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Question: Brewing beer. i'm using 16oz bottles with cork caps, should i boil them?

(Posted by: Agnostic Front on 2010-03-16 09:26:02)

I know that i boil bottle caps before i cap the bottles but what should i do with beer bottles that are the 16oz corked bottles? First right answer wins. The bottles yes i know, but the corks? Neither of you answered the question, do i boil the corks too or is there something special i should do with them? If i use a corker, should i boil the corker too?

Posted by: dogglebe on 2010-03-16, 18:56:27

Boiling cork causes it to crack. You won't get a good seal. Instead, use iodophor, an iodine-based sanitizer.

Posted by: Jane on 2010-03-16, 09:28:00

Always better to be safe regarding bacteria. yes, boil the bottles for at least 10 minutes (at a full rolling boil) to be sure they are sterilized.

Posted by: bigralso on 2010-03-16, 09:43:25

Never use a dish detergent to wash any brewing equipment. C-Brite Sanitizer / Cleanser A powerful brewery-grade cleanser & sanitizer used to disinfect your equipment. Preventing bacteria and wild yeast from getting in your beer is important. They can't harm you, but they can leave unpleasant flavors in your beer. Clean and sanitize your equipment using C-Brite. For effective sanitation, you should fill the carboys and the bottling bucket to the top. If your equipment is already clean, C-Brite only needs 1 minute of contact time to sanitize. If your equipment is not already clean (free of any gunk, stains or residue), allow the C-Brite to soak for 1 hour or more until clean. Rinse well with water. From now on, everything that comes in contact with your beer must be sanitized by soaking in C-Brite. This is very important. In fact, it's one of the secrets to making good beer. B-Brite Cleanser A powerful brewery-grade cleanser used to thoroughly clean your brewing equipment. Use B-Brite for the tough cleaning jobs. B-Brite is a more powerful cleaner than C-Brite, so when equipment is dirty, we recommend giving it an overnight soaking in B-Brite.