misc HELP!

klassena1985 said:

Hello
 
Loved the forum forever and finally joined!
 
Anywho, I have a question that I believe has not been answered after reading a million posts on here.
 
I am using Woozy 5 oz bottles, with the shrink wrap, plastic caps with the liners.  Now, I have been licensed and fully approved to sell my sauces so I am not cowboying this, just in case. 
 
My question is with pasteurizing the glass bottles with the sauce inside (obviously): since the caps are plastic, pasteurizing the bottles at 180F for the required time is pretty much impossible.  So what do you guys do?  Do you suggest hot bottling, then tipping the sauce for 5 minutes, then shrink wrapping THEN pasteurizing?  In order to sell in the stores in this country the sauce must be shelf-stable.  My sauce is a PH of 3.7 so that is good, all the right steps have been done.  I sanitize using STARSAN, all that kind of stuff.
 
But this problem is really perplexing and my local Health Code officer is not helpful at all.
 
HELLLPPPP

Click to expand...

 
Hot fill. 
 
So long as you are filling the bottles with the sauce at 180 degrees, you can have room temperature bottles and you're fine. Fill, cap, voila. Leave it be for a day. When you open the bottles, you'll get a little vaccum effect "whoosh".  
 
If you're using new bottles that is, which is highly recommended. 
 
Not positive, but you may also need to use compressed air to blow any particulates/dust out of each bottle as you stage them. 
 
At my mfgr's kitchen they have a machine that inverts the bottles and blows air into them - they're not sterilized or cooked or anything. That's it - hot temperature sauce goes in, bottles are capped, wrapped and stacked and off to the case they go! (OK, they're not stacked, but it rhymed)
 
Don't take my word for it though - call your county health inspector or whomever is responsible in your state/county and confirm with them. They're public servants, and more often than not they're very helpful.  Tell them you've read the online info and that you're seeking clarity on this one point. 
 
They'll have the final answer for you lickety split! 
 
Good luck with your endeavor & to THP!
 
 
Scott

to T.H.P.!      

to THP.
 
What Lucky Dog said pretty much covers it.  Just a bit further clarification-
Based on what you said, the bottles are sanitized, the sauce is cooked (which is pasteurizing of sorts), that's all you need beyond making sure the sauce is above 180F when it goes into the bottles.  Immediately cap and invert.  Leave inverted for 5 minutes and from there, you are good to go with labeling or whatever.
 
 
When I process, I fill the bottle, cap and drop the bottles back into their original boxes upside down.  Makes it very easy to move boxes during processing, and if I dont' want to label right away, they can stay in the boxes upside down until I'm ready.
 
Good Luck, and Have Fun!  Post pics of your sauces and bottles if you can~
SL

Wow guys thank you so much!!
 
This is seriously the best forum and love reading everything you guys have to say!
 
I have been thinking of getting my Ph to about 3.3 or 3.5 to help eliminate the worry I have for germs!  I am seriously a germaphobe (especially when making any food for any one else) so this was really perplexing.
 
And actually i got an email back from my manufacturer of the bottles and thought you guys would want to read it:
 
[SIZE=11pt]Good Morning,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]   I would not recommend water bathing the plastic lids at all.  Are you able to pasteurize your product before bottling it, or without the caps?  (I do not know anything about the pasteurization process.  The plastic lids do not seal to the jar nor do they create a vacuum seal at all, they are only made for cold fill product.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]  With processing questions, you do need to speak to the local process authority, and also with them to get the packaging that you are using approved for your process.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=11pt]Let me know if you have any additional questions,[/SIZE]
 
Kimberly Sensenig
[SIZE=10pt]CUSTOMER SERVICE[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Fillmore Containe[/SIZE]
 
SO my take away from that is exactly what you said Lucky Dog said should do it.  I also am using STAR SAN (my fave product ever) on brand new bottles and will throw the lids in there too.  Its not the initial bit of germs i have an issue with its always the shelf life.
 
So sanitize, cook the sauce to 180F, bottle, invert for 5 minutes and leave to cool
 
Not only will I post pics of the bottles and labels and stuff but I will send you guys free samples if you want!

I never turn down a sample. 

 
Maybe when you're all up & running we can trade sauces. Shoot me a private message for address exchange when the time comes, and again, welcome to the forums. 

Absolutely I will!
 
Hey I have another question that I KNOW you guys will have an answer to:
 
How do you deal with the condensation that accumulates in the bottles after you fill them with the hot liquid and cap them
 
Does this just go away on its own.  I am not worried about microbes due to my sanitization, pasteurization of the product but more from a customer trust standpoint and overall asthetic look of the product

Won't be an issue - with hot pack/inversion there will be very little if any condensation. Provided your pH, time & temps are to spec, all water in the sauce should be completely emulsified.
Just make sure your fill levels are as high as you can get them - remember, liquid expands when it's hot, so as the sauce cools it will condense in the bottle. There's always gonna be a little room between the sauce & the bottle top but empty neck is a bad look.