Powered Bottle Scrubber/Cleaner

[quote=“amxman”]The item that is in every bar doesn’t work with bottles. It is for cleaning glasses, the plastic rod that holds the bristles is to large in diameter to fit. And not to mention how expensive they are.

I tend to rinse warmer than the cleaning solution, and my guess is that I’m using a too strong of a solution.

Sometimes I soak the bottles for more than a day, if I don’t have time to clean them at that time, this and the combination of water evaporating a bit may be the problem too. I just don’t want to toss any bottles if they can be cleaned with a simple contraption.

I can make this thing for way cheaper than one of those barmaid’s. The most expensive part will be the motor, and I have one that is not being used at the moment. It is overkill of a motor but for now it will work.[/quote]

yes it still is the same thing, just needs adjustments.
I don’t bottle much anymore but when I did just rinse well after use and I have never had to really scrub a bottle a HOT soak in PBW and HOTTER rinse and never had an issue.
If a bottle is moldy or something stuck on it not worth my time to try and clean it when I have plenty of other cleaner bottles to take its place from buying commercial beer here and there.

I’m pretty sure I can make my cleaner for less then one of those bar glass cleaners, especially after modifying it to work on beer bottles. Unless you can take a picture of a beer bottle actually fitting on one of those fat brushes I’ll change my opinion.

I don’t think the bar glass scrubber has a spinning center, like my cleaner will. I think the only thing it does is squirt liquid up into the glass as it is being pushed down… that motor is a sump pump motor which is meant to move liquid not rotate a machine.

The most difficult thing will be mounting the bearings and attaching the bottle brush to the shaft.

I’m now thinking that I should mount both bearings externally and then I only have to worry about a rubber seal with a o ring or maybe a rubber bushing, I would think I could cement the o ring or bushing right into the PVC cap(bottom).

[quote=“amxman”]I’m pretty sure I can make my cleaner for less then one of those bar glass cleaners, especially after modifying it to work on beer bottles. Unless you can take a picture of a beer bottle actually fitting on one of those fat brushes I’ll change my opinion.

I don’t think the bar glass scrubber has a spinning center, like my cleaner will. I think the only thing it does is squirt liquid up into the glass as it is being pushed down… that motor is a sump pump motor which is meant to move liquid not rotate a machine.

The most difficult thing will be mounting the bearings and attaching the bottle brush to the shaft.

I’m now thinking that I should mount both bearings externally and then I only have to worry about a rubber seal with a o ring or maybe a rubber bushing, I would think I could cement the o ring or bushing right into the PVC cap(bottom).[/quote]

If you like building this cool bit it seems way overboard. Why not make something like a keg cleaner for bottkes.

I have a 5 gallon bucket with a weak PBW solution in it. A bottle that doesn’t triple rinse clean the first time goes into the bucket. These bottles rinse easily. I’ll triple rinse and add to drying rack when I get around to it. No rush. Have lots of bottles.

A spray bottle with starsan is next to my sink. Fast Rack is in the cupboard. A little water in and capped with thumb, shake, dump and repeat, then finish with the Starsan, 5 pumps or so and shake again and into the rack. My wife like having the Starsan around for other needs.
Spraymaster is my spray bottle of choice and I always seem to have a plentiful supply of Starsan that is nearly perfect.