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Bulk Cleaning Bottles

PostPosted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 1:24 am
by BWK
Hey Everyone,

I am almost at the point where I can start selling my gin (pending once last council approval)!

I have come across a bit of a stumbling block however regarding sterilising my bottles. I am trying to figure out a way to sterilise a large number of bottles at a time. I was hoping to not have to hand wash them all. If Anyone has any bright ideas I am all ears :)

Also if anyone knows of a table-top bottle washing machine please leave a comment below.

Cheers,

BWK

Re: Bulk Cleaning Bottles

PostPosted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 7:11 am
by scythe
Congrats on the commercial venture.
Could you use something like starsan and then oven dry them?
How sterile do they need to be?
UV sterilizer an option?

Re: Bulk Cleaning Bottles

PostPosted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 7:38 am
by The Stig
BWK wrote:
I am almost at the point where I can start selling my gin (pending once last council approval)

Can I ask where you are? What kind of gear your running? Size of your facility?

Re: Bulk Cleaning Bottles

PostPosted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 11:19 am
by warramungas
Commercial bottle washer?
For example:
http://www.aquatech-bm.com/
Do they need to be sterile or just sparkling clean? I'm presuming these are brand new bottles to start with. The alcohol (presume 40%+abv) will sterilize it for you.

Re: Bulk Cleaning Bottles

PostPosted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 11:56 am
by Doubleuj
The Stig wrote:
BWK wrote:
I am almost at the point where I can start selling my gin (pending once last council approval)

Can I ask where you are? What kind of gear your running? Size of your facility?

:text-+1:
And how about posting up a welcome thread? Good chance to introduce your company :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: Bulk Cleaning Bottles

PostPosted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 10:30 pm
by BWK
Hey Guys!

Sorry I was at work all day today.

Scythe - Thanks! That was one option I was thinking about, however we would be getting bottles in pallets of roughly a thousand. I am happy to do small batch oven drying, however making sure everything is sanitary and not accidentally contaminated over a period of hours may be problematic. I will have a look into UV sterilisation and will get back to you.

The Stig - Based out of the Huon Valley in Tasmania (Hopefully!) We've almost finished making our own pot still out of an old 200L Cheese Vat. We will be making it out of an old storage shed we have fit out with stainless steel benches etc.

warramungas - The bottles do come clean, however our supplier suggests you clean them before use. 40% you would think would do the trick, however I just don't want to give council a reason not to grant me a food licence.

Doubleuj - When we finally get everything organised I'll definitely get a post up here! Some of the answers this site has provided have been invaluable.

Cheers all,

BWK

Re: Bulk Cleaning Bottles

PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 1:21 am
by Dig Brinker
How many will you be bottling at a time? Stainless bottle tree with clean spirit pumped through. Make it as big as you need.

Re: Bulk Cleaning Bottles

PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 7:53 am
by coffe addict
I'm with dig brinker here, stainless or copper would work easily enough.
Two in pipe with half in pipe angled up and out starsan or high abv neutral pumped through would clean well and would also air dry. Would be easy to do batches of several hundred at a time.

Re: Bulk Cleaning Bottles

PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 9:43 am
by wynnum1
Do new bottles need cleaning or is that just to cover the manufacturer like putting may contain nuts so that if it does do not have to recall or pay compensation.

Re: Bulk Cleaning Bottles

PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 11:34 am
by coffe addict
I'd suspect like anything else that come from a factory you'd want to wash it before you put it in your mouth?

Re: Bulk Cleaning Bottles

PostPosted: Sat Jun 30, 2018 1:53 pm
by RC Al
A few of the Professionals on here use steam, you could possibly use water in your existing boiler to an rc (to turn the steam off) and then into a stainless bottle tree. Think safety first though :law-policered:
A pressurized steam set up aint cheap, but will clean every piece of equipment you have