Colored dots for bottle identification

[AnonyBrew]

Bottle turnover in my neighborhood is going to fairly extreme once my brews are ready to drink. I am therefore abandoning the idea of making a new label for every beer knowing that I'll just spend way too much time stripping them off & making new labels.

Therefore, since I still need to identify different batches from each other, I am planning on using those colored dot stickies you can find at an office supply store. Either on top of the grolsch caps or on the bottom of the bottles.

I'll put different colored dots on each different batch & figure eventually after using 6 or 7 different colors the future batch can use a prior color that has been depleted. Keeping a color code chart on the beer fridge.

I also figure these little dots will be much easier to remove if I needed to "re-dot" some of the bottles down the road.

Has anyone else tried this technique? or have any suggestions about it. I just want to minimize my identification efforts knowing there will be a high bottle turnover.

 

[cd2448]

i just right a meaningful code on the bottle cap, like "ST" for stout, or "A" for apfelwein. pretty easy

 

[Iordz]

i just right a meaningful code on the bottle cap, like "ST" for stout, or "A" for apfelwein. pretty easy

That's what I do, I wouldn't make a label for a beer unless it was really special (like a saison in champagne bottles).

 

[homebrewer_99]

I've been using the 1" Avery dots for my crown caps for years.

The labels come with a template website that conneects itself to WORD and places a button on your task bar.

You can get 4 small lines on a label. I use the batch number, name and date.

 

[Melana]

We use the dots and have color coded styles and then we number the brews to keep the batches straight... for example we use green for IPA's and then number them accordingly.

 

[jfish63]

I have used the dots on the lids for years. I just use a sharpy and and 3 letter code for beer id.

 

[maltMonkey]

Writing on the bottle cap has been mentioned and it's what I do. I just started numbering every batch starting with #1 and write the batch # on the bottle caps. I have a binder full of brewing notes for each batch so if I forget I can easily look it up again. The nice thing is that you don't have to worry about taking any labels off the bottle when you're done.

They also make different colored bottle caps which would be the simplest & quickest of all.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Right, but running them through the computer and printer saves time from writing on each cap.

 

[maltMonkey]

I don't know, I can write a number on a bottle cap faster than I can peel off a sticker and press it on....I can also have 2 cases of bottle caps marked faster than I set up a label and print it off.

I'd say it's a push.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I don't know, I can write a number on a bottle cap faster than I can peel off a sticker and press it on....I can also have 2 cases of bottle caps marked faster than I set up a label and print it off.

I'd say it's a push.

OK, let's just say you won't get writer's cramp from printing them out...

 

[fezzman]

I've been using the 1" Avery dots for my crown caps for years.

The labels come with a template website that conneects itself to WORD and places a button on your task bar.

You can get 4 small lines on a label. I use the batch number, name and date.

That makes two of us. I think the label number is something like 5472.

Then I take a cheapy clear spray paint and spray the sheet of labels before applying. This helps them last a bit longer if they find their way into a cooler.

 

[maltMonkey]

OK, let's just say you won't get writer's cramp from printing them out...

Ah, touché

 

[Kubed]

I can't believe I didn't think about doing throw away labels on the bottle caps. That sounds about a million times easier than bottle labels. .... ugh, i feel so dumb right now.

--"Dr. Kubed"

 

[[email protected]]

Combine the color codes WITH the writing to really ensure there's no confusion. Orange ST is the stout you bottled in January. Green ST is the oatmeal stout from October.

Just my two bits. I've done stickers and stuff, but I just like labels, since I share a lot of my beer. Not much harder to stick on than stickers, and a lot easier to take off.

 

[Smogre]

Yep. 1" Avery labels are easy.
With the templates I put the name, bottle date and soon to come, yeast strain. I will be making starters from previous brews.
I have not used colored labels yet and I like the idea.

Green - IPA
Yellow - Blondes or wheats
Orange - Stouts/Porters

 

[smokenotfire]

[I just use different colored caps

 

[Dr Vorlauf]

I don't know, I can write a number on a bottle cap faster than I can peel off a sticker and press it on....I can also have 2 cases of bottle caps marked faster than I set up a label and print it off.

I'd say it's a push.

Impossible to identify the beer by name, date and brewery by writing on the cap vs printing out the cap labels in 30 sec.

 

[Crazytwoknobs]

I take the long avery labels, the ones that fit about 150 on a sheet, and write vertically really tiny on them, you can fit 5-7, 5 character words on there. I do it on the train or while waiting for stuff like coffee/food. Then I push it partially onto the cap, place a knife between the word I want on the cap and the word I'll use on the next one, and yank. You get a little white box of text on the cap.

The extras I put on the inside of a cabinet door, so I can remember what W07 means.

 

[mrk305]

+1 on writing on the bottle caps with a permanent marker. The caps need to be dry, though. I used to use stickers, but the marker is quicker.

 

[BrianP]

I also do the labels on caps with a laser printer and MS Word template.

With small enough font you can fit a lot of info it it. Looks nice too, plus no de-labeling of bottles.

 

[Greggy]

Damn... and I have my new labeling technique.

Greg

 

[Plan9]

I've printed cap labels for mine.
I didn't try to get a bunch of info on mine.
I don't think any one wants to read a bunch of small print while trying to get a bottle out of the beer fridge.
Plus photoshop is kinda fun.

 

[[email protected]]

Plan9, excellent examples! A beer with that on its cap is labeled as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Revvy]

What's the Avery product code for the one inch? I was looking for the tmeplates online, and they don't list a 1"...they have a 3/4" or 1 1/2"...

 

[kappclark]

I guess I don't need to worry as much about inventory as some others here -- I just use a different colored Sharpie with 2-3 letter code on the bottle cap

I like the colored bottle cap idea, but do not know where to get them ..



I do print up labels for special events, and there seem to be more of these lately, now that folks have tasted the homebrew !

My Benedict Arnold Brown Ale label was alot of fun to make..

 

[Plan9]

What's the Avery product code for the one inch? I was looking for the tmeplates online, and they don't list a 1"...they have a 3/4" or 1 1/2"...

The labels are Avery 05410
The template is 5112