Cleaning your bottles can often be an overlooked step in the homebrewing process, but if you want your bottles to last a while then you need to take proper care of them. We break down the proper way to clean your bottles in this episode of BrewTalk with Mr. Beer.

Cleaning your bottles can often be an overlooked step when it comes to brewing. It is not something in most brewing instructions and not something that I see talked about often.  

So I wanted to break down the proper way to clean your bottles so you can keep using them well into the future.  

If you do not clean your bottles or clean them properly then you will increase the risk of getting infections in your bottles. Just sanitizing your bottles before you use them does not count as cleaning.  

So after you finish pouring the beer out of your bottles, or dinking your bottle what should you do? 

The first step is to rinse it with warm water in your sync. Fill it halfway up, swirl it around and dump it out. Fill it halfway up again add the cap then shake it real good then dump it out.  

Now at this point, I add a little bit of unscented dish soap and then fill it halfway up with water. I add the cap back on again and shake it up.  

Then I usually take a bottle brush and scrub the inside of it. But be careful about what type of brush you are using. Do not use a brush that is abrasive that will scratch the inside of the bottles.  

Scratches on the inside of the bottles can harbor bacteria and create infections in your beer.  

I would recommend getting a sponge brush, you can find those on Amazon for very cheap they work well and won't scratch your bottles.  

So after you scrub the inside of your bottle you want to rinse it well until all the soapy water is out of the bottle. Then let it air dry.  

So this is the step you to repeat every time you empty a bottle. If you can’t clean your bottle right after you empty it then just a quick rinse with water will do until you can get back to it later.  

One more thing I will do with my bottles after a few uses is to soak them in a solution of the Craftmesiter Oxygen Brewery Wash.  

I just fill up a 5-gallon bucket with a few gallons of tap water, follow the directions on the brewery wash. Then let the bottles soak for about 5-10 minutes. After the soak I make sure to rinse them very well.  

So if you want your bottles to last a long time then you need to take proper care of them and these steps should be helpful in doing that.  

Cheers,  

Robert