How do you identify your homebrews?
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I do the tag around the colar idea for the fermenters then in the keg I take a dry erase pen on the metal of the corny as well as over each tap on the outside of the fridge (4 taps gets confusing if you dont... whoops, thats not the soda tap, sorry kids....)
Beezy
Well-Known Member
I only brew twice a month not a big deal. I sharpie the caps with the number of the brew.
petey_c
Senior Member
I use PET bottles and white plastic caps, so the sharpie idea only works for a limited time. I print them up on a lame excel spread sheet. Cut them out, then tape them to each bottle. The tape comes off easily (most times). That doesn't work out if I want to take them somewhere in a cooler. I may use the laser printer at work and try "milking" them on. Isn't there a "bottle tag" thread on here somewhere?
bovineblitz
Well-Known Member
Sharpie + cap = win.
I use the little round labels for my caps. Simply print beer type and month/year. Easy to identify when boxed. I use labels printed with inkjet attached with milk on a couple of six packs for each batch for gifts or parties.
Daybis
Well-Known Member
I use a Brother label printer. It's only black and white, but you can put graphics and stuff on them and they come off of bottles easily. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ZHEVZ8/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
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beergolf
Well-Known Member
Sharpie on caps with codes, and different colors to mark different brews in the style. I then record the code in my brew log so I can reference if I forget which brew is which.
X= wheat beers
o= Belgian blonde
T=Tripel
//= Dubbel
dot= BDSA
/= IPA
You get the point. Make up a system that works for you.
X= wheat beers
o= Belgian blonde
T=Tripel
//= Dubbel
dot= BDSA
/= IPA
You get the point. Make up a system that works for you.
littlelord
Well-Known Member
i write the name & date in white china marker right on the bottle. i label my carboys in the same way... works great.
Chia
Well-Known Member
i am painting my keg frige with chalk board paint to keep records
Hellfish76
Well-Known Member
I do the sharpie on the cap method but my brother gets a bunch of those name tags that say "Hi my name is:" and he writes the name on those.
supermoth
Well-Known Member
Exactly what we do here! Or the sad tone of saying "No more 11 left."
I was doing sharpie on the cap, but just started writing the batch number on colored sticky dots. The color makes it easier to distinguish all the different six packs in the recesses of the bedroom closet.
Beezy
Well-Known Member
I am thinking about just keep going with numbering indefinitely. It will be a while before I get to 3 digits. By then ill be printing stickers for the caps. I started a blog. I plan on keeping the posts tagged with the brew number so you can always go back and see. Brewing #6 this weekend!
I print to these on a color laser. Each beer batch gets a different color. Text is the beer name, and date, and (if I'm experimenting with split batches) the yeast or other differentiator.
They are expensive, but work perfectly.
http://www.bradyid.com/bradyid/catalog/siteSearchResultsView.do?searchTerms=lat-25-747-10&x=0&y=0
They are expensive, but work perfectly.
http://www.bradyid.com/bradyid/catalog/siteSearchResultsView.do?searchTerms=lat-25-747-10&x=0&y=0
ClaudiusB
Well-Known Member
Makes it look more profession when visitors get a beer.
From my bottling days.
My beer might be sh*** but the first impression counts
Cheers,
ClaudiusB
petey_c
Senior Member
I went to a couple of different store looking for "grease pencils" or china markers (Michaels Crafts, Kohls, etc) and the sales people looked at me like I had two heads...
littlelord
Well-Known Member
i know! same thing happened to me here in brooklyn.... the hardware stores didn't know what the hell i was talking about and kept showing me sharpies. my girlfriend eventually found them for me at an old-school stationary shop.
if you can stomach a trip to staples/office depot, i think they have them as well.
makomachine
Well-Known Member
Most of the time I make a fairly simple label like this (its 2 in x 3 inches)
and stick it on the bottles with milk (I put a folded up paper towel in a plate, and pour milk on it, so I just have to lay the label on the paper towel to get it wet enough to stick).
I was using address labels, but the longer they have been on the bottle, the harder they are to get off. Plus they never print out exactly straight.
I usually do the labels in black/white using the cheap office laser printer at work, 9 or 12 to a sheet, and only do a few in color at Kinko's.
