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jpass00 · 01-30-2009, 05:40 PM

What is the best way to remove labels from old beer bottles?

HairyDogBrewing · 01-30-2009, 05:42 PM

Oxyclean Free in hot water.

flyangler18 · 01-30-2009, 05:51 PM

Epic thread on the subject: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f46/label-removal-thread-91726/

Shawn Hargreaves · 01-30-2009, 05:54 PM

I just stick my own labels over the top of whatever is already there :-)

Rad-Rabbit · 01-30-2009, 07:21 PM

I boil a 6 pack at a time for about 10 mintues. If the label doesn't fall off in the water I use a semi rigid piece of plastic like a gift card and scrape off the rest. But then you still need to remove the glue from the bottle. For that use a copper pan scrubbie. After a few good shakes with the scrubbie wipe it clean with a towel and it is ready.

BTW- The bottles will be hot-hot-hot when you take them from the water so use tongs to remove them and a thick towel to hold them. Try not to get the towel to wet or the heat will transfer quickly to your hands.

0202 · 01-30-2009, 07:23 PM

I soaked 60 bottles in HOT water + Oxyclean for ~2 hours and
all but a couple only needed a rinse. No glue, no labels, nothing
stuck to them.

Joos · 01-30-2009, 07:31 PM

It also depends what brand it is.Hoegaarden bottles get naked like a 5 dollar whore.5 mins in hotwater.

AirRageous · 01-30-2009, 10:40 PM

I just de-labeled a bunch of Mexican beer bottles I got from my favorite Mexican restaurant/cantina. They were a bitch. Tecate, Carte Blanca, DosXX and Negra Modelo were the worst. They use a foil label and superglue. The Modelo also has gold foil up around the neck that is glued on.

I soaked them for about 2 hours in hot water and oxyclean. Then all I could peal off was the outer foil layer which left a paper layer still glued on hard. Another hour soak and vigorous scrubbing with a scouring pad finally got them clean. Then I had to get the old lime wedges out of some of them. Not sure it was worth the effort. But I am a cheap bastard.

Anyone have a better technique for these bottles?

I did a bunch of Sam Adams bottles a while back and the labels just floated off after an hour or so soaking. But in my area, the Mexican cervesas rule.

BingBrew · 01-30-2009, 11:12 PM

I'll tell you, the variation in ease of label removal is remarkable. Around here, I've found the easiest labels are Amber Bock (though the bottles have a raised 'Michelob' on the glass, which isn't removable and makes them ineligible for competition), and the gosh-darndest are Saranac, with not a single clean removal out of a sampler pack.

When we were getting ready to bottle our first batch, I invited a bunch of folks over who had expressed interest in consuming the final product, telling them the ticket price for homebrew was a six-pack of pop-top bottles. No one understood my surprise at their Coronas.

That'll teach me, have to be more specific next time.

jpass00 · 01-30-2009, 11:30 PM

Well I just did 24 Sam Adams bottles and soaked them in very hot water and most just pulled off. Some I had to scrap with little plastic scraper and washed them with a rag under water. Clean as could be.