Sierra Nevada has the best bottles...

And the beer's pretty damned good too.

I have yet to switch to a kegging system (one of my goals in 2010), so I find myself scrubbing out bottles time and time again. Labels are a PITA to remove, but in the hundreds of labels I've had to peel and scrape off, I'll say my favorite are Sierra Nevada bottles.

Submerge them in a bath of hot water for only a few minutes, and the label peels right off. Then, a quick wipe with a sponge removes the rest of the glue. Bell's labels ain't so bad either.

Dark Horse bottles, on the other hand, are impossible to deal with, so they get thrown in the recycle bin.

SA are my favorite as far as label removal. SN are my favorite to actually use. They're just cool with the stubbiness. I like Leffe bottles for mead. They're like mini wine bottles

Personally... I'm partial to any Victory beer available... and NO label out there comes off easier. Falls off just like a SN, but without any follow-up wiping of residue. And the beer's miles ahead....

But... I did find myself collecting plenty of SN along the way. Just never actually used 'em, because I have this OCD problem that keeps me from bottling a batch without matching bottles... only recently got up to 50 shorties. Just in time for the new keezer. Maybe I'll put the wife's Raspberry Cider in them....

Deschutes Brewery bottles are my favorite. And I prefer the beer over Sierra Nevada.

Next week when my B-I-L comes back from San Diego, I'll find out what SNPA tastes like.
APA is one of my favorites, so it will be interesting to compare it to the original.

Glasfeena said:

I find myself scrubbing out bottles time and time again. Labels are a PITA to remove, but in the hundreds of labels I've had to peel and scrape off, I'll say my favorite are Sierra Nevada bottles.

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Those bottles are my favorite too! But most labels come right off with a little bit of Oxyclean, as most HBT people have come to find out. I rarely have a problem with labels anymore and I have been delabeling all types of different bottles here recently.

Top two bottles for me are Anderson Valley and Kona - although I do love the Sierra stubbies. When I convert my big ol' upright fridge into a kegerator, I'll switch to nothing but stubbies, since I'll only have the top two shelves left for storing bottles!

Speaking of stubbies (not those stubbies) - I like the Duvel bottles. A pub gives me some of them, they are cool bottles.

boo boo said:

Next week when my B-I-L comes back from San Diego, I'll find out what SNPA tastes like.
APA is one of my favorites, so it will be interesting to compare it to the original.

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This does not sound like you are sufficiently excited.

I love Anchor Steam bottles, they are a beautiful shape and the labels come right off with just a bit of hot water soak. They leave even less glue behind than Sierra Nevada, which is a close second.

Sn are real good i also have steady supply of spaten which comes of real easy too

my sn labels didnt come off after a 10 minute saok in starsan.

22 oz bottles of Full Sail or Ninkasi are just stickers, they peel right off.

You can even peel them off in one motion and then stick them to things.

Great lakes are amazing, peel off just as easy and up until a few months back they were actually easier then SN. Also they are the correct size with no markings so perfect for competition entries.

I like the SN's because they are easier to clean the inside with a regular bottle brush. (shorter)

Also, their Celebration and Torpedo are excellent.

summerfest isnt too shabby either.

I like SN stubbies too. I have a whole case of those wonderful things

You should get yourself some oxyclean free and soak those badboys over night in hot water/oxy solution. You'll never need to use a bottle brush again and the labels will practically fall off!

danorocks17 said:

You should get yourself some oxyclean free and soak those badboys over night in hot water/oxy solution. You'll never need to use a bottle brush again and the labels will practically fall off!

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Oxyclean, eh? The stuff that was sold by the late Billy Mays? And it removes the crappy sticky glue as well?

I've added it to the shopping list for today.

Number_18 said:

Deschutes Brewery bottles are my favorite. And I prefer the beer over Sierra Nevada.

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+1

Easy label removal, excellent beer, and their bottles are cool too.

Deschutes Brewery has very easy label to remove.

I always found Sam Adams bottles the easiest to clean.

i must be drunk...

SN bottles, for me, are usually the worst!

Lakefront Brewing (local WI) are the best for me. Sam Adams are great too, but they're on time-out for me....

Glasfeena said:

Oxyclean, eh? The stuff that was sold by the late Billy Mays? And it removes the crappy sticky glue as well?

I've added it to the shopping list for today.

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you bet, but make sure you get the green lid, fragrance free. on some bottles the glue will still be on but I have an old dish cloth I keep handy to just wipe it off with. It will also remove any old beer residue in the bottom of bottles. my neighbor brings me bottles but he never rinses them out or leaves the up side down so there is always crap in the bottom, so the oxyclean really pulls double duty on those bottles

Number_18 said:

Deschutes Brewery bottles are my favorite. And I prefer the beer over Sierra Nevada.

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I always have a little trouble with the label around the neck. I do love me some Deschutes beer, though, and their bottles with their little embossed hop vines are my favorite out of anything.

There was some sort of hiccup a couple of days ago and I couldn't upload these photos, but now I can, so here's a couple photos of my favorite bottles:





And yes, oxyclean makes the whole re-using bottles process easy. I fill a cooler with water and oxyclean, throw a batch of bottle in there, let it soak for a day or two or more, then rinse and I'm done. Easy as pie.

"easy as cake"
"pie"
"huh?"
"you said cake. it's pie. easy as pie"
"i said cake, and you said?"
"pie. it's easy as pie. and you said cake"
"don't correct me"


- the whole ten yards