Condensation inside the 700 ml bottles

[RAY]

Has anyone worked out yet why we are getting condensation in the neck of our bottles. Quite a few theories put out there but no definite cause that I can make out.

Would really appreciate any help with this problem. 

[iChris]

I am also curious about this issue if anyone has any insight. 

[Foreshot]

To bring this up again:

• For people that are getting condensation:
  • What's the ABV you've bottled at that experienced it? We bottle between 20% and 45% and get it.
  • What bottles are you using?

• For people that do purge with nitrogen/argon/CO2 or something else? Are you experiencing it?

• Is there anyone out there that ISN'T experiencing it?
  • If so what are you doing to prevent it if anything?
  • What spirits are you bottling?
  • What bottles are you using?
  • What ABV are you bottling?
  • Where are you? Could it be climate/humidity related?
  • Are you purging the bottle?

[RAY]

We Bottle at 40% ABV 

When you say purging the bottle do you mean sanitising or something else?

 

[Foreshot]

I mean purging the headspace in the neck. Instead of just having atmospheric air you purging it with some other gas.

[RAY]

No we are not doing this - Perhaps this is whats needed

[PeteB]

I have seen this topic discussed quite a few times on this forum over the years (I have been on this forum for a long time, I think this is my post 1,000

I am reasonably sure it is caused tiny amounts of oils in the spirit that float to the top and forms a thin film on the glass. The oil doesn't allow the spirit to spread out as it evaporates and condenses on the glass, so droplets form.

I recently experimented with a wide neck bottle of Ailsa Bay Scotch that had condensation inside the neck. I wiped half the inside of the neck with a paper towel where the droplets were, upended the bottle for a moment and all the condensation vanished as expected. Some time later the condensation re-appeared but not on the area I wiped. I assume it was a thin film of oil I removed with the paper towel.

Oils contain a lot of flavour, lots of spirits from all around the world have condensation in the neck, don't worry about it

[Foreshot]

So after cleaning some labels off bottles I think it might be the mold release agent. PBW and scrubbing seemed to clean the bottles well enough that the water sheets versus forms droplets. Big guys probably have a heavy duty cleaning system before the bottles are filled or it's done at the factory for them. Most of us probably use water or compressed air (if at all).

 

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Die-mold-release-agent-for-glass_1889180100.html

 

Quote

Solubility: Oil solubility

This could explain the droplets. The oil is most likely hydrophobic. Normal cleaning with water won't do anything. You would need something that can dissolve the release agent.  Physical scrubbing won't dissolve it but it can still remove it. PBW doesn't seem to do much except where I scrubbed in on the outside. I don't have time now but I am going to try Goo Be Gone in a test bottle(not for drinking). I'll fill it with water afterwards and see if it happens. Or if someone has time and wants to try it and let us know that would be great.

[captnKB]

shape of the bottle has a ton to do with. Ive found some bottle shapes hold little to no condensation while other shapes hold a ton of condensation