it's easy to sanitize a few more when I need them). When the wort is transferring from the LBK to the slimline, I do something else.

Same thing when I brew - when the wort is on the stove, I can do other things. When it's cooling, I can be prepping the LBKs.

I find that on brew day it takes me around 4.5 hours, which includes a 30 minutes steep. If I had an outside burner, I suspect it would knock some time off. On bottling day, it takes 3.5 hours or so to do 5 gallons.

One thing I did to save some time was to buy duplicates of things like hydrometers and tubes (when I used One Step it mattered more since I had to wait 10 minutes). I should buy a 2nd hose, but it's easy enough to wash and sanitize the one (if I'm doing two identical LBKs I don't bother).

[russki]

sanitize my bottles, which I do with a vinator, which is very quick.

+10000
If you have not invested in a bottle tree and vinator, you absolutely should! 3 squirts with a vinator, hang on the tree - takes about 10 min to sanitize 2 cases of bottles.

[JimH]

I have definitely been considering a vinator to make this whole thing easier. It was never a big deal doing 2.5 gallon batches, but stepping up to four has made a huge impact on the time needed to bottle. I start by measuring my sugar, and boiling it. While that happens I start gathering supplies. Usually just let it air cool, then start sanitizing. I have a REALLY small kitchen, so it is usually 6 bottles at a time. But it through a washing in one sink, then over to the next sink where I funnel in some Star San. Sanitize it up, drain it to the bowl, and put the bottle to the side. Repeat, a lot. Then I start the transfer to the bottling bucket (after sanitizing and all that). It just gets pretty tedious, like you pointed out Dave. It took my about 2 hours yesterday to sanitize all my bottles I am using today. That does count some extra time because I was organizing and taking inventory of the closet as I went along.

[JimH]

So, turned out to be the best bottling day ever. Got it done in just over an hour. Doing clean up now, but it saved a bunch of time doing things before hand.

And, in better news, I think this might be my best beer yet! The sample I tasted was very good.

[FedoraDave]

sanitize my bottles, which I do with a vinator, which is very quick.

+10000
If you have not invested in a bottle tree and vinator, you absolutely should! 3 squirts with a vinator, hang on the tree - takes about 10 min to sanitize 2 cases of bottles.

I sanitize my bottles while the beer is racking to the priming bucket. Two tasks at the same time, since the auto siphon is self-sustaining once you get it going. Doesn't matter the size of the batch, I find they coincide time-wise nearly perfectly, so that knocks off an extra ten minutes. Besides, what would I do while the beer was racking? Sit and look at it?

[JimH]

Besides, what would I do while the beer was racking? Sit and look at it?

It's more exciting than watching paint dry