Cleaning old bottles?

[Jimbo]

Since I can't seem to find any bottled soda around here except for IBC root beer, I'm gonna bottle my own using the old soda bottles that I have laying around.  Whats the best way to sterilize an old bottle that probably hasn't been used for at least 30 years?

[jasmine64]

You will need a fifth glass bottle brush. I use these on the bottles
when we make snowcones. I got mine from southern snow out of New Orleans.
 
http://snow-ball.com/mixing-supplies.htm

For the sterilizing...

We usually wash the bottles in hot soapy water. Rinse in hot water with 1 Tbsp of bleach per gallon.
Then soak in the hot solution for 10-15 minutes. Rinse very well in hot water until you know no more bleach is present.
Drain and air dry.

Or...

Follow the same rules as home canning food.

Wash in hot soapy water, rinse well in hot water, place in a large
pot of water and boil them to sterilize.

Hope it helps, or at least gets you started.

[jasmine64]

here's a pic of the fifth bottle brush...

[jasmine64]

Btw, if any bottles have white calcium scale on them CLR will remove it.

Someone here (sorry I can't remember who) does a lot of bottling their own sodas from 32 ounce bottles or something. I think they bought stuff at home brew stores. Hopefully they will chime in here.

[Eric]

Will that 5th bottle brush fit down into old 6oz Coke bottles?
Eric

[jasmine64]

I dont see why it wont. I've used it several size bottles. Or you can use a standard size baby bottle brush.

[Jimbo]

Wow, thanks for all the help.  That brush looks like what I need.  The one i use now can barely clean the bottle necks.

[Jimbo]

Also, what's the lesser of the two evils to use for bottling.  Soda from plastic or soda from cans?

[davethebirdman]

Hi

I have just started bottling my own Coca Cola as its impossible to get bottles here in the UK to fit my Vendo 39. Luckily I had a set I managed to acquire from Coca Cola Uk that they only sell to Pubs.

To clean my bottles I use the old brush we had left over from when we used to clean my youngest child's milk bottles. I'm not sure if you use similar items in the US . I'm sure you do. Its long and thin and reaches right inside the bottle. I have an old sterilser too but as my bottles are not that dirty and have only been used by me I haven't ventured to using that yet but I have just checked and they fit.

I cap the bottles using a capping devise I bought from a homebrew store. It works just fine. I have yet to test exactly how long the cola will stay fizzy for as the family tend to empty the machine on a fairly regular basis.

I de-cant the cola from the large 2 litre bottles we buy here in Supermarkets. That is fiddly enough I don't think I'd try cans. Volume wise its got to be cheaper by the bottle than the can. (Here in the UK anyway)

Hope that helps. If you have difficulty getting the capping machine let me know. I bought mine for £10.00 so they aren't expensive.

Dave

[jasmine64]

Any store like Walmart, Kmart, Target, CVS, Walgreen's ect have baby asile that you can easily pic up a bottle brush.

A good funnel will cut down on spills and ease clean up.

When we filled bottles for the snow cones at the school's concession stand we learned that a plastic gallon ice cream bucket would hold several bottles and any spills were caught in the bottom.