Well my last post was about places to buy things for bottling, Joe said he
used a spray bottle to sanitize the bottles so that set me to ponder the
subject. How do you prepare, i.e.., sanitize bottles prior to filling them?
Do I need a Vinator? Or are there easier, cheaper means to do it and is a
bottle tree a good investment?

So many questions, so little time!

Dan

A bottle tree is indispensible to me - it's the best way to dry bottles once
you've washed or rinsed them. The Vinator is also handy for spritzing the
inside of bottles with a sulfite solution. I do that and then let them drip
dry on the bottle tree.

Ed


"Danny" > wrote in message
news:CarTe.10838$tB5.3974@okepread06...
> Well my last post was about places to buy things for bottling, Joe said he
> used a spray bottle to sanitize the bottles so that set me to ponder the
> subject. How do you prepare, i.e.., sanitize bottles prior to filling
> them? Do I need a Vinator? Or are there easier, cheaper means to do it
> and is a bottle tree a good investment?
>
> So many questions, so little time!
>
> Dan
>

New bottles do not need sanitizing. Wineries never sanitize their bottles.
But they never use used bottles.

Used bottles should be washed with a cleaner that will not leave a film and
then dried. Then store them properly, preferably neck down in wine bottle
boxes and they can be used "as is" at bottling time.

Ray

"Danny" > wrote in message
news:CarTe.10838$tB5.3974@okepread06...
> Well my last post was about places to buy things for bottling, Joe said he
> used a spray bottle to sanitize the bottles so that set me to ponder the
> subject. How do you prepare, i.e.., sanitize bottles prior to filling
> them? Do I need a Vinator? Or are there easier, cheaper means to do it
> and is a bottle tree a good investment?
>
> So many questions, so little time!
>
> Dan
>

> "Danny" > wrote in message
> news:CarTe.10838$tB5.3974@okepread06...
>> is a bottle tree a good investment?

Absolutely! I have 2 of them that hold 90 bottles apiece, but I never fill
them all the way - maybe 2/3 of the way - because they get very heavy and
hard to move.

Tom S

Earlier this year I did fill a 90 bottle tree to the top. I was
apprehensive as it got fuller, but I have to say it seemed very stable - but
I don't think I'd try to move it, I made sure it was exactly where I wanted
it when I started!

Ed



"Tom S" > wrote in message
news
>> "Danny" > wrote in message
>> news:CarTe.10838$tB5.3974@okepread06...
>>> is a bottle tree a good investment?
>
> Absolutely! I have 2 of them that hold 90 bottles apiece, but I never
> fill them all the way - maybe 2/3 of the way - because they get very heavy
> and hard to move.
>
> Tom S
>

Ray,
Are you comfortable with this method when the bottles are stored up to two
years and in an environment seeing outdoor influences, like a garage
occasionally does?

I leave my bottles very clean and hopefully neck down, but I would never
fill any of them stored in my garage for 2 years without a sanitizing rinse.


Patrick
"Ray Calvert" > wrote in message
...
> New bottles do not need sanitizing. Wineries never sanitize their
> bottles. But they never use used bottles.
>
> Used bottles should be washed with a cleaner that will not leave a film
> and then dried. Then store them properly, preferably neck down in wine
> bottle boxes and they can be used "as is" at bottling time.
>
> Ray
>
> "Danny" > wrote in message
> news:CarTe.10838$tB5.3974@okepread06...
>> Well my last post was about places to buy things for bottling, Joe said
>> he used a spray bottle to sanitize the bottles so that set me to ponder
>> the subject. How do you prepare, i.e.., sanitize bottles prior to
>> filling them? Do I need a Vinator? Or are there easier, cheaper means to
>> do it and is a bottle tree a good investment?
>>
>> So many questions, so little time!
>>
>> Dan
>>
>
>

Ray,
Are you comfortable with this method when the bottles are stored up to two
years and in an environment seeing outdoor influences, like a garage
occasionally does?

I leave my bottles very clean and hopefully neck down, but I would never
fill any of them stored in my garage for 2 years without a sanitizing rinse.


