Drying A LOT of bottles without a bottle tree

Winemaking
1

Hi All,

I was looking for some quick suggestions on drying bottles without a bottle drying tree.

I need to wash and dry out about 180 750ml bottles. Any suggestions for quick effective drying?

2

You are drying the bottles so they won’t mold while you store them?

Just put them upside down in a wine box.

or you could find a large cardboard box, cut neck sized holes in and stand the bottles up like that.

3

I am actually sanitizing and washing them for bottling day. Sorry, should have clarified that part.

4

the cardboard box option is a great idea! Thanks!

5

Dishwasher

6

If you are actually sanitizing them on bottling day I don’t see why they have to be dried entirely. If there is a little water residue or rinseless sanitizer left in there it won’t affect the wine at all - assuming they are emptied entirely to begin with.

Did not even think of the dishwasher - that would work.

7

If you are actually sanitizing them on bottling day I don’t see why they have to be dried entirely. If there is a little water residue or rinseless sanitizer left in there it won’t affect the wine at all - assuming they are emptied entirely to begin with.

Did not even think of the dishwasher - that would work.[/quote]

I’m typically in this camp. A little bit of Star San is not going to hurt beer, and I rarely completely dry the inside of my bottles. In fact, I would think you are probably better off from a sanitization perspective in leaving a bit of sanitizer on the bottles when adding beer, as opposed to letting them dry and subject them to dust particles, etc.

8

Great to know, thanks!!

When bottling beer I never worry about there being a tiny bit of (sanitized) water

but when bottling wine I always worried that it would mess with the taste. I guess it just came along with all of the years of making it with my grandfather and father and following a specific set of rules haha.

Thanks!