I really enjoy making wine – it’s a fun hobby. That being said, I dread that one day when I have to bottle a batch of wine that I spent months or, for reds, several years nurturing. Bottling a carboy of wine, some 27–30 bottles, is a snap; however, planning the logistics and mustering up the energy to bottle 150, 300 or more bottles can be quite daunting. Rinsing, sanitizing and re-rinsing previously washed bottles is time-consuming and a pain in the, er, back.
There is equipment that greatly simplifies washing, rinsing and sanitizing, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. And now the FastWasher kits from FastBrewing and WineMaking.
The FastWasher12 (FW12) kit uses a quiet submersible pump to wash/rinse or sanitize twelve (12) standard 750-mL bottles set on a mountable rack, the FastRack12. A drip tray is used to let bottles drip and dry. The FastWasher24 (FW24) model uses two submersible pumps and a FastRack24 for processing twenty-four (24) 375-mL bottles at a time. Loaded racks (with bottles) are stackable. The racks and drip trays are sold separately.
I tested the FW12 to rinse and sanitize 72 Bordeaux-style bottles as I had a small batch of wine ready to be bottled and enjoyed. Since the FastWasher uses a submersible pump, it needs to be connected to a GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) type breaker for safety reasons. I used an inline GFCI with an extension cord, which allowed easy access for turning the pump on and off.
The first benefit I most appreciated was the ability to load a rack of bottles directly from a carton case. I simply set the FastRack12 over the bottles and inverted the case; the rack of bottles is then ready to be set on the washer. The rack is conveniently compact but a pair of side handles would make moving the rack so much easier. Bordeaux bottles with their shorter necks will be quite wobbly when placed on the rack. Burgundy bottles are much steadier owing to their longer necks.
To wash bottles, I filled a sink (you can use a small portable, plastic tub) to a level to have the pump completely submersed in water. I turned on the pump to start the first rinsing operation. I used a second FastRack12 to load another set of bottles for a quick swap when the first set of bottles was done.
Bottles with deep punts may require to be rotated during rinsing as the punt may impede the jet of water and prevent full coverage of the glass.
As my bottles had been stored squeaky clean, I was able to rinse all 72 bottles with the same water, therefore minimizing water waste. I would recommend changing the water every 60–72 bottles when washing/rinsing larger quantities of bottles. For this test, I sanitized bottles one by one using my Avvinatore (a.k.a water rinser, sanitizer injector) with a sulfur–citric solution, and placed the bottles on a “wine bottle tree.” I then transferred the bottles back onto a rack for one final rinse, and back on the bottle tree to let drip dry. I could have easily sanitized 12 bottles at a time by simply filling the sink with my sanitizing solution; the only issue is that I would have to pump back the solution into my container after use. The workaround is to use a plastic tub fitted with a discharge hose at the bottom. The process and setup can easily be adjusted for greater efficiency and speed.
The manufacturer confirmed that the pump material is compatible for use with a sulfur–citric solution but I have not seen a list of other compatible washing and sanitizing agents. However, I do not recommend using any sanitizer that contains a foaming agent, for example, Star San. With my Bordeaux-style bottles, water jet pressure was not sufficient to drain excessive foam in some bottles, and so the jet of water could not reach to the top of bottles and rinse properly.
All in all I liked the FastWasher12 (with two FastRack12 racks) as it greatly speeds up a task that I do not enjoy.
MSRPs for the FastWasher12 (FW12) kit are US$59.99 and CAD$84.99; MSRPs for the FastWasher24 (FW24) kit are US$94.99 and CAD$129.99.
FastRack12 and FastRack24 racks and trays can be purchased separately. Prices and specifications are listed here.
For more information, check out FastBrewing and WineMaking’s website.
This product review is also available at the Techniques in Home Winemaking Product Review page.