Pete's Wicked Ale Bottles - be aware!

I am kind of a pack rat for nice bottles. As a result, I have a nice cache of them and never have to time my brewing based on when I have enough bottles. Whee!

So when my brother showed up for my Super Bowl party with a twelver of Pete's Wicked Ale, I was tickled, because it is a damn fine brew, but also because I would have those cool bottles, with "Wicked" molded into the necks, to add to my collection.

The space programs hould use the glue that they have on those labels! This is the most tenacious label I have ever run into - my compliments to them, they would certainly hold up to being chilled for hours in ice water, but my gosh, they are tough to strip off. Soaking, scrubbing with Scotch Brite, more soaking, more scrubbing - I have the first four I tried done but the rest are going into recycle!

Don't say you weren't warned!

What did you soak them with? I've found that a pretty aggressive bleach mix gets even the worst ones off fairly well.

Oxyclean works wonders. Sam Adams labels are a pain too, but Oxyclean makes them just fall off.

I have had good results from ammonia. Most labels fall off. The tough ones require a little scraping and a bit of scrubbing to get all of the adhesive off.
(If you use ammonia, don't mix it with bleach!!!!!)

I've soaked and scraped dozens of labels from many many beer brands.

Sam Adams labels (cited as tough ones above) come off easily with an overnight soak in warm water. You can add other stuff if you wish but it isn't necessary. If a Sam bottle is a five on a one to ten scale of tough label removing, then Pete's are about 40. Not even in the same league.

My normal technique is to use only warm water overnight. If I run into serious resistance I use ammonia - very weak.

I suppose I should have pointed out that these bottles were soaking since the Super Bowl until Saturday, being removed from water only for the above-mentioned scrubbing and scraping.

As I said above, don't say you weren't warned.

I don't bother. Pre-labeled bottles reduce my labor.

just a newbe but you might want to try fine steel wool (400)! soak and wool! Then Rinse well! This last week I did 4 cases of 16 oz beer bottles and 17 wine bottles....... I used oxclean and that worked great for all bottles except for the yellow tail wine bottles.......then the steel wool worked wonders! Still scrubed but not for very long!

Fire_travels said:

just a newbe but you might want to try fine steel wool (400)! soak and wool! Then Rinse well! This last week I did 4 cases of 16 oz beer bottles and 17 wine bottles....... I used oxclean and that worked great for all bottles except for the yellow tail wine bottles.......then the steel wool worked wonders! Still scrubed but not for very long!

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I do that also, it really helps get those little bits or the residual glue off with just a bit of scrubbing.

I do a soak in oxy clean and if they are stubborn I use a plastic pan scraper.

Yeah, I used to hate those pete's bottles. along with brooklyn. and bells. Grrr! I can't tell you how many long hours I spent soaking bottles in bleachwater, then scraping them with a razor (and subsequently cutting my hands up), then scrubbing like MAD to get the adhesive gunk off. I had just about had enough of it.

Then...someone on these forums told me about oxyclean's effects on labels.

HO-LEE-CRAP! I don't care how stubborn that glue is---an overnight soak in oxyclean solution will make them fall right off. No scraping required, just a quick scrub with a sponge to wipe off the desintegrating adhesive. It truly is a miracle.

I have found if you soak bottles in hot water it usually gets the ball rolling. Then I found a wire brush from the bbq grill is unstoppable. If you cant get it off with hot water and one of these brushes give up!

I have been stocking on pull top bottles (non twisty fellows) and cleaned 3.5 doz of them last night! Soaked them in just hot water and the labels just peeled off. Quick rub with a sponge pad and all gleaming clean! Just thought I would brag!!!

Yeah I've got a small list of microbeers whose bottles I will avoid for the same reasons - too hard to get the darn labels off!! So when I'm at the recycling center, i just abandon those bottles for the ones i know are sure-fire winners

I used to scrape off the labels with hot water and a single edge razor blade but anymore i don't even worry about them, just leave them on.