Re: Bottling

Jun 23, 2003 1 Replies


Can I use the bottles that i get from beer i buy in the store. And if so


> what are some good stearlizing methods to clean them?

Yes, you can reuse beer bottles. Most people will not use twist-offs, as I believe they are more prone to breakage and/or failure to seal properly. But you can definitely use most of the non-twist-offs found on Sam Adams, Corona, imports, etc.


First of all, the best way to keep your bottles clean is to rinse them 3 or


4 times immediately after emptying. This prevents disgusting mold from building up. Then prior to filling them, just rinse them a couple of times again. To sterilize, fill up a bucket or your sink with warm water and either bleach or a no-rinse chemical such as iodophor, and soak for a few minutes, or overnight if you like. Then rinse if necessary and you'll be all set. A bottle brush is handy to have for the occasional yeast/mold/scum, but as I mentioned, if you rinse every bottle when you're finished drinking it, you will very rarely have any trouble cleaning and sterilizing them.

Twist off bottles work fine but I agree the neck area is not as strong just be a little bit more careful, I find it a problem when washing and handling not when the brew is bottled IMHO you don't get more bottle bombs with twistys compared to the other bottles.

As for cleaning I always use a bottle wash on new bottles but generally just rinse in hot water straight after use sanitise with BREW SHIELD and cover with plastic wrap ( if I forget or they are really gudgy I use a bottle wash) when I am ready to bottle I give them another squirt of BREW SHIELD,

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