Anyone use boiling water to sanitize bottles?

[Zule]

Right now I rinse my bottles overnight in hot water, then I use potassium metabisulphite for about 5-10 minutes per bottle (I transfer from bottle to bottle), then rinse many times.

Ive been thinking of buying a kettle and using boiling water to do the sanitation, or possible a very big pot and boil water in it to place my bottles in. Electricity is free, and it seems this method would be safer as I would be dealing with just water.

Anyone else do this?

 

[vacuumpumpman]

here is a good article on sterilizing jars -
http://foodpreservation.about.com/od/Equipment/ht/How-To-Sterilize-Canning-Jars.htm
It takes atleast 15 minutes under a rapid boil

It is easier to use meta and do not rinse afterwards as you will defeat the purpose of sanitizing

 

[Zule]

If you do not rinse after meta wont you leave trace amounts of meta in your wine?

Personally id love to boil sanitize them, just not 100% sure yet how I would take them out of a pot of boiling water.... Would need some sort of instrument that can work in that temp without damaging any bottles...

 

[sour_grapes]

If you do not rinse after meta wont you leave trace amounts of meta in your wine?

Yes. And the problem is.....?

Personally id love to boil sanitize them, just not 100% sure yet how I would take them out of a pot of boiling water.... Would need some sort of instrument that can work in that temp without damaging any bottles...

Couldn't you use standard tongs, available at any grocery store:

 

[peaches9324]

Use a special tong for canning jars. This would be big enough to lift the bottles from the bottom this would then let you empty the bottle then transfer to bottle tree for drying and is also rubber covered for a better grip around the bottle, not all have the rubber ya just have to make sure there is rubber at that end

 

[Zule]

Yes. And the problem is.....?

If that poison powder can sanitize, id be worried about drinking it and it causing me damage. Which is why I always rinse it out many times over. I figure it can kill any germs/virus/bacteria, then I can risk the tap water not holding anything bad that will grow.

Couldn't you use standard tongs, available at any grocery store:

Thats what I was thinking, problem is seems it would be tricky. Wont be easy with 750ml bottles, and even worse with 1.5L or bigger bottles... You dont only need to lift the bottles, but all the liquid within it...

 

[user 31015]

Alcohol also kills small bugs and whatnot. The meta is a sulphate, right, not much different from what you would sit in at a natural thermal baths or end up probably consuming small amounts of in mineral water. Sulphur is hardly arsenic, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[peaches9324]

its what we winemakers use as a preservative, Kmeta is widely used in winemaking

 

[Julie]

kmeta is used in other food and drink products, the little amount that is on the bottle when sanitizing is nothing. You are taking a bigger chance of infecting your wine by rinsing it off.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

You can minimize your meta - by using citric acid or any other acid to lower the ph.

I use 1 tsp of each per gallon of sanitize solution- there are alot of mixed views on this subject

here is one link from E.C.Krauss
http://www.eckraus.com/8-oz-potassium-metabisulfite.html

 

[sour_grapes]

And further, I should make you aware that yeast produce sulfites naturally. That is, if you drink wine, even if you add no "poison" (as you call it), you are drinking sulfites. Sante!

 

[Zule]

What is the concern of rinsing? That the water I am rinsing it with will have something bad, or that something in the air will get into the bottle and wont be killed? If its the air issue, then are you saying you use meta to clean, then while the bottle is still wet with the meta solution you bottle your wine?

Also how long should the meta be in contact with whatever I am sanitizing? I imagine a few seconds would be enough to do its job right? I ask because sometimes instead of making 6 gallons worth of meta, I only make a smaller amount (saves time and money) and splash the water around for minute or so in the carboy.

 

[calvin]

You could use star San. That's what I use. It is an acid sanitizer. The guy at my LHBS suggested it. I think I may switch to kmeta tho.


