# Bottles in dishwasher?



## Goodfella (Aug 3, 2009)

Hey everybody,


Does anyone wash their bottles in the dishwasher?


Do you use regular dishsoap?


(Obviously.... I know you would still need to sanatize them before bottling)


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## Tom (Aug 3, 2009)

No I dont. The hole is so small I doubt that much goes up to "wash" the bottles in the dishwasher. I would just soak them in some pbw or oxy cleaners.


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## pelican (Aug 3, 2009)

I've seen some folks post that they put their bottles in the dishwasher, but mine is usually full of dishes! I clean my bottles in a spare fermenting bucket, with hot water and oxyclean and then rinse well. I store them upside down so dirt and dust and bugs don't fall in - and then to sanitize I rinse them with metabisulfite solution at the time of bottling.

Regular dishsoap would need LOTS of rinsing, and it's more suited to grease and such from cooking and food debris. The Oxyclean (or B-Brite or 1Step or other winemaking cleaner) is better suited for removing the wine residue and such.


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## wctisue (Aug 3, 2009)

EVERY batch of wine I bottle have had the bottles go through the dishwasher. NO SOAP. Just let the dishwasher run through its cycle. I like it when the 'sanitized' light is on at the end of the cycle. So here's the real overkill -- then I rinse each one of the bottleswith K-meta solution.


Who knows some of these may have been through the dishwasher over 150 times! 


Wayne


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## Bartman (Aug 4, 2009)

I never plan far enough ahead to run the bottles through the dishwasher cycle, plus allowing time to rinse again with water and/or k-meta solution! Once I haul the carboy downstairs and set it on the counter, I remember I need some bottles from the attic. I let the 100-degree Texas heat (amplified by being in the sweltering attic) prevent any growth of bacteria - it's truly like an oven in there at 4 pm or so! The bottles are rinsed out before storage, so that clears out any "food" for bacteria/yeast to live off.

Anyway, I rinse the bottles in a sink full of k-meta solution and drain them out on the other side and start bottling - takes about 20-30 minutes to rinse and drain, and 45 minutes to bottle and cork (with a hand-corker, mind you!).

Bart


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## smokegrub (Aug 4, 2009)

Mine go through the dishwasher cycle, often with the dishes and always with regular dishwashing detergent. I then rinse them well with chlorinated city tap water. I let them drain a bit then I bottle.


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## hannabarn (Aug 4, 2009)

Boy! Smokegrub, I think you are asking for trouble IMHO! I think I would rinse with some K-meta before bottling!


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## vcasey (Aug 4, 2009)

Smokegrub I agree with Barney, you really need to protect your precious wine by using K-meta in those bottles.
VC


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## Goodfella (Aug 4, 2009)

I agree


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## smokegrub (Aug 4, 2009)

You may well be correct in terms of traditional wine-making protocol, but I have made upwards of 50 wines with no problems. My dishwasher heats to the point of generating steam during the drying cycle and chlorinated tap water is yet another disinfectant. I add Kmeta and sorbate at bottling. I would never recommend others do what I do, but as a retired environmental scientist with years of experience I feel what I do is more than enough to meet my objective. If I were to lose a wine at some point in the future I may change what I do. Until then... : )


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## smurfe (Aug 4, 2009)

I have a dishwasher with a true sanitize cycle as well. I don't do wine bottles in there but I have sanitized beer bottles before in there. I just run them through with no detergent. You have to know your dishwasher though. I believe it has to get to 180F to truly sanitize. Mine gets that hot. Some say they have a sanitize cycle but it only gets to like 140F.


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## smokegrub (Aug 5, 2009)

Good point, Smurfe. The key is to watch for steam. If you crack the door following the wash cycle and steam billows out your dishwasher has sufficient temperature to sanitize the bottles.


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## PeterZ (Aug 5, 2009)

I soak the bottles in dishwasher soap to remove the labels. Then I run them through the dishwasher with regular dishwasher soap. Then I sanitize with k-meta, drain on a bottle tree, and bottle.


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## crazygolf (Aug 30, 2009)

I clean my bottles in a spare fermenting bucket, with hot water and oxyclean and then rinse well. I store them upside down so dirt and dust and bugs don't fall in - and then to sanitize I rinse them with metabisulfite solution at the time of bottling.Regular dishsoap would need LOTS of rinsing, and it's more suited to grease and such from cooking and food debris.


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## rrawhide (Aug 30, 2009)

wish my bottle would fit in our dishwasher - the spinner head comes around and hits the bottles - bummer!!!


rrawhide


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## Brewgrrrl (Aug 30, 2009)

When I get used bottles I put them in a 20gal bin with cold water and a bit of bleach (just a few tablespoons). After a while most of the labels come right off and if I leave them overnight any stuff clinging to the inside gets pretty much vaporized. Then I rinse the bottles using hot water and a jet rinser and I store them upside-down. I know bleach is generally frowned upon but hot water completely neutralizes it - there is no smell and no odor after this rinsing.

At bottling time I just use an idophor solution to make sure they're sanitized.


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## BikerShannon (Aug 31, 2009)

I used Iodophor for my first 3 batches and you can taste it in the wine. I ended up dumping it all down the drain!
I do put my bottles in the dishwasher with soap, then without soap then sanitize with K-Meta.


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## Brewgrrrl (Aug 31, 2009)

Huh. What concentration of Idophor did you use? I typically use maybe four capfuls in about 15 gallons of water and I've never had any problems - no taste, no infected wine or beer. And I'm really picky about taste so if it was leaving a flavor in that concentration I know I'd have picked up on it.


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## Dean (Aug 31, 2009)

I mix my idophor solution at 1ml per liter of water. That is a 1:1000 ratio, and it has a very slight chemical taste. Should not leave any taste whatsoever in a finished wine. What concentration did you use?


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## Brewgrrrl (Aug 31, 2009)

Wow, Dean. That is so much more precise than my method.


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