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nonameisgood · 12-16-2012, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warthaug

Has anyone done this on plastic bottles? Does it work as well on them as on glass? Plastic is my standard for cottage/camping, but I use glass for gifts & have only tried on glass so far (XMas 6-packs).

Bryan

I put labels on 20 PET bottles last night. I used a foam paint brush to wet the bottle and then applied the dry labels to that coating. They stuck well. But, today, I grabbed one from the fridge to check the label and it immediately fell off. I put another labeled bottle that was on the counter under cold water and it, too, fell right off.

I will try again today with a label that is damp with the gelatin solution and see if maybe that will work, but I doubt it, since the labels did soak thru last night after being applied to the bottle. I think the PET is just too dense on the surface, which is why the bottlers use a hot glue of sorts.

I will try mucilage and rubber cement today also.

**sidepart** · 12-17-2012, 02:36 AM

Maybe try making your mixture a little thicker to see if it works better on plastic. I haven't tried it on plastic but I feel like there could be some differences. Mainly, glass doesn't bend at all. I wonder if a simple squeeze of the plastic just dislodges all of the hardened gelatin.

Otherwise this has happened with glass bottles when the gelatin mixture is too thin, or the water used to make the gelatin mixture wasn't near boiling.

Warthaug · 12-17-2012, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nonameisgood

I put labels on 20 PET bottles last night. I used a foam paint brush to wet the bottle and then applied the dry labels to that coating. They stuck well. But, today, I grabbed one from the fridge to check the label and it immediately fell off. I put another labeled bottle that was on the counter under cold water and it, too, fell right off.

I will try again today with a label that is damp with the gelatin solution and see if maybe that will work, but I doubt it, since the labels did soak thru last night after being applied to the bottle. I think the PET is just too dense on the surface, which is why the bottlers use a hot glue of sorts.

I will try mucilage and rubber cement today also.

Dammit! I had the same issue with milk. I think the issue is milk/gelatin are rigid once dried, so they don't handle flexible bottles well.

Bryan

nonameisgood · 12-21-2012, 04:53 PM

Last night, I mixed a batch using just enough boiling water. This morning the labels slide off easily. The remainder of the gelation was allowed to set up in the container and was its normal gelatinous self. I'm pretty sure the gelatin us a no go for PET bottles.

Brewcrew02 · 12-29-2012, 04:44 AM

I'm pretty sure this is THE BEST way to label glass bottles. Coolest Shizzy EVAR! THANKS BE TO THE OP!!!!!!

EDIT: Here ya go...

Beer label using gelatin

**sidepart** · 01-03-2013, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brewcrew02

I'm pretty sure this is THE BEST way to label glass bottles. Coolest Shizzy EVAR! THANKS BE TO THE OP!!!!!!

EDIT: Here ya go...

Beer label using gelatin

Nice! And here I am still placing the bottles into boiling water! I added your video to the OP.

I have to be honest, I probably wouldn't label beers if this process didn't exist.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nonameisgood

Last night, I mixed a batch using just enough boiling water. This morning the labels slide off easily. The remainder of the gelation was allowed to set up in the container and was its normal gelatinous self. I'm pretty sure the gelatin us a no go for PET bottles.

That's really disappointing to hear, thanks for your efforts on testing this out. I'm sorry that it wasn't successful for PET. I updated the OP to reflect this.

**BadgerBrigade** · 01-03-2013, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nonameisgood

Last night, I mixed a batch using just enough boiling water. This morning the labels slide off easily. The remainder of the gelation was allowed to set up in the container and was its normal gelatinous self. I'm pretty sure the gelatin us a no go for PET bottles.

What about lightly hair drying the tacky label after it set up overnight on the PET

Pastorken · 03-19-2013, 01:27 AM

Excellent thread! I've been using this method for the last few batches and have had great results. The ink from my ink jet printer still runs a little when they get wet, but they stay on in the cold and come right off when I soak them in a sink of hot water.
I got a little backed up in my labeling and just got done labeling 6 cases (I know, stupid!) and with just ONE packet of Knox. Every time it started to get thick I'd pop it in the microwave for about 20 seconds and it went back to liquid. Took about 90 minutes to do all of it including about 5 minutes drying time in between cases.
Thanks again for the tip!

**sidepart** · 04-29-2013, 03:29 AM

Just a note, if people do want this thread stickied, just shoot a message to the mod. I feel like it's bad form to do it myself.

**passedpawn** · 04-29-2013, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sidepart

Just a note, if people do want this thread stickied, just shoot a message to the mod. I feel like it's bad form to do it myself.

No need. I've been watching. Added to the project locator in DIY. http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/project-locator-69953/

I haven't tried it myself (quit bottling a while ago), but I'll give it a go in place of my old milk trick.