Printing at Kinkos; Sticking with Milk

[Homercidal]

I tried the milk trick on a wine bottle with label printed from Beerlabelizer.com. It basically dried up and fell off. I used Fat Free milk, cause that is what we drink.

The same label went on fine using the glue stick I borrowed from the kid.

 

[Warthaug]

Question though; I store my beers in the stone cellar (common in sweden, a couple of hundred years ago these were used as refrigerators).

Around 8-10 degrees and very damp, I'm sure the milk would create mold patterns?

Do labels on other food jars end up damp? If not you should be fine - I don't label many beers, but when I do, I use milk. At our old place we had a pretty damp basement and the labels are fine - except for in the spring when there's enough moisture to make the labels slide off the bottle.

Bryan

 

[passedpawn]

I tried the milk trick on a wine bottle with label printed from Beerlabelizer.com. It basically dried up and fell off. I used Fat Free milk, cause that is what we drink.

The same label went on fine using the glue stick I borrowed from the kid.

Mine did not fall off, curl, bubble, or any of that. They stuck and stayed stuck like they were glued there. I used 2% and printed on cheap paper on my color laser. I wet both sides of the paper with a paint brush, especially after it's on the bottle.

Maybe it's the paper Homer.

 

[Homercidal]

It's standard cheap copy paper and a color laser printer.

 

[MichaelBrock]

I use milk in a spray bottle. A couple spritzes on the back of the label to cover it with droplets. I place it on the bottle and use a paper towel to squeeqee any excess milk out from underneath the label. I have used 2%, 1%, skim, and whole milk and I haven't noticed any difference. I have used 20 lb, 22lb and 24lb paper. The lighter paper might be a bit more forgiving of under-spritzing but they all worked pretty much the same. If I put too much milk on, the label will wrinkle while wet, but smoothes out again when dry.

I haven't had any issues with the labels coming off when putting the beer on ice. If they are sitting in water, much like some commercial labels, they will eventually come off.

 

[KPSquared]

I have just started brewing but I've been messing around with label application just for fun while round one ferments. . . My wife just got one of these

It's a pump up spray bottle from Pampered Chef. It works awesome for spraying milk. It's like a spray bomb full of milk. Super fine mist, easy to control volume and area. Spray the back of the label and BAM. . . looks cool, sticks great.

Here's one of my test runs. . .

 

[passedpawn]

My wife just got one of these

Heh, we've one of those. My wife is a Pampered Chef nut.

 

[ChrisTags]

How do you manage to cut out the oval labels?

 

[KPSquared]

Scissors and patience. . .

 

[mcmillb1]

I use a simple glue stick.

What kind of glue stick?

 

[drawdy10]

Don't use glue, milk is way too easy

 

[mcmillb1]

Don't use glue, milk is way too easy

Maybe I was doing it incorrectly, but, I attempted to use milk the last go around, and only made it six bottles in before I wanted to kill myself.

Every label was curling like crazy after either a dip in the milk, or, after trying painting them on with a brush.

I was using the brush on each bottle about 20 strokes each to correct for the curling, and it was horrid. Maybe it was the paper? Standard work-laser-jet paper...

I am planning on giving bottles away for Christmas, and didn't plan on receiving the bottles back, so, I though glue would be the way to go...

 

[drawdy10]

Mcmillb, well surely killing yourself would not be great, I would say go with your glue stick method if you prefer.
But for those that want to use milk, here is how I do it and think it works great:
Setup from left to right:
Pile of labels - milk in a bowl - bottle on a towel laying on its side. Then have another towel handy for wiping the excess off the bottles.

Grab the label and quickly dip the back on the milk and pull it out. Toss it on the bottle and wipe to squeeze out bubbles and remove excess milk. Move on to next one. No need for any brushes and stays pretty clean and neat with the towels.

Cheers! Here is my latest batch of labels stuck on with milk: just plain office paper printed at work with the nice laser jet printing.

 

[MaximumTrainer]

I have a color ink printer at home and some standard US Letter paper.
I was wondering, if you put milk on the paper after printing, will that screw the image with the milk absorption on the paper?
I was thinking using this awesome generator : https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=180409

Also, what does "kinko" mean? I like In Quebec, Canada and never heard that before.
A step by step for newbies would be nice
Any help appreciated!