Sterilising jars

[thorn]

Last year I sterilised my jars and lids on the day I did the extraction, and jarred up the following day. It made for a long weekend.
How long before extraction do you do your sterilisation? Presumably, if you put the lid straight on it will keep the jar clean, but While it keep it sterile?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I do mine in batches, wash and dry in oven then lids on while still hot.
(dishwasher would be easier but don't have one anymore.....sob! )
I don't consider jars have to be sterile; just clean.

 

[Eyeman]

Into dish washer 2 days before bottling. Jars and lids are placed upside down on clean tea towels which are on cooling racks so air can circulate into the jars.
Mine take 2 days to be completely dry. Any jars not used can simply have a clean lid screwed on and kept for the next bottling session.

 

[Thymallus]

Oven at 180 for 20minutes. Remove,cool and fill. Lids are considered sterile as packaged by machine (smaller quantities excepted). Handle by rims only. Most dishwashers don't get to required temps for efficient sterilization. Despite manufacturers claims.

 

[dpearce4]

I hope people that use their dishwashers clean them first. Im sure you have seen the crud that collects in the filters (fat etc) that is all getting washed round your nice clean jars and lids.

Also the salt in the dishwasher will be damaging the sealing agent inside the lids so they may not get a total seal.

best dry sterilized in the oven, steam sterilized or the old fashioned way in a large pan of simmering water (not the lids though).

 

[k9rml]

Do you rince the jars first and put them in wet or put them in dry ?.

 

[jonnybeegood]

You could put jars in the oven, lids off, put 1/2" of water in the bottom of each & let it boil untill jars empty/dry. Then remove & cool.

 

[Swarm]

Do you rince the jars first and put them in wet or put them in dry ?.

Put them in wet.

 

[Eyeman]

Thymallus Oven at 180 for 20minutes. Remove,cool and fill. Lids are considered sterile as packaged by machine (smaller quantities excepted). Handle by rims only. Most dishwashers don't get to required temps for efficient sterilization. Despite manufacturers claims.

Debris, dust and the odd spider may enter stored jars. We process 72 jars every 2-3 weeks in the dishwasher and they can be done in one cycle. Yes I agree, check and clean all filters and the seals. We use 1/4 standard dishwasher tablet on standard cycle with extra drying. Come out squeaky clean
Lids are cleaned under water from a recently boiled kettle to remove any debris and dust then dried upside down.
If we used the oven our stored jars would need cleaning first.

 

[Thymallus]

If they are clean and boxed, dry. If dirty washed and dried before putting in the oven. Adding water and letting it evaporate will leave a stain from the salts in it

 

[nantmoel]

I work in a mates brewery a day a week, mainly in charge of the bottling, our bottles come from 'Rawlings' in Bristol, they come clean but not sterile. All we do is to wash them inside with 'Peracetic' acid, this sterilises the before we use them. I'm sure that this would be enough.

 

[jonnybeegood]

If they are clean and boxed, dry. If dirty washed and dried before putting in the oven. Adding water and letting it evaporate will leave a stain from the salts in it

Salts in what? Not in our northern water Lol

 

[Thymallus]

Salts in what? Not in our northern water Lol

Aye, that magic stuff that collects in our kettles.

 

[jonnybeegood]

Aye, that magic stuff that collects in our kettles.

Limescale? Not salt then?

 

[Thymallus]

Chemically they are all salts of some sort. Salt doesn't only apply as a description for NaCl2.

 

[bontbee]

What's NaCl2?

 

[jonnybeegood]

What's NaCl2?

2 salt cellars

 

[pargyle]

What's NaCl2?

Sodium chloride more often called salt !

The 'salts' we get in hard water areas is calcium carbonate - dissolved limestone or chalk usually which, when the water is boiled/heated, is precipitated and scales up anything that is used to contain it. I live in a very hard water area and it drives me mad. It leaves a deposit if you just leave water in a glass overnight !

Coming from South Yorkshire where the water comes straight off the millstone grit of the Pennines there is virtually nothing dissolved in it and it is beautifully soft water ... that's why the best bitter beers in the country used to come form Yorkshire ...

 

[Marton]

... that's why the best bitter beers in the country used to come form Yorkshire ...

What's that about used to? I know some have gone (Wards was wonderful when I lived in Sheffield as a Student).

But Keighley still produces arguably the best bitter in the world; Landlord

 

[jonnybeegood]

Sodium chloride more often called salt !

The 'salts' we get in hard water areas is calcium carbonate - dissolved limestone or chalk usually which, when the water is boiled/heated, is precipitated and scales up anything that is used to contain it. I live in a very hard water area and it drives me mad. It leaves a deposit if you just leave water in a glass overnight !

Coming from South Yorkshire where the water comes straight off the millstone grit of the Pennines there is virtually nothing dissolved in it and it is beautifully soft water ... that's why the best bitter beers in the country used to come form Yorkshire ...

I think youll find cumbria has the best water of all, no scale here, & we get a lather with soap & shampoo!