I just made label peeling EASY!!

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estricklin

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This is so simple it's almost dumb, and many of you probably already know this but the answer is bleach.

I've been soaking them in buckets after I rinse them for a long time and after they sit long enough the labels usually come off pretty easy, I tried adding some bleach and HUGE difference. By the next morning the labels fall off when I pick the bottles up, the bottles have a cleaner feel to them also. Seriously, even the brands that I usually can't use because the labels are so stuck on, are no match for the bleach water solution. Can't say exactly how much bleach I'm using but it's pretty strong, few ounces / 5 gal.

After I have the labels off I put mine in the dishwasher, (mainly to rinse them) until it's bottling time. Probably wouldn't be a good idea to add bottles with strong bleach residue on them to a star san solution as I'm thinking it would produce chlorine gas.

I think I'm in love with the whole bottling process now.
 
OxyClean does the same thing, it's pretty great. But there is no way I can say I'm in love with the process ;)

Cheers!
 
Brulosopher said:
OxyClean does the same thing, it's pretty great. But there is no way I can say I'm in love with the process ;)

Cheers!

Agreed with both Oxyclean and not in love with the bottling process. Emptying the bottles was more fun.
 
I have found that a good 10-15 minutes in hot water (ours comes out about 140) and they come right off. However, most of the bottles I save are either Sam Adams or O'Malleys. O'Mallys really come off nice and the glue with them. Sam's take a bit more rubbbing to get the glue.
 
Try white vinegar solution as well, you can get white vinegar at the dollar store.

I like it better because it's a food grade solvent and won't be as hard to rinse off as bleach.
 
Probably wouldn't be a good idea to add bottles with strong bleach residue on them to a star san solution as I'm thinking it would produce chlorine gas.

I think I'm in love with the whole bottling process now.

Correct, albeit very little from just residue. You would have to add 1 cup of 6% NaOCl bleach to properly mixed 5 gallons of Star-San to keep it safe. Any less than this cup (~235 ml), and the pH is still too low and releases chlorine gas. The residue is certainly not enough to raise the pH of your StarSan, and the hypochlorite would happily gas off as Cl2.

You could put on your nerd hat and figure out how to theoretically keep it safe. Or the better option, just don't ever mix Star-San and bleach.
 
I have found that a good 10-15 minutes in hot water (ours comes out about 140) and they come right off. However, most of the bottles I save are either Sam Adams or O'Malleys. O'Mallys really come off nice and the glue with them. Sam's take a bit more rubbbing to get the glue.

A little off topic here but have you had any problems with your Sam Adam's bottles, as in the tops coming off when you try to remove the cap? Mine seem to do this after 3-5 uses, though it's only 1 in 50 maybe. Doesn't happen with the other brands.

I'm sure oxyclean works great too but bleach is so cheap and I use it for other things as well so it's always around.

Anyway I don't have to peel labels all that often since I have so many bottles, just a few now and then to make up for broken ones or ones that I give away.

I honeslty enjoy bottling, it's relaxing to me, I put on an audio book or The Brewing Network and go at it. I usually bottle 2-3 batches at a time though. I will agree though that emptying them, is WAY more fun.
 
A little off topic here but have you had any problems with your Sam Adam's bottles, as in the tops coming off when you try to remove the cap? Mine seem to do this after 3-5 uses, though it's only 1 in 50 maybe. Doesn't happen with the other brands.


I haven't done enough to know that one but I will be watching for it now.
 
Everyone is wrong, wallpaper remover concentrate calles DIF from hardware store is best and harmless, its just an enzyme that literally EATS the glue.
 
Everyone is wrong, wallpaper remover concentrate calles DIF from hardware store is best and harmless, its just an enzyme that literally EATS the glue.

Can't and won't argue that one, but hot tap water and a little elbow grease has got to be the the most economical IMO.:mug:
 
if you going to use oxiclean, make sure you at least get oxiclean free. Doesn't have any of the perfumes or stuff in it.
 
finlayj said:
if you going to use oxiclean, make sure you at least get oxiclean free. Doesn't have any of the perfumes or stuff in it.

Indeed. And the large tube of OxyClean knock-off from target is "free" as well!
 
What about the bottles with vinyl or whatever plastic (not paper) labels? There's a local brewery and I can get a lot, but I've had to peel the labels and scrub with goo-gone to get glue off. And then wash with soap to get the goo-gone off. Sucks.
 
What about the bottles with vinyl or whatever plastic (not paper) labels? There's a local brewery and I can get a lot, but I've had to peel the labels and scrub with goo-gone to get glue off. And then wash with soap to get the goo-gone off. Sucks.

Try the bleach it's worth a shot.
 
When I started building up a pipeline of about 400 bottles I did it the lazy man's way.

Filled a big cooler with hot oxyclean (scent free), dunked a case or so of returned Sam Adams bottles that I got from a beer distributor into the mix and closed it up for an overnight soak. Next day all there was to do was to gently rub off any remaining glue or stubborn labels with a plastic scrubby and rinse well..

All the gunk that was in the bottles rinsed or floated out and any that remained (visual inspection) got a brushing. If any bottle still had any question of gunk it went in the recycling bin. The bottles are dried, put aside covered and are ready for beer after a StarSan spray.

I now use my caps to identify my beers (no more labels) and rinse well after the pour. I put the rinsed bottles on a bottles tree and when it is getting about half way full I start my next batch.

bosco
 
Correct, albeit very little from just residue. You would have to add 1 cup of 6% NaOCl bleach to properly mixed 5 gallons of Star-San to keep it safe. Any less than this cup (~235 ml), and the pH is still too low and releases chlorine gas. The residue is certainly not enough to raise the pH of your StarSan, and the hypochlorite would happily gas off as Cl2.

You could put on your nerd hat and figure out how to theoretically keep it safe. Or the better option, just don't ever mix Star-San and bleach.

But you don't actually need to put the bleach/OXY solution into the inside of the bottles if you're trying to remove labels.

An extra step maybe but you could fill the bottle with plain water before putting them into a tub that is then filled with enough bleach/OXY solution to cover the labels (and not get into the bottles)
 
PBW and hot water seems to work fine for me in the majority of cases.
 
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