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[DoctorCAD]

You are really making this step much harder than you need to. Wash, rinse, drip, splash some k-meta, fill. Easy as pie!

 

[vacuumpumpman]

What is the concern of rinsing? That the water I am rinsing it with will have something bad, or that something in the air will get into the bottle and wont be killed? If its the air issue, then are you saying you use meta to clean, then while the bottle is still wet with the meta solution you bottle your wine?

Also how long should the meta be in contact with whatever I am sanitizing? I imagine a few seconds would be enough to do its job right? I ask because sometimes instead of making 6 gallons worth of meta, I only make a smaller amount (saves time and money) and splash the water around for minute or so in the carboy.

taken from the web
http://www.eckraus.com/wine-making-sodium-bisulfite/


Sanitizing Equipment With Sodium Bisulfite

Sodium Bisulfite is also useful in stronger doses with water for sanitizing your equipment. The recommended dose is 1 teaspoon of Sodium Bisulfite per gallon of water.

It is also recommended that either Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid or Acid Blend be added to the solution at the rate of 1/2 teaspoon per gallon. This is not necessary, but if used these acids will increase the potency of the Sodium Bisulfite solution by causing the sulfur gases to release more rapidly.

When using this solution to sanitize items such as fermentation vessels or wine bottles it is not necessary to fill the container completely full. This is because the fumes off of the solution are what do the sterilizing.

For example, only 1 or 2 inches of the solution is required in the bottom of each wine bottle. And, in a typical 5 gallon glass carboy 3 or 4 inches is sufficient.

If you have other pieces of home wine making equipment to sanitize such as stirring spoons or siphoning hoses, you can throw them into a wine fermenter that is being sanitized and seal it up with the lid for 20 minutes or better.

When sanitizing wine bottles just put one or two inches in each bottle right before bottling and let stand for 20 minutes. When you are ready to fill the bottles with your wine, just dump the solution out and let drain for a minute or two--rinsing is not required.

You can safely store any remaining sulfite solution in an air-tight container for several weeks between uses. However, this is not recommended if an acid has been added to the solution as described earlier. This is because the acid will cause the solution to loose its potency at a very rapid pace.

 

[Norton]

Nice thing about Star San as a sanitizer is that you don't have to worry about rinsing afterwards.


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[vacuumpumpman]

Nice thing about Star San as a sanitizer is that you don't have to worry about rinsing afterwards.


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That is the same answer to any sanitizing solution - because you would containmating it otherwise.

 

[Zule]

thats some good information vacuum. I had no idea it was the gases of potassium metabisulphite that did the sterilization.

But to sterilize my mixing stick would be tricky with this gas trick, as its over 2 feet long (so I can easily mix the bottom of 6 gallon carboy.) I go no bucket or carboy that fits its completely.... I guess one option is to put it in a 6 gallon carboy, then put a large plastic ziplock bag over it, and use an elastic to make it 'air tight'.

But I think I will try some boiling water trick for my bottles tho. I will try it at least once, if it goes good and easy, then I will have another sanitation option....

 

[vacuumpumpman]

thats some good information vacuum. I had no idea it was the gases of potassium metabisulphite that did the sterilization.

But to sterilize my mixing stick would be tricky with this gas trick, as its over 2 feet long (so I can easily mix the bottom of 6 gallon carboy.) I go no bucket or carboy that fits its completely.... I guess one option is to put it in a 6 gallon carboy, then put a large plastic ziplock bag over it, and use an elastic to make it 'air tight'.

But I think I will try some boiling water trick for my bottles tho. I will try it at least once, if it goes good and easy, then I will have another sanitation option....

Did you take notice that it takes 15 minutes under a rapid boil to sanitize with water ?

 

[calvin]

You can put some in a spray bottle and just spray your hydrometer, mixing spoon, hands, or anything else that comes in contact with your wine. I'm not sure about the kmeta but I know star San only requires 2 minute contact time. Some say 30 seconds is sufficient


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