Can I sanitize bottle caps in StarSan?

In between bottling batches of cider this morning, and it occurred to me, why can’t we just sanitize bottle caps in StarSan? Will the acid do something to the caps? I have always read either boil them (which I’ve heard is bad but never had a problem with it) or soak in vodka. Anyone just throw them in StarSan? Thanks.

I don’t know many people who sanitize them. I never have. You have to be careful sanitizing the O2 absorbing caps. They are activated by getting wet. If you sanitize them they are essentially useless for their designed purpose. They can still be used as caps, but will not absorb any residual O2.

Wow, I didn’t know that about the O2 absorbing caps. The assumption here is that the caps are pretty clean right out of the bag, so you wouldn’t need to sanitize them? Interesting. One less thing to do on bottling day. Thank you very much!

I always sanitize mine. I would not advocate not doing that. You’ve gone through all this trouble to brew a batch, and let it ferment. If you don’t sanitize, you’re at risk of contamination!

I boil most of mine. If I’m off by one or two, or only bottling one or two, I do sometimes use StarSan to do it. Piece of cake. I’m not aware of any real actual problems with the O2 absorption thing. At least they’re sanitized!

I always have my bottle caps in a Starsan solution when I’m bottling. I don’t use O[size=85]2[/size] absorbing caps though. Don’t have to worry about contamination after the bag has been opened for the previous bottling session.

Just in case the dried Starsan could damage the seal I rinse and dry before storage.

I’m not a scientist but I don’t see the star San affecting the o2 absorbing capability. They are going to get wet with beer. If they are in starsan they won’t come in contact with oxygen untill the foam settles in the beer you bottle. I agree that I would rather chance the o2 absorption be compromised than contaminating the beer.

To me, sanitizing is an integral part of the entire process, and I follow through on it in every step, including capping my bottles. I soak my caps in Starsan, but I don’t use the oxygen absorbing ones. Since I bottle from a keg (most of the time) the filling process displaces almost all of the oxygen with CO2 that is liberated from the beer as the bottle is filled.

I’m one of those who boil only because when I boil sugar for priming, I boil caps too at same time. I use Star San for nearly everything in brewing, and I guess I might do caps, although I’m most familiar with my schedule and process during brewday. Do what works for you.

Wow, on another forum (with many EXPERIENCED Brewers) not very many sanitize them at all.

Brew cat, that’s the idea with the O2 absorbing caps. The beer makes them wet and activates them. If you soak them or make them wet they are activated thus when you remove them from the sanitizer they immediately absorb O2. This is the reason why you should flip the bottle over after capping with O2 absorbing caps, to activate them.

Interesting. I’ve never thought about NOT sanitizing my caps. I do soak them in a starsan solution. Each batch I bottle a couple bombers for “longterm” storage. Those I use the silver O2 absorbing caps and put them in the starsan just before using. I do also wax the tops of those, but that’s a whole other(probably unnecessary) step.

Mine just get a brief dunk in the star san – just a few seconds. 4-6 at a time, then straight on the bottles.
Probably no more than 3 minutes pass between dunking an crimping.

[quote=“JMcK”]Mine just get a brief dunk in the star san – just a few seconds. 4-6 at a time, then straight on the bottles.
Probably no more than 3 minutes pass between dunking an crimping.[/quote]

Ditto

Ron

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[quote=“dmtaylo2”]I always sanitize mine. I would not advocate not doing that. You’ve gone through all this trouble to brew a batch, and let it ferment. If you don’t sanitize, you’re at risk of contamination!

I boil most of mine. If I’m off by one or two, or only bottling one or two, I do sometimes use StarSan to do it. Piece of cake. I’m not aware of any real actual problems with the O2 absorption thing. At least they’re sanitized![/quote]

Same

Always sanitize caps…i see no reasoning why not to.
As for o2 caps they are fine sanitizing, you just cant use them after that bottling session is done if wet and that is all the direction say on them.
Even if they work…that is not happening instantly, it is over time…probably a day or two or even weeks to absorb the 02 in the headspace.
If you are bottling anyways you are bottle conditioning most of the time and if you are filling from keg you have co2 coming out of solution and capping on that,

I always use 02 caps and starsan them. I was just puuting the intire batch in starsan and bottling away…think from now on i,ll dip them one at a time in start san then cap…

I keep a spray bottle of StarSan around, and give the caps (which are almost always o2 absorbing caps) a quick spritz just before capping. If you apply the caps soon enough after sanitizing them, there is no need at all to worry about de-activating the o2 absorption properties of the caps.

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I’ve always sanitized bottle caps. First with IO Star and now with StarSan. I use a sanitizer thing that you put the bottle on and press to spray sanitizer solution in the bottle, and just throw the caps a handful at a time in the solution tank for it. I don’t use O2 absorbing caps, haven’t felt the need for it.

I keep a little bowl of Sanstar and do a quick dip of my O2 caps before they immediately go on the bottles. Is hasn’t affect them yet and although it may cause them to activate, it isn’t an immediate reaction so there is no issue IMHO.

Differing opinions here. Did read a purported response from the maker of the O2 absorbing caps that activation takes hours after becoming wet not minutes.

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