wine bottle sanitizing

[jvbutter]

I recently picked up a new tool for the process... Fast Ferment wine bottle sanitizing machine. Much Much faster than the old way of dunking a bottle at a time into solution. Yesterday I used One Step as directed (1T per Gal H2o). No issues. run it for few minutes in rinse cycle. 2 questions started to come about... 1) OneStep is a product that has a bubbling effect for the cleaning process, how is this effected by constant spraying into bottles, then recirculate back and reuse?
2) with OneStep in the sink for soaking bottles, I typically do it for half hour or so, just because I'm busy doing other things, how long to spray the bottles?

any experience or thoughts,
thx
jim

 

[crushday]

@jvbutter Jim, I've actually never used OneStep before but use KMeta (3TBS/Gallon) as a sanitizer. I give them one or two shots and then hang them on the bottle tree to dry. I do this while I'm filtering a 6 gallon carboy with my Buon Vino filter. I'm able to sanitize 30 bottles in roughly the same amount of time it takes to filter the wine.

 

[CDrew]

I thought One Step was not a sanitizer and just a cleaner like PBW or OxiClean. You might consider sanitizing your bottles with a metabisulfite solution which is easy and 100% satisfactory. And if there a tiny bit of residual SO2 it will if anything, be beneficial. I think One Step used to claim it was a sanitizer, but they dropped that and now calls it a "no rinse cleanser". The ingredient list matches OxiClean, so I think that's all it is.

Disclaimer-I use StarSan for sanitizing virtually every item I use when making wine, but for the last bottle sterilizing step, Potassium Meta-bisulfite has clear advantages.

And, the metabisulfite solutions work better at a lower pH. So for bottle sterilizing, 2-3TBS of KMeta, and 1 TBS of Tartaric Acid per gallon works well, and contains only chemicals that are already present in the wine.

 

[crushday]

So for bottle sterilizing, 2-3TBS of KMeta, and 1 TBS of Tartaric Acid per gallon

@CDrew Hadn’t heard to put TA in the sterilizing solution. Is this standard?

 

[cmason1957]

@CDrew Hadn’t heard to put TA in the sterilizing solution. Is this standard?

Many of us do it, I think it is fairly standard. Lowers the pH so the kmeta works better.

 

[CDrew]

@CDrew Hadn’t heard to put TA in the sterilizing solution. Is this standard?

You can use Citric or Tartaric. Citric lowers the pH even more, but to me the tartaric is more compatible with wine and so I use that. I know there is some citric in the wine too, but it isn't necessarily a desirable added flavor except in some white wines.

 

[bstnh1]

I use One Step or Easy Clean for cleaning, but K-Meta for sanitizing. I know a lot of people use One Step as a sanitizer, but since it's not approved for that use, I stick with K-Meta. I add Tartaric Acid or Citric Acid to the K-Meta depending upon which one I see first. I find the acids make the K-Meta develop its obnoxious aroma a lot faster and it seems a lot stronger.

 

[mainshipfred]

I've always heard a pH of 2 was preferable.

 

[jvbutter]

Yes for standard cleaning solution, I use the 3T meta & 3T citric acid as my generic cleaner. I haven't used this solution for cleaning bottles prior to filling. I worry about the heavy levels getting into the finished wine.

 

[vineyarddog]

I’m sure I over do it but when making the wine I clean everything with One Step, spray with Star San and then rinse off with KMeta spray. For bottling I just use KMeta

 

[bstnh1]

Yes for standard cleaning solution, I use the 3T meta & 3T citric acid as my generic cleaner. I haven't used this solution for cleaning bottles prior to filling. I worry about the heavy levels getting into the finished wine.

You mean sanitizing, not cleaning, right? K-Meta is a sanitizer.

 

[jvbutter]

You mean sanitizing, not cleaning, right? K-Meta is a sanitizer.

yes- Sanitizing.

 

[winemaker81]

I don't sanitize bottles at bottling time. My method is to clean the bottles and rinse with K-meta. I hang 'em on the bottle tree overnight, and if dry, put them in the case upside down. As long as the case is clean, and the bottle is clean going into the case, it's fine.

Commercial wineries use the bottles straight from the factory

 

[jvbutter]

I don't sanitize bottles at bottling time. My method is to clean the bottles and rinse with K-meta. I hang 'em on the bottle tree overnight, and if dry, put them in the case upside down. As long as the case is clean, and the bottle is clean going into the case, it's fine.

Commercial wineries use the bottles straight from the factory

Yes, I asked around and that's exactly what they do... I tend to go through so many 4-8 cases at a bottling event. I don't know how clean my boxes are. We have 2 dogs and 2 cats. so there is lots of hair all around. I don't think I would be so comfortable. I feel the need to rinse / sanitize just before bottling. If I bought new cases sure...

 

[winemaker81]

@jvbutter, if you are not positive about how sanitary the bottles/cases are, then sanitizing at bottling time is the right thing to do (IMO).

You used the word "comfortable". That's exactly the right word -- we should all do what we are comfortable with.

 

[hounddawg]

i've never had any problem using K-Meta,
i even fill my lines and reservoirs on my AIO vacuum system between uses with no problems at all.
Dawg