Removing Paint from Bottles

I have some Red Stripe bottles that I would like to reuse. They come in a nice short stubby brown tinted bottle. Unfortunately these are painted instead of labeled. Do you guys know of a good way to remove the paint?

I have no suggestions for removing paint, but if it's short stubby bottles that you want, go get some Negra Modelo. It's pretty tasty so you can have some friends come over and help you empty them.

Umm.... just my 2 cents ok... I wouldn't use them. Paint?.... Umm... nah... I would not use them. I mean anything you do to them like soaking for instance... whatever solution you are using this solution will get inside the bottles as well right? Then you'll have to be concerned about if anything got inside... nah....

I bought some Red Stripe for a Buffett concert ( I wanted something Carribean). I don't know what the label is made of, but I don't think it's paint. I don't think there would be a problem using them for your homebrew.

BTW, I was not at all impressed with the Red Stripe.

I'll tell ya right now, you can't get the paint off. I have two cases of Red Stripe bottles because I love the old-style stubby shape. I also like the idea of having different shape bottles for my different batches. After much teeth-gnashing, using many solvents, razoring them, and researching on the internet I found out why the labels won't come off. The way they make the labels is they form the bottle, powder some glass into pigment, put the pigmented glass onto the bottle and heat it again. The labels are actually a part of the bottle and can't be removed. It's the same process they use on Corona bottles too.

One of these days I'm going to sand and buff the bottles to make them 'neutral' but for now I pointedly ignore the labels.

BTW, if anyone has a differing opinion on how to remove the labels I would LOVE to hear it!

Gruntingfrog, I think I'll have to force myself to empty those Negro Modelo bottles.

In both Jamaica and Mexico they reuse their bottles. I don't mean recycle, I mean reuse! When you buy beer there they come in plastic "old fashioned looking milk crates?" and as you drink them, you put them back in the crate and return them like in the old days in America. No Deposit-No Return? It's not surprising they have "baked in" lables to facilitate this process, so it's not like you're drinking an "old" beer.




***Over Quote Alert!!@!@!***

Are the ""'s bothering anyone? I sometimes get called on that one...ho hum...

Spyk'd said:

In both Jamaica and Mexico they reuse their bottles. I don't mean recycle, I mean reuse! When you buy beer there they come in plastic "old fashioned looking milk crates?" and as you drink them, you put them back in the crate and return them like in the old days in America. No Deposit-No Return? It's not surprising they have "baked in" lables to facilitate this process, so it's not like you're drinking an "old" beer.

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I don't know about MS but here in WI you can still get returnable bottles, too. I have about three cases of returnables that I never use anymore because I switched to kegging. The deposit is still a dime a bottle.

ablrbrau said:

I don't know about MS but here in WI you can still get returnable bottles, too. I have about three cases of returnables that I never use anymore because I switched to kegging. The deposit is still a dime a bottle.

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While it is truly like going back in time living in Mississippi, it is not, however, in this regard. We throw EVERYTHING away. What? Recycle? HUH? 2006?


It's still fun living here, provided my house doesn't get flooded again this year!



(Waveland, MS: Yes that IS on the Gulf coast and it IS where the eye of Katrina passed over.)

Use a paint and gunk remover called "Goof off" It will remove anything. You may have to soak a small rag in the stuff and place it on the painted label and allow for some contact time. I believe "Goof Off" is a solevent called Xylol. BTW it smells like crap and is "extremly" flamable!!

Might try filling to the top with water and capping them, then dropping into some type of stripper.

I had some painted bottles I wanted to use, but didn't want to scrape and sand. Might try aircraft stripper. If that doesn't work, might break out the air tools.

Anyone have an idea for powder coating glass? The whole insulating properties of glass wouldn't allow for the electrostatic charge required for powdercoating.

North Peak Brewing Company Traverse City Michigan uses this kind of bottle with a paper label

A long starsan soak will clean the paint of the bottles.

I use lime-a-way it works a bunch quicker. basically any acid based cleaner will work and won't hurt the bottles.