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I just scored 90 longies but they've been sitting outdoors for a few years and are covered in light muck. Was thinking of hosing down (oops, I shouldn't be saying that) and then jamming into the dishwasher in batches. Although to varying degrees the insides will get a clean out, the dishwasher treatment is really aimed at cleaning the outsides; I intend to follow up with bottle brush and my usual Sodium Met treatment etc before bottling.

But my mind has pulled the handbrake. I seem to recall something about recommendations against putting beer glasses in dishwashers on the grounds of getting poor head retention (due to dishwasher detergent). So now I'm having second thoughts about the dishwasher treatment for the longies. Bugger!!! Just when I thought I could use a bit of technology to replace some elbow grease...........

Any thoughts?

Cheeeeers.

If you can fit em in the dishwasher go for it. I wouldn't expect the dishwasher to clean the insides but your on top of that. I always wash my beer mugs in the dishwasher. Head retention is great. I scored these glasses when boags was doing a promotion about a year ago. Best glasses I've had and most importantly they fit a stubby perfectly...

If you use the sodium met. and bottle brush, that should take care of the dishwashing detergent inside the bottles...

Diswashing detergent doesn't normally produce a head-retention problem because most of them are based on alkaline salts rather than fat-based detergents.

What about the missus and/or any children?

It makes a great bargaining tool:

"OK, I'll make that Ginger Beer you want if you help me clean up these bottles for my Ale!"..... that kind of thing.....

And (puts his greenie hat on) try to avoid hosing them down if you can - save water for more important things like making beer!!!

You can always just soak them in a bucket of dilute bleach. Do them in batches reusing the same water. Bleach will get anything off. Dishwashers don't use too much water these days, but they still use a fair bit of energy. A bit of elbow grease never hurt anyone!

Though, having said that, the last lot of bottles I gave this treatment to came from a pub recycling bin, and some of them were smashed... managed to spike my hand with a sliver of glass and carried around a glass splinter in the palm of my hand for a week or so afterwards till it grew out.

Pink Stain Remover is my cleaning agent of choice. Gets glassware and bottles sparkling, and removes all sorts of gunk from fermenters and kegs.

Cheers,
Greg

Thanks for all the info fellas.

There's a few good ideas there, and reminders for that matter.

I must be doing something right. Totally unrelated to the last 90, today I was offered another 200 bottles from an ex-HB'er. Beauuuudy!!!!:D

Maybe a big tub with bleach is the way to go given the number of bottles has just multiplied and I like the idea of re-using the bleach solution.......

Cheeers

Use the Laundry tub, it holds about 25 bottles standing upright and I use 1.5 caps of Napisan with the tub filled to the top. I re-use the water over about 3 days and then re-fill s0 if you stretch it to 4 days the 100 will be done. Of course bottle brush them too.

I also have used an old smaller round Garbage bin which holds about 20. If you leave outside in the sun, it warms the water and assists in 'cleaning' the bottles.

With the bin, you fit more in in the first layer are standing upright and the second layer, fill the bottles with water and turn them upside down and they fit inbetween the bottles on the bottom. Again in Napisan, but be careful, they do get slippery.

Hopefully, your mates bottles will be clean.

Cheers

Boonie

What is the product name of "Pink stain remover?"

It is actually just called Pink Stain Remover. It should be available in most HBS.

I've a bag here that has in small print Chlorinated Trisodium Phosphate.

If you ask your HBS for PSR or Pink Stain remover they should know exactly what you are after.

Cheers,
Greg

um...is it available from Woolies or Coles?

Longrasser wrote: um...is it available from Woolies or Coles?

Big W have Brewiser Neo pink. Same stuff as Greg said

I reckon Neo Pink and a bathtub would be a good idea for a soaking them.

As it turns out I ended up using a bleach solution and soaked the old bottles in a big tub. I used bleach because there happened to be some in the laundry. One thing's for sure, the blighters get quite slippery and nearly had a few escape from my hands during the bottle brush treatment.

Sheeesh, will be glad when they're all done........

Cheers.