Cleaning wine bottles

[user 52938]

is Soda Ash sufficient for washing new wine bottles to receive last year's wine? or should I follow up with meta bisulfite and citric acid?

 

[winemaker81]

I use Oxyclean. Once the bottles are cleaned and dried, there's no need to follow up with a K-meta solution.

However, it is a common practice among home winemakers to rinse with K-meta solution at bottling time.

 

[cmason1957]

When I am reusing bottles, I soak off the labels with hot water and OxyClean, rinse well, upside down until use. When ready to use they get a spritz of K-Meta sanitizing solution, which includes some acid for me.

 

[mainshipfred]

I don't use anything with new bottles.

 

[distancerunner]

We have nine hundred used bottles. All were cleaned (or will be) with soda ash. At bottling time they get a spritz of Star San. In the past we’ve used Kmeta. Six of one.

When these are gone we will start buying new. Cases remain sealed until bottling day. They’ll go from the case to a spritz to the bottling tree to the bottling station. Then back to the case.

 

[bearpaw8491]

When I am reusing bottles, I soak off the labels with hot water and OxyClean, rinse well, upside down until use. When ready to use they get a spritz of K-Meta sanitizing solution, which includes some acid for me.

I'm with cmason; however, I found that 2 TBS of water in the bottle and into the microwave in a horzontial position for 1 min on high and the labels slip right off 99.9% of the time. Always use an oven mitt to remove the bottle. Don't ask how I know this! BTWm most commercial wineries don't do anything to new bottles other than a quick shot of nitrogen.

 

[David Engel]

Are you guys talking about the OxyClean laundry, spot remover stuff? What's the attraction with that (as opposed to any other cleaner)?

 

[winemaker81]

Are you guys talking about the OxyClean laundry, spot remover stuff? What's the attraction with that (as opposed to any other cleaner)?

It dissolves organic materials with a short soak. I tossed some 5 yo beers, all the bottles had a visible film inside. I soaked the bottles for 15 minutes and they were crystal clean.

All my drilled stoppers, air locks, and hardware get soaked periodically, and I rack the solution from carboy to carboy, which also cleans tubing

 

[David Engel]

Do you do the Star San thing? Sounds like you use Oxy for everything?

 

[winemaker81]

Do you do the Star San thing? Sounds like you use Oxy for everything?

I use Oxy and One Step for cleaning.

I use K-meta solution for sanitizing, sometimes Star San.

 

[David Engel]

Gotcha!

 

[winemaker81]

My DIL got me a free bottle of Star San on FB Marketplace. But I'm so used to K-meta that I tend to forget about it, except at pressing time.

 

[SouthernVino]

I use Avery Removable Labels for my bottle labels. They just peel off with no residue to have to deal with. For cleaning I use One Step. For sanitizing Star San. If you rinse your bottle out real good after consumption, you will save yourself some time and work when it comes time to use it again. Has worked for me for years with no problems.

 

[winemaker81]

I use Avery Removable Labels for my bottle labels.

I absolutely love those labels, but a while back Avery doubled the price. Grrrr.

 

[Sailor323]

I absolutely love those labels, but a while back Avery doubled the price. Grrrr.

I've never used stick on labels, I use enamel paint markers. Easy to remove with a stainless scrub pad.

 

[distancerunner]

A bit more elegant that most Avery labels (unless you insert images and blurb, which is a lot of work!) or a piece of masking tape.

Reusable, too.

It's preferred to make a commercial style label for wine that you give away. Back label and capsule, too. You'd be amazed at how much dressing the bottle can improve the taste of the wine.

 

[David Engel]

I've never used stick on labels, I use enamel paint markers. Easy to remove with a stainless scrub pad.View attachment 105466

Doesn't get much simpler than that!