Where/What Label Paper to Buy

Hi All,

I'm in the process of making my 1st label for my 1st batch of beer that is bottled in 1/2 Litre brown plastic bottles. The label is 3" x 4".

I'm confused as to what type of label paper to buy and the best place online to get it. I don't think I want standard shipping labels as I imagine they could be a pain to remove but I may be wrong. Also I don't plan on chilling my beer in tubs of ice if that matters.

If someone could let me know what type of label paper is standard for beer bottles that sticks but is also possible to remove so the bottles can be re-used that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I bought shipping labels and they're not so bad if you soak them OVERNIGHT.

Just print your labels out on regular paper, tiled on a piece of regular paper, and use a plain old kiddie glue stick (my kid has a half dozen in his craft room).

I've also read milk works fine to stick with. I bet adding a pinch of flour and/or sugar will not hurt the sticky either.

Regular paper...sticky glue the edges...no problems unless the bottle develops condensation...then the ink bleeds.

I usually do this for gifts with conditioning bottles and tell folks to remove them when they chill/drink.

Milk does work but you are likely to have ink bleed...and it really makes a sticky mess!

If you have access to a laser printer(if not go to Kinkos) then just print them on plain paper and adhere them with milk. Sticks really well and comes off easily.

Hi I'm working on making my first set of labels. I see a lot of people on here use a thick stock paper with milk, but I was hoping to make some on a pre-formatted labels with self-adhesive. Is it possible to do this and still have them be waterproof? I found these labels: http://www.onlinelabels.com/products/ol500.htm

or would I be just as well off going to with Avery?

Grimster said:

I bought shipping labels and they're not so bad if you soak them OVERNIGHT.

Click to expand...

Spoke too soon, they stick like mad to PET bottles after they've been on there a week or more! They come right off glass bottles though, go figure.

found these:

http://www.labelsbythesheet.com/ite...-br-usually-ships-same-day-wv2-24r-detail.htm

I use the small labels from walmart. they come 14 to a page and cost about 2 cents a piece...they are not big though. enough room to write the type of brew and date bottled. Labels come off easy if removed before they get wet. I just peel them before I wash my bottles.

I use ones like these

http://www.labelsbythesheet.com/ite...t-brusually-ships-same-day-w10-12c-detail.htm

They fit perfectly on Grolsch tops.

Grimster said:

Spoke too soon, they stick like mad to PET bottles after they've been on there a week or more! They come right off glass bottles though, go figure.

Click to expand...

Ok HOT soapy water takes the glue right off. Like HOT, nearly boiling, soapy water, dip the bottle in for a bit, and the glue/label comes right off. Stumbled on this tonight, dropped my 2 PET bottles into a hot bucket of soapy dish water (straight hot from the tap, no cold tap was on at all) and let them soak, maybe 20 minutes later I wiped and the glue just slid off. Also emptied 2 glass bottles and dropped them in there, few minutes later and they also slid right off. Yay!

I use avery return address labels---since I'm just putting the name and brew date for my reference on them. They come off after a 1-2 hour soak in oxyclean. Haven't tried them on PET.

Next time I'm trying the "removable" labels though.

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My first two batches that I labeled I rocked an Avery #5164 and its a nice size - unfortunately its a bit of a pain even after a good soak to get the label off if you are reusing your bottles.

I'd recommend (just tried this on my most recent batch) printing on regular paper with a color laser and just use a glue stick to put it on - took about 10 sec under water for the entire label to come off clean - never going back to adhesive labels again

I just started brewing, and once I get my amber worked out, i'll name it. For now I just use one of these:

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/571842/DYMO-LetraTag-LT-100-Plus-Handheld/

I run a computer business so it works for that too

Easy to make labels, and they come right off of glass.

Rick91981 said:

If you have access to a laser printer(if not go to Kinkos) then just print them on plain paper and adhere them with milk. Sticks really well and comes off easily.

Click to expand...

++

This works incredibly well.

I print my labels on regular computer paper, 9 per sheet, and attach them to the bottles with scotch tape on the sides of the label. That way, I can cut down the center of the label with a razor, lengthwise with the bottle, and use the paper as a lever to pry off the tape cleanly. I still then soak them in a bleach solution, which also works well to remove commercial labels with the aide of a razor blade to get the paper off, then more soaking and a nylon bristle brush to get the adhesive off.

I've had a fair amount luck with hand drawn graphics on computer paper and glue stick. The glue is non-toxic and water soluble.

davidisser said:

Hi I'm working on making my first set of labels. I see a lot of people on here use a thick stock paper with milk, but I was hoping to make some on a pre-formatted labels with self-adhesive. Is it possible to do this and still have them be waterproof? I found these labels: http://www.onlinelabels.com/products/ol500.htm

or would I be just as well off going to with Avery?

Click to expand...

Not a fan of the OL500. I got some to print labels for a friend's brew and they don't hold up to water well at all. They're also a pain to get off and will leave sticky residue on the bottle. I don't think the size looks right on a 12oz. bottle either - full wrap would probably look nicer.

Basically, it looks like a shipping label stuck on a beer bottle.

I add my vote to the laser printer w/ glue stick approach. Just tried this for my first brew & seems to work great.
...it passed as a store bought brew

EvilGnome6 said:

++

This works incredibly well.

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+1 from me too. I've done 2 labels like this now and the laser quality is nice and doesn't run when it gets wet. The milk makes the labels stick right away and come right off when you soak them for 2-3 minutes.

The Staples near me wouldn't print on label paper I picked up because they don't want the glue coming off in the printer.

I need some labels that will hold up against ice in a cooler, possibly even water if it melts some. Is this possible? I don't care as much about getting them off the bottle again. If they're reusable, all the better. No ink bleed, no label falling off when the bottle gets wet. These are going to be used for a party.

I use Avery 6465 labels on a laser printer. The labels are full sheet so you can put as many labels per page as you like and cut them to size. I do 16 per sheet to save costs.

Cutting the labels is the most tedious part but they stick to the bottle much more reliably than milk and don't come off when they damp. I haven't tried a long soak but I don't think they would fall off too quickly.

Removal is very easy as it peels off with no residue like a slightly stronger post-it note.

you could use the milk trick but i've heard it doesn't work so well with plastic bottles or you could give this a go https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f46/esky-ice-water-proof-labels-224476/

Wernerherzog said:

I need some labels that will hold up against ice in a cooler, possibly even water if it melts some. Is this possible? I don't care as much about getting them off the bottle again. If they're reusable, all the better. No ink bleed, no label falling off when the bottle gets wet. These are going to be used for a party.

Click to expand...

definitively have a look at this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f46/esky-ice-water-proof-labels-224476/