De-Labeling Bottles/Sanitizing them

[SailorJerry]

Hey everyone!

A friend of mine gave me about a case or case and a half of Sam Adam's bombers, still labeled, and dusty as can be. Just wondering what the quickest and easiest way to take the label's off these bad boys are? I have them soaking in hot enough water that it burns to dip my hand in it.

Also, I have bought two cases of bottles from my LHBS, also which need to be sanitized but don't have labels on them. I'm going to pop them in the dishwasher, give him a good cleaning. Re-run it on super hot with no soap for a high heat rinsing.

I know a lot of people rave about StarSan. Not sure on how to use it nor have I seen any for sale yet, but I guess I haven't really looked either.

Input appreciated!

**Side note** I found some -2 Below by New Belgium, that stuff is simply delicious.

 

[Pappers_]

Or taking off labels, I fill a large cooler or tub with warm water and oxyclean, then submerse the bottles in it. Leave it to soak overnight, the labels come right off and all you have to do is rinse well. Empty the tub, refill with new oxyclean solution, put in more bottles, etc.

As for sanitizing, I know some people use the dishwasher. I use a product like san star called iodophor - both are made specifically for sanitizing beer equipment ( including bottles). IMHO, you need to get one or the other, not just for your bottles but For sanitizing your bucket, etc.

Cheers

 

[Daddymem]

1 Tablespoon of Oxiclean or no name equivalent (get a fragrance free version) in 5 gallons of hot water in a rubbermaid bin. Soak in that and the labels will come off easily and you get a good cleaning.

If you can't get StarSan or Iodophor, look up using bleach for sanitizing.

 

[Revvy]

Hot water and oxyclean soaked for overnight or longer for cleaning. I too use a big rubbermade bin for soaking. Then a jet bottle washer for rinsing. And either starsan or iodophor for sanitizing.

 

[earwig]

I throw the bottles in a tub/cooler/bucket of hot water and a scoop of oxiclean overnight. The labels fall off on their own and float to the top. If you plan on brewing for a long time a couple things you may want to buy (related to bottles):

Bottle Jet: http://www.homebrewing.org/Jet-Bottle-Washer_p_996.html

Starsan: http://www.homebrewers.com/category/beerlsupplies.17/

Bottle Sanitizer: http://www.williamsbrewing.com/BOTTLE_SANITIZER_P152C47.cfm

Bottle Tree: http://www.homebrewers.com/product/4812/Bottle-Tree-45-capacity.html

And some bottle brushes.

 

[SailorJerry]

Thanks for all the input thus far. I've got 7 de-labeled already, not the most fun thing I've done, but a good beer or two has been assisting that. I've just had them soaking in hot water, I'll use your guys advice for the next batch that I clean. I still need to get the wort chiller finished before I can really get brewing, but I can get the steps done to make it easier when it's time!

 

[bcrow79]

+1 for the Oxyclean.

 

[Banjoman76]

I've used good ol' WD-40 with great results. Then rinse with hot water.

 

[justinakajuice]

+111111111one111

Oxyclean was a life changer.

 

[RM-MN]

I use Oxyclean in hot/warm water to take the labels off, then scrub with a plastic scrubber/sponge to remove the last of the glue. Before I fill the bottles I give it another wash in Oxyclean, rinse, and use the bottle sanitizer, then put the sanitized bottles upside down in the dishwasher that has just run through it's cycle so it is clean. Haven't had an infection yet but I've only bottled about 300 or so bottles.

 

[snowboard419]

Star-San will take the painted on labels off of stone n corona bottles. just soak for a few hours or overnight. works great

 

[chrislehr]

I use fake credit cards from offer letters to scrape labels. Works awesome.

 

[walke2jd]

Has anyone done long term storage in oxyclean? I was thinking of leaving a giant tub of oxyclean water in the garage with a lid. After I finish a beer, I could rinse it and toss it in the tub. Then finish cleaning the bottles on brewday.

Would this work?

 

[Coff]

Has anyone done long term storage in oxyclean? I was thinking of leaving a giant tub of oxyclean water in the garage with a lid. After I finish a beer, I could rinse it and toss it in the tub. Then finish cleaning the bottles on brewday.

Would this work?

Youre better off just rinsing em after a night of drinking a setting them all aside, then when you have a good amount set them up in a bin with oxyclean. Thats exactly what I do.

Im kind of a nit about sanitization so I dont submerge the bottles in the bin, I fill them eah with water first then fill the bin up over the neck with water and oxyclean. The reason being is all the glue and label particles are floating in the water and I dont want them settling in the bottles.

 

[tojo]

Oxyclean or just soaking in water will remove the labels. The glue sometimes remains but i scrubbie pad will make light work of it. Have a few beers while cleaning the new ones!!!

 

[Pappers_]

Has anyone done long term storage in oxyclean? I was thinking of leaving a giant tub of oxyclean water in the garage with a lid. After I finish a beer, I could rinse it and toss it in the tub. Then finish cleaning the bottles on brewday.

Would this work?

If you do a search here for oxyclean, you'll find lots of threads and some of them talk about a problem some people have with oxyclean - it leaves a residue that just will not come off with plain rinsing or even scrubbing. The longer you leave the bottles in the solution, the more residue.

How people solve this problem is to, after soaking and rinsing, give the bottles a quick acid bath or rinse. I use a little vinegar and water bath in my utility sink.

 

[Pappers_]

Im kind of a nit about sanitization so I dont submerge the bottles in the bin, I fill them eah with water first then fill the bin up over the neck with water and oxyclean. The reason being is all the glue and label particles are floating in the water and I dont want them settling in the bottles.

But then you don't get the cleaning effect of the oxyclean inside your bottles.

 

[Clann]

If you do a search here for oxyclean, you'll find lots of threads and some of them talk about a problem some people have with oxyclean - it leaves a residue that just will not come off with plain rinsing or even scrubbing. The longer you leave the bottles in the solution, the more residue.

How people solve this problem is to, after soaking and rinsing, give the bottles a quick acid bath or rinse. I use a little vinegar and water bath in my utility sink.

+1 I threw away about a 12 pack of bottles that I left in oxy too long.
Then I found out about vinegar to remove the deposit.

 

[Coff]

But then you don't get the cleaning effect of the oxyclean inside your bottles.

Yea, I use a vinator with an oxy solution right before to get that part done.