Bottles labels - what's the secret tip

[Grinder12000]

Bottles labels - what's the secret tip for getting them off beer bottles. I have soaked them but still I need a knife and scraping normally.

Any tips I'm missing?

 

[Big10Seaner]

I just soak them in the sink with hot water and a little bleach. They should peel off and leave the glue residue, which comes right off with a scrub pad (scotch pad).

 

[Yooper]

If you put them in a tub/basin/bucket with some hot water and a scoop of oxyclean, the labels seem to slide off easily. You might still have to scrape a bit, but not very much.

 

[Melana]

+1 for Oxyclean!

 

[billtzk]

Soaking in a dilute solution of distilled white vinegar and water after cleaning with oxyclean will remove any white oxyclean residue that remains on the bottles.

 

[Brew-Happy]

I found that some companies use non-water based adhesives and poly-filmed labels.

If you have found some that require a stronger solvent, it may not be you that is the problem.

I had to use mineral spirits on the labels for one company Very annoying!
If you are not into petroleum based sovlents, pure orange oil works great too!


Yooper: Great avatar!! I have been a Red Green fan for years!

 

[Revvy]

Hot water and oxyclean...most bottles the labels slip off in 2-3 hours, some it takes 12-24...and my nemesis, O'fallon Pumpkin Ale double coated labels (evil)

48 hours and the bottles are mine!!!

If you have patience, you don't even need to scrub off any residual glue on the glass, it all just dissolves under the oxy bubbles.

 

[landis]

+1 on Oxyclean. I just discovered that last night and was blown away by the results. Much better than just soaking in water like I was doing before.

Any advice on Stone/Rouge bottles? I'm not sure what they do - is that etching or just some special printing?

 

[Yooper]

Any advice on Stone/Rouge bottles? I'm not sure what they do - is that etching or just some special printing?

If you soak them in star-san for quite a while, that paint comes off.

 

[Revvy]

I've heard that starsan is the cure for any painted on bottles including redstripe.

 

[sjvicker]

I just soak them in the sink with hot water and a little bleach. They should peel off and leave the glue residue, which comes right off with a scrub pad (scotch pad).

I do the same thing but without bleach. If I'm too lazy to remove the glue residue by hand, I'll put them in the dishwasher and they come out like new.

It takes me 15 minutes to clean a case with hot water and a scrub pad

 

[paul_h]

napisam down here, or sodium percarbonate based cleaners like I'm guess oxyclean is are the best, soak overnight in warm water and you'll find the label has removed itself. It works on the glue residue too, comes of with a light rub with a sponge.

 

[menschmaschine]

I've used a weak NaOH solution (lye) that worked great. Soaked them in a laundry sink for 20-30 minutes... labels slid right off with virtually no glue left behind. Just need to be careful with the lye (gloves, goggles, etc.).

 

[Revvy]

napisam down here, or sodium percarbonate based cleaners like I'm guess oxyclean is are the best, soak overnight in warm water and you'll find the label has removed itself. It works on the glue residue too, comes of with a light rub with a sponge.

Where were you last year when someone for OZ was asking what brand name of sodium perocrbonate cleansers were available down there?...I googled and googled and couldn't find any info...

 

[lustreking]

I found that some companies use non-water based adhesives and poly-filmed labels.

If this is anything like Weyerbacher uses, I used to hate their labels. Then I found out that if I take a heat gun to them for a little bit, they'll peel right off leaving no residue at all.

 

[Brew-Happy]

If this is anything like Weyerbacher uses, I used to hate their labels. Then I found out that if I take a heat gun to them for a little bit, they'll peel right off leaving no residue at all.

I can't remember what the company name is, someone out of Atlanta. I didn't drink these. They were recycled by a friend from a party.

I like your idea! I will try my wife's hair dryer next time I have this issue.

Thanks!!

 

[ron1guz]

I use a PBW soak and don't have any problems.

Bottles labels - what's the secret tip for getting them off beer bottles. I have soaked them but still I need a knife and scraping normally.

Any tips I'm missing?

 

[dzlater]

I've heard that starsan is the cure for any painted on bottles including redstripe.

Didn't work on my Red Stripes.

 

[zachatola]

how long are we talking about with a starsan soak on painted bottles??

Has anyone had any luck with Heineken bottles? Im not a big H fan but a few friends are, and they make good Apfelwein bottles (no skunking) but can only be capped from what i understand with a bench caper. Labels are basically stickers, and leave a nasty glue after. Ive tried oxyclean it works ok on the back and top label, but the front is tough, i usually end up pealing the sticker off, and just soaking the glue/sticky stuff, then i usually have to scrub the bottle with a stainless scrub bud thing. Not really worth it in my opinion, but free bottles are always nice, but each bottle takes a good half hour of work. Anyone use these with success?

 

[DrinksWellWithOthers]

Here's my method for removing silk screened labels..

