Any opinions on the best way to prep used bottles for reuse… sanitizer, baking, or both?
Star-San. It’s a sanitizer. I have a soda keg specifically for it.
Sneezles
The reason I ask, is that read somewhere that sanitizer doesn’t get all microorganisms, while baking them is more complete.
Let’s hope the bottles yer using aren’t that dirty. Always rinse out after the brew is poured out. If you see any gunk in the bottles you are fill, I’d throw them out.
Sneezles
Yes, I clean them and sanitize well with the OneStep. Just wondering if I might be missing something and leaving behind maybe a few micro organisms.
Is baked ok for the bottles? Or bad for them?
I can’t tell you baking is OK. Never tried.
BUT, one step has let me down a couple times.
I’ve never had contamination with star-San.
Hoping some of the others that do still bottle will speak up.
Sneezles
Let’s get back to baking bottles. They’ll need to cool, right? There is a whole bunch of contaminates just floating around in the air.
Now, if you use star-San, the bottles can sit in a bucket soaking, as you need it, dump it out and fill right then.
Maybe go read up on it before buying/trying…
Sneezles
Dilute some.bleach in water.
Baking sounds like such a PITA. Probably why you don’t hear people doing it. I’m sure it will kill stuff but you still need to clean the bottles out first
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This is why so many of us start kegging 
The key to it is rinsing the bottles out right after emptying them. Hold them up to a light to check for any gunk. Also if you give away any homebrew make the recipient promises to do the same and return the bottle(s)
Never tried baking them but seems like it would work but if anything doesn’t get cleaned first that would bake it on and make it even worse to clean.
I have used OneStep and StarSan to sanitize with good results but stick with StarSan now.
I have also heard of people running the bottles through their dishwasher without any soap. Have not tried that either though.
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If you were close Dave, I have a couple kegs I would give you.
Sneezles
Do kegs keep the beer good for an extended time? Does a keg keep it cold? I never thought about using a keg.
I’m in Ohio.
Once I started kegging, I never looked back. Yes, you need a way to keep the keg cold and you have to deal with gas to serve, but I feel it is so worth it. You can even bottle some off the keg.
Yer a ways away from me. Time to start looking for corny kegs and the stuff to go with it.
Sneezles
Thanks
Sorry for the late response. Been busy and on vacay.
I would avoid baking them. I would be concerned that the high temps could weaken the glass and contribute to bottle bombs, even if not over carbonated. Been awhile since I bottled as I too keg. But when I did I would fill the bottles with hot water and add a little PBW to each one and let them soak. Next day rinse and sanitize with starsan, and turn them upside down to drain. If you continue to bottle I would encourage you to look into a bottling tree. You can find them here.
Then once you drink them rinse with hot water and turn them over to dry.
Perfect. Thanks for the info. I’ll do it this way, as I already have a drying rack.
Wasn’t the guy Muellerbrau that had a short vid about his bottling day with a tub of star san?
Sneezles
I never thought of that. I have only had a couple of bottles break, usually while capping. Most of the bottles us homebrewers use aren’t really made to reuse over and over. The old ones you got at a bar were made to last longer, like until they were broken in a bar fight.
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I bottle all the time. When the bottle is empty, I rinse then and turn the upside down and put in my case ready for the next bottle day. I dip my bottles in 175-180 water the day of bottling my next brew. My wife does the rinsing, I fill and cap.
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I don’t believe so. He made rather large batches, ~20gal I believe so I would be shocked if he bottled. Of course it could be off the keg…
