How to Sterilise Glass Bottles for Safe Filling
- Sen5es
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Whether you're bottling homemade elderflower cordial, hot sauce, craft beer, or infused oils, sterilising your glass bottles is an essential step to ensure the freshness, safety, and shelf life of your product.
Unsterilised bottles can harbour bacteria, yeast, or mould that may spoil your batch or make it unsafe to consume. But the good news is, with the right tools and a few simple steps, sterilising glass bottles is quick and easy.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to sterilise different types of bottles. From soft drinks and beer to wine and oils. So your creations stay delicious and safe.
General Bottle Sterilisation Guidelines
Before diving into specific bottle types, here are the basics:
What You’ll Need:
Clean glass bottles
Oven or large pan
Tongs or gloves
Optional: sterilising solution (e.g. Milton or Star San)
Step-by-Step Method (Oven Method):
Wash thoroughly with hot, soapy water. Remove any labels and rinse well.
Preheat your oven to 140°C (284°F).
Place bottles upright on a baking tray (remove caps/lids first).
Heat in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove using oven gloves or tongs and let cool slightly before filling.
Alternatively, you can boil bottles in a large pot of water for 10–15 minutes or use a no-rinse sterilising solution.
Great for: Juices, cordials, iced teas, lemonades
Tip: Soft drink bottles, like our 250ml glass juice bottles, often come with twist-off caps, which can be sterilised by boiling for 10 minutes.
Recommended Method:
Use the oven method for the bottles.
Boil the caps separately.
Fill while both are still warm to avoid thermal shock.
Great for: Homebrew ales, lagers, stouts
Tip: Our 330ml amber beer bottles are ideal for protecting beer from UV light.
Recommended Method:
Use the boiling method or no-rinse brewing sanitiser like Star San.
Pay special attention to bottle necks and closures.
Use a sanitised capper to seal immediately after filling.
Great for: Hot sauce, ketchup, chilli oil, BBQ sauce
Tip: Sauce bottles often require hot filling, so sterilising is crucial.
Recommended Method:
Oven sterilise bottles such as our 150ml Worcester Sauce Bottle.
Use new, sterilised twist caps or tamper-evident caps.
Fill while bottles are still warm and flip them upside down for a few seconds after sealing (see our Hot Fill, Flip and Hold method).
Great for: Infused vodkas, limoncello, flavoured gins
Tip: Spirits are high in alcohol, which helps preserve, but clean bottling is still important.
Recommended Method:
Oven sterilisation is ideal.
Make sure corks or caps are new or thoroughly boiled.
Cool bottles fully before adding alcohol to preserve flavour and avoid evaporation.
Great for: Homemade fruit wines, elderflower wine, mead
Tip: Fermentation introduces natural yeasts—clean bottles reduce the chance of off flavours or contamination.
Recommended Method:
Boiling or oven sterilisation.
Sterilise corks in a sulphite solution or boiling water.
Use a clean siphon or funnel for bottling.
Great for: Olive oil, chilli oil, infused oils (garlic, herbs)
Tip: Oils can go rancid quickly if bacteria are introduced—sterilisation is key.
Recommended Method:
Oven sterilise bottles such as our 250ml Dorica oil bottles.
Boil pourers or caps.
Ensure herbs or infusions are also sterilised or dried to reduce risk of botulism.
Final Tips for Successful Bottle Sterilisation
Always inspect bottles before use—cracks or chips can be dangerous
Never pour boiling liquids into cold bottles—this may cause breakage
Sterilise just before use to reduce contamination
Store filled bottles in a cool, dark place or refrigerate if required
Ready to Get Started?
At Sen5es, we supply high-quality glass bottles for syrup, spirits, sauces, beer, soft drinks, wine, and more. All packed with care and delivered ready for filling. Shop the full range in our online store.
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All the best
The team at Sen5es
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