Sanitizing Bottles What do you use (Poll)

[Mac60]

Looking for some input on what everyone uses to sanitize their bottles before bottling
SO2 or Star san

 

[Chuck E]

I used to use SO2, but the vapors get to me if I do a lot of bottles. So I switched to StarSan.
I just bought the Fast Wash system from the folks who make Fast Racks. This makes short work out of sanitizing bottles.

 

[Mac60]

I used to use SO2, but the vapors get to me if I do a lot of bottles. So I switched to StarSan.
I just bought the Fast Wash system from the folks who make Fast Racks. This makes short work out of sanitizing bottles.

Thanks Chuck,
I made a case sanitizer with pump and 5 spout bottle filler to use this year. We are filling 850 next week, and plans for the season are going to be 1000 we needed some improvement in the process. I hope this helps cut the production time, last year it took 3 of us 15 hours.

 

[mainshipfred]

I use 80% new bottles and the other 20% are my used bottles. The new ones I don't do anything with. The used I soak them in oxyclean over night to remove the labels, rinse and place them back in a box. At bottling I treat them like new bottles. Probably get some grief over this.

 

[Mac60]

I use 80% new bottles and the other 20% are my used bottles. The new ones I don't do anything with. The used I soak them in oxyclean over night to remove the labels, rinse and place them back in a box. At bottling I treat them like new bottles. Probably get some grief over this.

We use about 30% new and 70% is from last years wine without labels, I have always sanitized both used and new bottles might be overkill but its become part of the process its going to be allot faster now we can do 12 bottles at a time.

 

[bstnh1]

I use 80% new bottles and the other 20% are my used bottles. The new ones I don't do anything with. The used I soak them in oxyclean over night to remove the labels, rinse and place them back in a box. At bottling I treat them like new bottles. Probably get some grief over this.

 

[bstnh1]

I'm at the point where the only bottles I use now are those that I filled before. I rinse them with hot water after we've emptied them, let them dry and store them. When I'm ready to bottle, I wash them with OneStep or Easy Clean; sanititze with K-Meta, drip-dry a couple of minutes and bottle.

 

[JohnBurns]

To sanitize I use 50/50 SO2 and water morning of bottle filling and let them drain upside down

 

[bstnh1]

To sanitize I use 50/50 SO2 and water morning of bottle filling and let them drain upside down

Why 50/50??? I assume you mean 50% water, 50% SO2 solution.

 

[JohnBurns]

yes 50% water and 50% kmeta. I wash bottles evening before and drip dry upside down in wine cases. Morning of bottle filling I make fresh SO2 -1 rounded TBSP to 1/2 gallon water then 50/50 to bottle sulphiter. Two squirts to each bottle and let drip again upside down in wine cases until filling.

 

[bstnh1]

That seems like a pretty weak sanitizer. Its roughly 1 T per gallon after you dilute it 50/50. The standard K-Meta mix is 3 T to a gallon of water. I sanitize bottles and everything else with the full strength mix.

 

[Sailor323]

I use meta, 2 oz per US gallon

 

[jvbutter]

yes 50% water and 50% kmeta. I wash bottles evening before and drip dry upside down in wine cases. Morning of bottle filling I make fresh SO2 -1 rounded TBSP to 1/2 gallon water then 50/50 to bottle sulphiter. Two squirts to each bottle and let drip again upside down in wine cases until filling.

50 kmeta / 50 water... Ok, so water is from the tap... 50 kmeta? whats your mixture rate. I really don't think its 1c kmeta dry powder and 1 cup water. Are you talking about a typical 1/4t - 5g water sanitizing solution? or a 1T - 1 gal water cleaning solution

 

[Mike Parisi]

Might be overkill, but better safe than sorry, right?

Whether the bottles are new or ones that have been used and rinsed, I submerge them a few at a time in a bucket with 3 gallons of Easy Clean solution, let the bottles fill, then pour it back out. Then I move them to the bucket with 5 gallons of Star-San solution. Let them fill, then drain and invert them in the box with a layer of paper towels on the bottom. I do this the day I am going to bottle the wine.

 

[bstnh1]

Might be overkill, but better safe than sorry, right?

Whether the bottles are new or ones that have been used and rinsed, I submerge them a few at a time in a bucket with 3 gallons of Easy Clean solution, let the bottles fill, then pour it back out. Then I move them to the bucket with 5 gallons of Star-San solution. Let them fill, then drain and invert them in the box with a layer of paper towels on the bottom. I do this the day I am going to bottle the wine.

Nope! I don't see that as overkill at all. Sounds like good sanitizing practice to me!!

 

[Yooper🍷]

I use one step. Never have had a problem

 

[JohnBurns]

That seems like a pretty weak sanitizer. Its roughly 1 T per gallon after you dilute it 50/50. The standard K-Meta mix is 3 T to a gallon of water. I sanitize bottles and everything else with the full strength mix.

thanks. I might switch to full strength. I just don't want to detect it in the wine.

 

[bstnh1]

From an art

thanks. I might switch to full strength. I just don't want to detect it in the wine.

From an article by Tim Vandergrift: "When sulphiting the inside of bottles it isn’t necessary to rinse the sulphite solution away with water. After draining upside down for as little as five seconds the amount of sulphite retained in the bottle will only increase the free sulphite content of the added wine by a little over 1 part per million. You can rinse if you want to, but it won’t make any difference and takes extra time."

 

[DizzyIzzy]

I sanitize with 2 oz. K-meta to one gallon of water...................Dizzy

 

[RichardC]

I only use SO2 because it's what I got but, it screws bad with my asthma so as soon as I can buy StarSan at a reasonable price, I'll get some!