Place the bottles into a solution of 1 part muriatic acid and 3 parts water for 15 minutes. Take out and rub the labels off with a scrubby brush or fine steel wool and rinse. I also fill the bottles with regular tap water first before placing them in an empty bucket and filling with solution to avoid getting any acid solution in the bottles. Don't know if it would have any adverse affects but I don't want to take any chances. And on top of that I don't fill the bucket to the top of the bottles; only as high as needed to to cover the painted surfaces. After inspecting the bottles you can only faintly see what was silk screened onto the Stone bottles but only it a certain light. If you didn't know, you'd never notice it. Rogue bottles tend to need a little more scrubbing but I think come out better.

I've never tried any Heinekens or Red Stripes but I'm sure this would work for those as well.

 

[billtzk]

Here's my method for removing silk screened labels..

Place the bottles into a solution of 1 part muriatic acid and 3 parts water for 15 minutes. Take out and rub the labels off with a scrubby brush or fine steel wool and rinse. I also fill the bottles with regular tap water first before placing them in an empty bucket and filling with solution to avoid getting any acid solution in the bottles. Don't know if it would have any adverse affects but I don't want to take any chances. And on top of that I don't fill the bucket to the top of the bottles; only as high as needed to to cover the painted surfaces. After inspecting the bottles you can only faintly see what was silk screened onto the Stone bottles but only it a certain light. If you didn't know, you'd never notice it. Rogue bottles tend to need a little more scrubbing but I think come out better.

I've never tried any Heinekens or Red Stripes but I'm sure this would work for those as well.

Thanks for the process description, DWWO. I have often wondered how to get the silk-screened labels off. It absolutely kills me to throw away perfectly good, but indelibly branded bottles.

Muriatic acid is readily available at home improvement stores and pool supply stores, so this is an easy method.

 

[DrinksWellWithOthers]

No problem. Sometimes bottles need to soak a little longer and I've noticed some Rogue bottles need a stronger solution but for the most part the above process works well. I think I picked up a gallon of muriatic acid at Lowe's for about $7.

 

[stevea1210]

Soaking in a dilute solution of distilled white vinegar and water after cleaning with oxyclean will remove any white oxyclean residue that remains on the bottles.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The last two batches of bottles I have done with oxyclean have had that white residue. I'll have to give that a shot to get rid of it. What ratio of water to vinegar are you using?

 

[98EXL]

I buy Sam Adams and Dogfish Head...they come off wicked quick soaking in Oxyclean for a day or two

 

[Jilaman]

I just did approx 4 cases of bottle label removal for all different kinds of bottles.

I used my wash basin near the washer/dryer in the basement, filled it with warm/hot water and a scoop of oxyclean. Waited like 24 hours, worked like a charm.

Easiest Labels to get off:
Sarnac, Ithaca, Sam Adams


Hardest:
Brooklyn Brewery, Some random ones I don't remember off the top of my head.

 

[landis]

Easiest Labels to get off:
Sarnac, Ithaca, Sam Adams

I'd put Sierra Nevada on there too. Those Pale Ale labels practically fall off with warm water.

 

[Brew-Happy]

Be wary of Sweetwater brand of bottles from Atlanta!

I just remembered the name last night, but I won't forget the work it too.

Will try the hot air method if I get any more of them.

 

[Chriso]

+1 to Sam Adams bottles, they're some of the EASIEST to clean out there... except for some of the Christmas seasonals though, oddly enough. But the regular ones, I dunk 'em in OxyClean for about 10 minutes, and they fall off in one piece on their own.

THANK YOU for the muriatic acid suggestion! I've got a case of Red Stripe bottles that I've been eyeing for use with aged beers (Barleywines, Imperial Stouts, etc)... I like the short, fatness of them, but even a 1oz:1gal solution of StarSan wasn't taking them off for me. I have Muriatic acid in the basement right now, in fact, for working on the concrete floors! Happy time!

 

[Richo]

+1 on Oxyclean. I just load 4 cases into 2 ice chests over night. That way I get my ice chest nice and clean and have label free bottles.

 

[Roasty]

I just fill my bathtub with the hottest water it'll put out and put the bottles in to soak for 20 minutes or so (making sure the bottles get filled with the tub water). I then use a razor blade paint scraper on the labels...the labels and the majority of the glue comes right off. A rub down of the bottle with a hot wet washcloth typically finishes the rest of it off.

I'm going to start using Oxyclean in the tub, though, as that will eliminate the need to clean the bottles before I sanitize them on bottling day and it'll clean my tub as well!

The worst bottles I've ever delabeled? Bohemia Classica. It may as well have been paint for how difficult that was. The worst part was realizing (after I finished delabeling all 6) that they have smooth necks all the way up to the cap lip - rendering them uncappable with my current equipment. A bench capper might work on them I guess, so I kept them around in case I end up with one.

 

[billtzk]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The last two batches of bottles I have done with oxyclean have had that white residue. I'll have to give that a shot to get rid of it. What ratio of water to vinegar are you using?

I don't really measure the vinegar. I fill a 40 qt ice chest about half full, then just pour in about a cup and a half or so of vinegar. Then submerge as many bottles as I can fit and top off with some more water if necessary, and let it soak overnight. If you can't smell the vinegar, pour in some more. But it doesn't take a high concentration, and you can soak several batches one after the other in the same solution.

 

[944play]

Hardest:
Brooklyn Brewery, Some random ones I don't remember off the top of my head.

Bear Republic.