Makes it look more profession when visitors get a beer.
t
I do something similar - except I actually make a glue paste from powdered milk, vinegar, and baking soda that I can sponge on. Easy to do and water soluable so easy to remove down the road. I keg primarily but the kegerator is down for a while and having to do more of this lately. You can find the link to the glue recipe here.
http://chemistry.about.com/cs/howtos/ht/gluefrommilk.htm
nefarious_1_
Well-Known Member
sharpie + cap = labeled.
firebird400
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Sharpie on the cap here
edb23
Well-Known Member
i'm surprised by everybody writing on each individual cap. i feel like that must be a pita. i just use different color caps, midwest supplies sells like 10 different colors, and each color is a different beer.
Beezy
Well-Known Member
edb23 said:
I seriously takes about 2 minutes.
++
I rarely have 3 or more different brews at one time, each type gets a different color, cannot be easier.
All the talk about bottle caps reminds me exactly why I spent the extra money and made my Quackerator (I'm an Oregon Ducks fan)! I write on the keg with a dry erase marker and on the outside of the fridge over the tap its at and I'm done...That makes more time to brew more, drink more and well, I never have to dump starsan into 50 bottles again! Yep, I'll never go back to bottling (aside from a 6 pack here and there for brew shows).
houndsbreath
Well-Known Member
I use a white wax pencil ( like $2 at craft store) and write straight onto the neck of the bottle. Writing on the neck keeps it from being rubbed off or smeared. It wipes off with a damp cloth and some light pressure. I always label with date bottled, style and name.
DregAddict
Well-Known Member
For years I would just write on the cap with a sharpie. It wasn't too much of a PITA because I usually just did a one letter code related to the beer. Recently I started designing labels on the computer and getting cheap prints made at Kinkos. I use milk as a easy adhesive. My next plan is to get the GF(who has a background in art and design) to hand draw me some labels that I can get printed.
edb23 said:
I've done that too, but it becomes a much bigger pain when you have been brewing for a long time and tend to save (and even forget about) bottles from a lot of batches. Writing on the cap is definitely quicker than putting on labels. But the whole bottling process is a pain IMO, and I hope to be kegging by the end of the year.
I'd recommend printing to gum backed paper. They apply easily and remove easily. The manufacturer warns that ink may run if you print from ink jet printer, however my experience has been great with color laser printers - thanks work
QUOTE]
I've been printing labels to identify each batch and I actually upgraded to a laser printer at home to make life easier. The labels come right off in warm water so no worries there. So far the novelty hasn't worn off although I can see why stickers on caps would be an attractive option.
Usually each batch has some meaning although I've had a few where it was the batch number that wound up being the theme. Magnificent Seven cream ale is an example. Another benefit of labeling is that SWMBO helps out and of course you must have a homebrew any time you engage in beer related activities.
davefleck
Well-Known Member
Bottles get numbered caps, kegs get a number and style note
I have tags I get from my LHBS that are great for keeping all the details on my fermentors. Especially the long-term ones, though I'm so lazy with bottling lately that EVERY beer is pretty much a long-term ferment. Hopefully I'll be kegging by the end of the year, and if so, these tags should also make fantastic labels for them.
I bought a package of little round stickers (sheets of 24) at Staples that are just the right size for bottle caps. I run them off on the laser printer with name, date, and ABV. (I include the alcohol content for the uninitiated who don't know the difference between a DIPA and a 60 shilling ale. )
)wzup97
Well-Known Member
Sharpie on cap with style and bottling date. Ex "PA 511" Pale Ale May 11th.
Blue painters tape and a sharpie. Comes off easy for "re-using" the bottles.
Chalkboard paint on the kegerator for the taps.
Any other info is in the brew log.
Chalkboard paint on the kegerator for the taps.
Any other info is in the brew log.
joeybeer
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I finally fixed mine.. I had the same thought !
I bought plastic ID card holders from walmart in the office supply section, and tied a 10" piece of string around each one, then cut out tons of brown paper bags to fit in the holders ( around 50 pieces) now I can just write on the paper and slip it in the holder and know just whats going on and add to it !! With a bow it's easy to move from ferm to secondary to keg !
bigbeergeek
Well-Known Member
Sharpie Cap. Why do anything else?
blawjr
Well-Known Member
austinhomebrew has a deal on bulk caps, 60 of each color, theres like 8 different colors, i use the color coding system
petey_c
Senior Member
littlelord
Well-Known Member
very cool! do you use regular paper for your labels?
Actually, just print on regular paper and simply use milk as a glue. Works great for me and plenty of others here. Easy to get off in water for bottle reuse. Laser jet printing is recommended as the colors do not run.