Patrick
"Ray Calvert" > wrote in message
...
> New bottles do not need sanitizing. Wineries never sanitize their
> bottles. But they never use used bottles.
>
> Used bottles should be washed with a cleaner that will not leave a film
> and then dried. Then store them properly, preferably neck down in wine
> bottle boxes and they can be used "as is" at bottling time.
>
> Ray
>
> "Danny" > wrote in message
> news:CarTe.10838$tB5.3974@okepread06...
>> Well my last post was about places to buy things for bottling, Joe said
>> he used a spray bottle to sanitize the bottles so that set me to ponder
>> the subject. How do you prepare, i.e.., sanitize bottles prior to
>> filling them? Do I need a Vinator? Or are there easier, cheaper means to
>> do it and is a bottle tree a good investment?
>>
>> So many questions, so little time!
>>
>> Dan
>>
>
>

patrick mcdonald wrote:

> Ray,
> Are you comfortable with this method when the bottles are stored up to two
> years and in an environment seeing outdoor influences, like a garage
> occasionally does?
>
> I leave my bottles very clean and hopefully neck down, but I would never
> fill any of them stored in my garage for 2 years without a sanitizing
> rinse.
>
>
> Patrick
> "Ray Calvert" > wrote in message
> ...
>> New bottles do not need sanitizing. Wineries never sanitize their
>> bottles. But they never use used bottles.
>>
>> Used bottles should be washed with a cleaner that will not leave a film
>> and then dried. Then store them properly, preferably neck down in wine
>> bottle boxes and they can be used "as is" at bottling time.
>>
>> Ray
>>
>> "Danny" > wrote in message
>> news:CarTe.10838$tB5.3974@okepread06...
>>> Well my last post was about places to buy things for bottling, Joe said
>>> he used a spray bottle to sanitize the bottles so that set me to ponder
>>> the subject. How do you prepare, i.e.., sanitize bottles prior to
>>> filling them? Do I need a Vinator? Or are there easier, cheaper means
>>> to do it and is a bottle tree a good investment?
>>>
>>> So many questions, so little time!
>>>
>>> Dan
>>>
>>
>>

Care to guess how wineries sanatize their bottles - They don't. They get
them from the manufacturer who has them stored in who knows what
environment and then fill them without even washing. At the commercial
winery where I worked the bottles were made in Mexico and I doubt the
Mexicans took pains to even clean the bottles.

Danny,
Apologies, I have been traveling.

Here is what I do;

I have a bottle tree; it's as necessary as a corker as far as I am
concerned. I also use a jet washer with hot water for rinsing.

New bottles:
I rinse on the jet washer, hit it with a shot of detergent (I mix up a
good glass cleaner, (Alconox) in a quart spray bottle and use it as
needed to clean everything, any decent deteregent is fine.)

Rinse 3 times on the jet washer

Give the bottle a final shot of 1% sulfite/ citric acid

Hang it on the tree to drain.

Used bottles get the same treatment except I add a swabbing with a
bottle brush once I hit the bottle with detergent.

If the bottle came from outside of my control I usually soak them for a
bit and pretreat with a 10% bleach/tap water spritz. If I see visible
mold, I soak the affected area with the bleach solution if I really
want to keep that bottle. You would be suprised how often people
return wine bottles unrinsed, it's just not something I would do.

I inspect used bottles once I have cleaned them by holding the base
towards my eye and pointing it toward a light; that way if there is any
mold in the punt I will see it; that's the area most likey to be
infected.

If the bottles will be stored I store them upside down and just
eliminate the sulfite spritz.

Once you do this a few times it becomes automatic and you just fly
through the process. Some of what I do may be overkill but after
getting a wine just right the last thing I want to do is screw it up by
trying to save a little time in bottle preparation.

New bottles really don't need any attention if the box looks ok; As I
uderstand it the most a winery will do when bottling is blow the bottle
down to remove dust.

Hope that helps.

Joe

"patrick mcdonald" > wrote in
message ...
> Ray,
> Are you comfortable with this method when the bottles are stored up to two
> years and in an environment seeing outdoor influences, like a garage
> occasionally does?
>
> I leave my bottles very clean and hopefully neck down, but I would never
> fill any of them stored in my garage for 2 years without a sanitizing
> rinse.

I have used bottles stored in the garage (stored neck down) without rinsing,
but I usually put them on the bottle tree and blast the _outsides_ with a
hose before filling.

Tom S

Depends on your environment. If you stored anything in boxes in the garage
for 2 years down here in Houston, Texas, you would have roach eggs all over
them. No I store them in boxes under my a bed. Amazing how many boxes you
can store under a couple of king size beds and the space is wasted
otherwise.

Ray

"patrick mcdonald" > wrote in
message ...
> Ray,
> Are you comfortable with this method when the bottles are stored up to two
> years and in an environment seeing outdoor influences, like a garage
> occasionally does?
>
> I leave my bottles very clean and hopefully neck down, but I would never
> fill any of them stored in my garage for 2 years without a sanitizing
> rinse.
>
>
> Patrick
> "Ray Calvert" > wrote in message
> ...
>> New bottles do not need sanitizing. Wineries never sanitize their
>> bottles. But they never use used bottles.
>>
>> Used bottles should be washed with a cleaner that will not leave a film
>> and then dried. Then store them properly, preferably neck down in wine
>> bottle boxes and they can be used "as is" at bottling time.
>>
>> Ray
>>
>> "Danny" > wrote in message
>> news:CarTe.10838$tB5.3974@okepread06...
>>> Well my last post was about places to buy things for bottling, Joe said
>>> he used a spray bottle to sanitize the bottles so that set me to ponder
>>> the subject. How do you prepare, i.e.., sanitize bottles prior to
>>> filling them? Do I need a Vinator? Or are there easier, cheaper means
>>> to do it and is a bottle tree a good investment?
>>>
>>> So many questions, so little time!
>>>
>>> Dan
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

