Sterilising Gin Bottles

All things to do with making of gin

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stillgeoff
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Sterilising Gin Bottles

Post by stillgeoff »

Hopefully a quick one - I use one of those bottle drainer trees with a vinator spray rinser to rinse the bottles before I bottle my gin. I'm interested to know what, if anything, people use to sterilise their bottles prior to use?
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Ben
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Re: Sterilising Gin Bottles

Post by Ben »

Use gin... 45% abv is going to kill anything. Simply fill clean bottles, done.
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: Sterilising Gin Bottles

Post by Saltbush Bill »

Water.......germs don't do well in ethanol.
Sterilizing bottles is for the beer brewing folk.
stillgeoff
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Re: Sterilising Gin Bottles

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Thanks. Any idea of how low the ABV would need to be before we have to think about sterilising?
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Ben
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Re: Sterilising Gin Bottles

Post by Ben »

Depends on what you are trying to sterilize, most yeast cant handle anything over 20%, wlp099 will handle 25% if nurtured, acetobacter is dead around 15%. There isn't a lot in a distillate to harbor infection either, sugars etc are left behind so not much for bacteria to feed on. Even sugary liqueurs at 20% are usually shelf stable.
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Re: Sterilising Gin Bottles

Post by The Baker »

If I am washing bottles just to stick on the shelf for the time being,
I rinse in water and drain them, then rinse again with a bit of alcohol and drain and cap.
Doesn't matter much what sort of alcohol, but spirit not wine...

Makes sure they don't go mouldy or anything or smell bad.

Geoff
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stillgeoff
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Re: Sterilising Gin Bottles

Post by stillgeoff »

Thanks very much everyone, just the answers I was looking for!
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Re: Sterilising Gin Bottles

Post by Dathhu »

Just think about how long all the cheap, nasty liqueurs sit on the shelf at a bar...

Full of sugar, half the time they're exposed to the air with the pourers in them...

Only real problem is when the fruit flies get to them... Depending on how cheap the bar is they'll just strain them out... Nasty, but I've not heard of anyone getting ill from them (apart from the nasty hangover from cheap and nasty drinks :) )

Gin, on the other hand, is pretty much devoid of sugar and is much higher in ABV. It'll sterilise the bottle itself for the most part, unless the bottle is really nasty.

But then, why would you be putting your good quality, handmade stuff into nasty bottles?
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tchib
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Re: Sterilising Gin Bottles

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stillgeoff wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:33 am Thanks. Any idea of how low the ABV would need to be before we have to think about sterilising?
25% is the lowest you can go legally before it enters a higher risk category in my country. I use an air compressor with a long nozzle pistol to dust clean bottles and filter the gin with an enolmatic. Overkill maybe but the gin is brilliant
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Yummyrum
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Re: Sterilising Gin Bottles

Post by Yummyrum »

I use the same bottles over and over again without even rinsing .
Every year or so , I give them a rinse out with water … and wash the finger marks off the outside . :oops:
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Re: Sterilising Gin Bottles

Post by artooks »

Well I understand your concern but what we are doing is not wine or beer so no need to clean the bottles throughly, what I do it once I finish drinking them I have a Jet bottle washer that is attached to the tab, I use it but why I have that because I also brew beer, so normally you do not even need it, just rinse with water and you are good to go.

If you are wondering what I am talking about here is a picture of it.


51ZPMMG9UeL._SL1000_.jpg
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Yummyrum
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Re: Sterilising Gin Bottles

Post by Yummyrum »

Oooo I like that :D. I’d wash more often
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Re: Sterilising Gin Bottles

Post by Swamptrout »

Yummyrum wrote: Mon Feb 28, 2022 12:39 am Oooo I like that :D. I’d wash more often
https://www.kegland.com.au/faucet-jet-c ... asher.html
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Re: Sterilising Gin Bottles

Post by greggn »

stillgeoff wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:18 am
I'm interested to know what, if anything, people use to sterilise their bottles prior to use?

Like the others who replied above, a rinse with hot water is sufficient when I bottle spirits. However, I also make mead and I do sanitize (note: sanitize, not sterilize) those bottles.

I simply run them through the dishwasher, bottles only and no detergent, with the "Heat Dry" setting ON.

This is my third year of bottling meads and that system has worked perfectly.
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Rrmuf
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Re: Sterilising Gin Bottles

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I read somewhere here "wash with cold water and rinse with more gin :-) :thumbup:
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8Ball
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Re: Sterilising Gin Bottles

Post by 8Ball »

The Baker wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 7:19 am If I am washing bottles just to stick on the shelf for the time being,
I rinse in water and drain them, then rinse again with a bit of alcohol and drain and cap.
Doesn't matter much what sort of alcohol, but spirit not wine...

Makes sure they don't go mouldy or anything or smell bad.

Geoff
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Thats what I do as well.
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BlueSasquatch
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Re: Sterilising Gin Bottles

Post by BlueSasquatch »

Just buy some Star-San, I use it on alot of my fermentation and mashing vessels/equipment. It works great.
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