Bottles & OxiClean

[SBGuy212]

For all those OxiClean users out there that delabel and clean their bottles with it. I'm about to be bottling for the first time and am currently looking at soaking my bottles I've been collecting to take off the labels and clean. How long do I need to soak them for? And I've been hearing about this grimmy white film that it leaves behind.. Hopefully I do not get that...

 

[Oginme]

I usually soak labeled bottles for 24 to 48 hours, which will completely remove most of the labels and glue. I then allow them to drain and dry (I use a fastrack) before boxing them for storage. When I am getting ready to bottle, I take the case of bottles out, wipe them down with a clean, dry cloth and sanitize them with starsan.

I do sometimes get the white deposit from the oxiclean/PBW, but it usually wipes right off and by draining the bottles upside down, it is all on the outside of the bottles.

 

[flars]

I used PBW for the first time to clean bottles and remove labels. I may have had the bottles in a bucket for two to three days. Labels were falling off. Labels came off the Pilsner Urquell bottles also. No film on the bottles. Bottles rinsed easily. There was no slimy feel to the bottles that Oxy can leave and takes considerably more rinsing to remove.

 

[msa8967]

If you do have a white film on the bottles that reappears after the bottles have dried try soaking the bottles for 15 minutes in a solution of starsan and water. This will help to remove any of the hard water minerals that may remain after the cleaning.

 

[beergolf]

For most labels a few hours in hot water with Oxiclean will do. Then if there is any glue left just a quick pass with a scrubby and you are good. Rinse very well in hot water and the bottles will be very clean.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

I usually just soak with Oxy in the hottest water my tap will produce for about an hour or two. At that point most labels come off easily. I can scrub the glue residue off with the scrubby side of a sponge. I rinse them out with my jet rinse and put them in the drainer upside down to dry. Then store them upside down.

 

[Natdavis777]

I just fill up the sink with the hottest tap water I can get, add some dish soap, and let the bottles soak. After a few hours, most labels peel off with ease. Then I just take a dish scrub brush and get the glue off. Rinse and let them dry on the old baby rack.

I have found some bottles clean easier than others. Bells and 3 Floyd's bottles seen to be the easiest. Some bottles a few local micros aren't even worth the effort IMO. I keg for the most part so I usually only keep 2 cases of bottles on hand


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[sumbrewindude]

Any acid will get rid of the white film, such as vinegar or Starsan. If you know you've got hard water, you'll get the white film. It's not a big deal, just soak the bottles in an acid solution for a while and the particulate film will go away.

 

[brewprint]

I haven't had any issues with white spots and oxi clean. I soak them outside with just water from the hose for about 2 days. That gets rid of most labels. Some brands are a total PITA to remove labels. Sierra nevada, Rouge, among others.

 

[C-Rider]

1-rince bottle after drinking and let it dry upside down
2-wait til I have 12 bottles cleaned
3-place them in a bucket w/OxyClean
4-when I have another 12 bottles I take out the first batch, lables are gone by then.
5-rince and let drip dry upside down (the 12 that just came out of the oxyClean
6-store the cleaned, de-labled,dry bottles in a closed plastic box
7-soak clean bottles in Star San on bottleing day for a few minutes
7a-put bottle caps in a strainer and dip into StarSan and let drip
8-place bottles on lower rack of dishwasher after spraying StarSan on the rack
9-place bottling bucket on the diswasher
10-fill bottles and place on counter
11-place sanitized caps on bottles and cap.
Easy Squeezy Lemon Peeze. or what ever that means. LOL

 

[Pkrd]

Some labels (well, glues I guess) take an hour or two and just float off. Some will scrape off after an overnight soak.
SOME BREWERIES HATE US AND USE SUPERGLUE.

 

[sierra_charlie]

So far, I have found 90%+ of the labels I've encountered come off easily with a 24-48 soak in tap water & dishsoap, the vast majority literally just fall off when removed from the water. The exceptions seem to be Ohio Brewing Co. bottles, and Duchutes bottles, both of which leave a SLIGHT glue residue. To remove this residue, the best/easiest thing I have found so far is a ChoreBoy copper scrub pad.

My process (so far, subject to refinement) is to put 12 bottles in a bucket or large pan, fill with hot tap water and dishsoap and cover. I then set the bucket in the dining room until my better half starts complaining about it being in the way (usually 24-48 hours), then I take the bottles to the sink and rinse them, easily removing any leftover glue residue from the mentioned bottles with the above mentioned ChoreBoy.

My method has worked to perfection so far (well over 100 bottles cleaned this way), but I may try an additive in the future if I encounter some really stubborn bottles.

SC

 

[SBGuy212]

So far, I have found 90%+ of the labels I've encountered come off easily with a 24-48 soak in tap water & dishsoap, the vast majority literally just fall off when removed from the water. The exceptions seem to be Ohio Brewing Co. bottles, and Duchutes bottles, both of which leave a SLIGHT glue residue. To remove this residue, the best/easiest thing I have found so far is a ChoreBoy copper scrub pad.

My process (so far, subject to refinement) is to put 12 bottles in a bucket or large pan, fill with hot tap water and dishsoap and cover. I then set the bucket in the dining room until my better half starts complaining about it being in the way (usually 24-48 hours), then I take the bottles to the sink and rinse them, easily removing any leftover glue residue from the mentioned bottles with the above mentioned ChoreBoy.

My method has worked to perfection so far (well over 100 bottles cleaned this way), but I may try an additive in the future if I encounter some really stubborn bottles.

SC

I have found that Amstel Light bottles have labels that are super glued (must be cause those labels aren't going anywhere). And I'm not sure if you've heard of them but Back Forty Brewing Company labels are tough too. Just tried soaking some of their Truck Stop Honey Brown Ale bottles and they are tough! However, Sam Adams, Fat Tire, Abita, and there's another one but it's not coming to me for some reason, are awesome because those are some where literally the labels were floating just after a few hours.

 

[SBGuy212]

Some labels (well, glues I guess) take an hour or two and just float off. Some will scrape off after an overnight soak.
SOME BREWERIES HATE US AND USE SUPERGLUE.

Amstel Light must really hate us then!

 

[zachary80]

20 minutes if the water is hot, significantly more time if its cool. So the first couple batches go faster for me. Lately I've added phosphate free TSP to the mix in varying proportions, but not seen a huge difference. Here the tap water dictates that I also have to use an acid rinse of some form otherwise I have residue in my bottles. I normally just use a mix of water and distilled vinegar

 

[number40fan]

I will soak two cases in hot water and oxi for about 30 minutes. Then as I scrub the labels/glue off, not a lot of scrubbing needed, I hand them to the wife who dips them in clean water in the sink and sets them in the dishwasher. After finishing, run the dishwasher on sanitizing setting. Quick rinse in the sink with Star-san just before I hand the bottle to the wife to fill while I am capping the full ones.

 

[harleybug88]

Why not just leave the label on?

Drink the brew, rinse out, sanitize and reuse as is. It's what's in the inside that counts.

 

[ChelisHubby]

What do you do for foil labels I can pell them but the glue remains. I been using acetone to cut the glue.

 

[Howiedw]

Hot water / bleach soak and a 180 grit sanding sponge. Just enough pressure to remove the residue without scratching the glass.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

When I delabeled bottles I just placed them in a tote bin filled with plain hot tap water. 2 days later the labels peel right off.