Removing Stickers from Bottles?

[limey lou]

i have no problem removing paper stickers from bottles, but what are tricks to removing the plastic painted on looking ones? i got a fondness for the Red Stripe bottles and have a bunch as well so would love to be able to get their label off. any ideas?

 

[eriktlupus]

2 wk soak in starsan solution will loosen the paint on most bottles:rockin:

 

[fratermus]

I like the shape of the RS bottles (short and round means they fit in more small places in the beer fridge).

But unless I am crazy they are a little lighter brown than normal brown bottles. I don't mind the paint being on them, and I don't think the slight lighter brown tint should make a difference.

 

[badun]

When all else fails I use Goof Off. It's pretty noxious stuff, but a little dab on a paper towel will remove just about anything from a bottle.

 

[natnov]

I bought a big bucket of cheap, safeway brand oxyclean. Two scoops in a big cooler and fill it with warm water, the next day the labels have all fallen off the bottles and the glue is either missing in action or wipes right off with the rinse.
Great stuff.

Nate

 

[BrianP]

+1 on Starsan soak for painted (screen printed) labeling like Corona, Stone, etc.

This is a good use for the last 1/2 gallon of an old batch of starsan.

+1 on oxyclean soak for large batches of stubborn paper ones (although a regular hot water soak works pretty well on single bottles).

 

[fratermus]

Ok, maybe I'm doing this wrong. But I did a couple of batches of oxyclean+hotwater and I get a precipitate/grit all over the bottles that requires a handscrubbing and vinegar soak to get it off.

Classic oxyclean, about a scoop (tablespoon?) in ~3gals of hot water for 24hrs.

Am I overdosing it? Missing something obvious? Soaking too long?

 

[Dextersmom]

isn't it harder to cap redstripe bottles?

I found that amstel bottles are real easy to get the labels off of...Just a soak over night and they peel right off without leaving any adhesive behind. but because the neck is smaller i found that you need to be very exact about capping them.

 

[BrianP]

Ok, maybe I'm doing this wrong. But I did a couple of batches of oxyclean+hotwater and I get a precipitate/grit all over the bottles that requires a handscrubbing and vinegar soak to get it off.

Classic oxyclean, about a scoop (tablespoon?) in ~3gals of hot water for 24hrs.

Am I overdosing it? Missing something obvious? Soaking too long?

I've never let it soak that long, since it's so effective in an hour or so. After rinsing, I've had no residue or anything. Maybe shorten the soak?

 

[BigKahuna]

Man Red Stripe bottles are the reason I bought a bench caper... My wing caper didn't really like them. The thing is that Oxyclean doesn't touch them. AND I get a hell of a nasty white powder with Oxy....Maybe my hard water doesnt' help.
I have not tried the star san trick...but it's a double dose at least...or so i've read.

I have a new problem that some of you can help with...and just say so if I need to start a new thread:
Butt light...excuse me...BUD Light has those really cool plastic labels that are a total ***** to get off. Any ideas?

 

[Krimper]

BUD Light has those really cool plastic labels that are a total ***** to get off. Any ideas?

Same thing with the Heineken plastic labels, Tonight I sat and peeled all three labels off about 45 bottles with a razor scraper, now the glue that got left behind just turns to sticky snot when I scrub on them.

 

[fratermus]

Shortened the soak to an hour, and the residue is at least fine and silty instead of gritty. But I think I'm going to try something else to get labels off. Maybe just hot water by itself.