Sterilizing bottles

[tpathoulas]

I met a wine and beer making couple today and they told me they sterilize their bottles using something called SaniClean. It leaves no odor or taste in their products. I know most use the heat from the syrup to sterilize but does anybody have experience using this product? I boil all of my bottles before bottling but would love to do something easier.

[motowbrowne]

I met a wine and beer making couple today and they told me they sterilize their bottles using something called SaniClean. It leaves no odor or taste in their products. I know most use the heat from the syrup to sterilize but does anybody have experience using this product? I boil all of my bottles before bottling but would love to do something easier.

Personally I don't think there is anything easier than just putting HOT syrup into the bottles to sterilize them. But, if you want something easier than boiling them, I'd suggest heating them at 220-250 in the oven.

[mountainvan]

Sterilizing the bottle is one thing, but the cap can be the big problem. Laying a hot bottle on its side or flipping over sterilizes the cap also. Hot bottling is the best practice to use with maple syrup.

[Ghs57]

Winemaking is done at low temperatures, so there is a need to sanitize anything coming into contact with the wine after primary fermentation. Starsan, or similar products, insure no bugs get transferred to the wine during processing. I've never had an issue with contaminated wine when properly using these agents.

I agree with above that the heat of bottling at 180 is going to kill any known bug, and using that alone to sanitize my containers and lids has worked without fail since I restarted my maple production in 2014.

[highlandcattle]

We have bottled in Canning jars for years. Tip them upside down after filling. Never had any issues. Also filled lots of other containers over the years. Never had a bad bottle. Just make sure your containers are clean when you fill. When we have been to open houses,always stunned by the filth. Have seen containers lying around on windowsills and the floor,open. Yuck.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I had the Inspector ask me this year how I sanitize my bottles. I said I don't the syrup does and went on to explain the process. She explained that bottles are not sterile and I agreed but that if you get them from a vendor right off the pallet that is in a clean environment your odds are good that they haven't been compromised. I believe the more you handle them and dip in solutions and let air dry the more things stick to the surface. Wiping the lip of the container with anything because a drip of syrup touched it is wasting time and introducing something to the mix.

All the small operation bottling I see start with someone taking bottles/containers from a box and putting it onto the assembly line with bare hands and that OK with me.

[Maplewalnut]

Haynes you bring up a key point to understand especially during inspections. None of us can ever claim sterility of a bottle even if you cook it in the oven for four days. there are a few sterilization processes including chemical and gas but to render something sterile via heat you need a combination of both heat and humidity(or lack there of) Common practice of sterilizing glassware would involve a drywall oven not a Kitchen Aid. This thread is really talking about sanitation and I agree heat packed syrup in new bottles does check that box without any other sanitizing chemical steps