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food-safety Sanitizing plastic caps

Husker21

Husker21

I was just about to do a cook for my lab samples.  It got me wondering what is the best way to sanitize the caps.  I think I know the answer but hear me out.  
 
I have a no rinse sanitizer that I am trying to avoid like the plague.  I hear they are good but I also heard if you don't use them correctly they is a slight chance it could impart an off flavor.  Just a rumor I heard... lol
 
I could also mix up a bleach solution and give them a soak and let them air dry before capping.
 
Or I can give the caps a rinse in plain old distilled water, fill the bottles hot, cap and then invert them for 5 minutes.
 
I think the hot fill/hold method achieves the sanitation during the inversion.  But I was wondering if anyone else took an extra step with their plastic caps.
 
 
 
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I just run mine through the dishwasher with the Sanitize selection turned on which steams them really good. Your right that the inversion will take care of anything nasty but you have to make sure your holding your sauce at around 195 dF. I do use the no rinse sanitizer when I'm starting a new ferment on the jar and lid and haven't had any problems, I use Idophor. I haven't heard that rumor though.
 
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I just use the hot fill method. With a ridiculously low pH and a temp at 185 and above, I have had no problems. With the inversion, I was told by my process authority that just a few seconds is enough to kill nasties. Five minutes might have a tendency to cake up the opening. For lab samples, I think you want to use the same process you'll be using when you fill 300 bottles as this is what you'll be putting out into the world.
 
Just my opinion. I'll be curious to see if other commercial folks sanitize caps. 
 
Good luck!
 
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Do not sanitize the caps.  Sanitize the bottles, yes, but not the caps.
 
Most caps have a plastic liner and any type of sanitizing solution will get under the edge and possibly contaminate your sauce.  The Hot Fill-Invert-Hold method of processing will kill the nasties if properly done.
 
Proper pH of sauce
Sauce is +190F when put into the bottle (the hotter the better)
Bottle is immediately capped and inverted (don't fill a bunch of bottles then go back and cap.  Cap each one immediately after filling)
Keep bottle inverted for 3 minutes. (that's what my PA says, other PA's may have different times/temps)
 
 
 
 
 
Once the bottle is inverted and the 3 minute time has passed, there is no time limit for cooling the sauce down.  I invert the bottle and drop them back into their original cardboard case, then just leave them.  On the larger thicker sauces, I can come back hours later. pull the bottles out and they will still be warm.  That's OK though, because the caps have all been sanitized by the heated sauce and the vacuum has been created as soon as it starts to cool.
 
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