Ray Calvert wrote:

> Depends on your environment. If you stored anything in boxes in the
> garage for 2 years down here in Houston, Texas, you would have roach eggs
> all over
> them. No I store them in boxes under my a bed. Amazing how many boxes
> you can store under a couple of king size beds and the space is wasted
> otherwise.
>
> Ray
>
> "patrick mcdonald" > wrote in
> message ...
>> Ray,
>> Are you comfortable with this method when the bottles are stored up to
>> two years and in an environment seeing outdoor influences, like a garage
>> occasionally does?
>>
>> I leave my bottles very clean and hopefully neck down, but I would never
>> fill any of them stored in my garage for 2 years without a sanitizing
>> rinse.
>>
>>
>> Patrick
>> "Ray Calvert" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> New bottles do not need sanitizing. Wineries never sanitize their
>>> bottles. But they never use used bottles.
>>>
>>> Used bottles should be washed with a cleaner that will not leave a film
>>> and then dried. Then store them properly, preferably neck down in wine
>>> bottle boxes and they can be used "as is" at bottling time.
>>>
>>> Ray

Reminds me of that old riddle - What is the difference between a rich man
and a poor man?

Answer: The rich man has a canope OVER his bed.

In case you don't get it - the poor man has a CAN of PEE UNDER his bed.


>>>
>>> "Danny" > wrote in message
>>> news:CarTe.10838$tB5.3974@okepread06...
>>>> Well my last post was about places to buy things for bottling, Joe said
>>>> he used a spray bottle to sanitize the bottles so that set me to ponder
>>>> the subject. How do you prepare, i.e.., sanitize bottles prior to
>>>> filling them? Do I need a Vinator? Or are there easier, cheaper means
>>>> to do it and is a bottle tree a good investment?
>>>>
>>>> So many questions, so little time!
>>>>
>>>> Dan
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>

Paul E. Lehmann wrote:
> Ray Calvert wrote:
>
> > Depends on your environment. If you stored anything in boxes in the
> > garage for 2 years down here in Houston, Texas, you would have roach eggs
> > all over them.
>snip<
> > "patrick mcdonald" > wrote in
> > message ...
> >> Ray,
> >> Are you comfortable with this method when the bottles are stored up to
> >> two years and in an environment seeing outdoor influences, like a garage
> >> occasionally does?
> >> I leave my bottles very clean and hopefully neck down, but I would never
> >> fill any of them stored in my garage for 2 years without a sanitizing
> >> rinse.
> >> Patrick


The area I live in requires sanitation _and_ sterilization prior
to bottling. Even with "cleaning" and storage upside down, critters
such as ants, spiders, et/al get in and are sometimes trapped.

Oh, yes, I sanitize then sterilize before bottling!

Happy vinting,
Jim L.

wrote:

>
> Paul E. Lehmann wrote:
>> Ray Calvert wrote:
>>
>> > Depends on your environment. If you stored anything in boxes in the
>> > garage for 2 years down here in Houston, Texas, you would have roach
>> > eggs all over them.
> >snip<
>> > "patrick mcdonald" > wrote
>> > in message ...
>> >> Ray,
>> >> Are you comfortable with this method when the bottles are stored up to
>> >> two years and in an environment seeing outdoor influences, like a
>> >> garage occasionally does?
>> >> I leave my bottles very clean and hopefully neck down, but I would
>> >> never fill any of them stored in my garage for 2 years without a
>> >> sanitizing rinse.
>> >> Patrick
>
>
> The area I live in requires sanitation _and_ sterilization prior
> to bottling. Even with "cleaning" and storage upside down, critters
> such as ants, spiders, et/al get in and are sometimes trapped.
>
> Oh, yes, I sanitize then sterilize before bottling!
>
> Happy vinting,
> Jim L.

Jim, where do you live? I admit to having limited experience working for a
commercial winery but my information both from personal experience and from
others is that bottle sanitization is NOT done here in the Mid Atlantic
area. As for me, I always throughly rinse my bottles after drinking the
last drop and before bottling with new wine, run them through the dish
washer (put in upside down) with the dishwasher on the Pots and Pans cycle
with the hottest water setting and I do not use soap.

Southeast Georgia,

Jim L.