leaving labels on?

[BetterSense]

I'm at a new low of laziness. I have a batch that I really need to bottle, but I don't have enough de-labeled bottles for it. I think I have enough bottles if I can use some sam adams and sierra nevada bottles that still have the labels on, but I need someone to tell me it's ok.

 

[TyTanium]

Two comments, take your pick:

1) Dude, spend an hour and take the labels off. Hot water does most of the work for you anyway, especially with the SN labels. Waiting another day or two to bottle doesn't hurt the beer. It's your beer, cowboy up and take some pride in it.

2) It's the inside that counts. Won't affect your beer one bit. Make sure they're clean and don't worry about the labels...just drink those yourself.

 

[Rickochet]

First and foremost--select beer that has easy to remove labels. After much extensive research :cross:, Sam Adams clearly has the easiest label to remove. They remove themselves if you follow the method below.

I found that the most effective method is to first rinse your bottles when empty--that prevents mold growth. I then place them in a 5 gallon bucket and when I have enough bottles to fill the bucket (bottles sitting upright) I sprinkle a heaping table spoon of Oxyclean into the bottles/bucket and then fill the bottles with hot water. I use a hose that is attached to my sink faucet that helps me directly fill each bottle which prevents them from turning upside down if the bucket was just filled with water. After the bottles are full, just let the hot water run until the bottles are completely underwater.

Now you will have a bucket full of bottles--let them sit over night and when you look at them again, many of the labels will already have peeled free. (All the Sam Adams labels will be floating) For the more difficult labels, it may take a little additional scrapping with a razor blade. I then use a scrub pad to remove any traces of the glue residue followed by a hot water rinse. I then rinse the bottles using some StarSan in my bottle tree Vinator and place the bottles on my bottle tree for drying. After drying I store them in empty cases until I am ready to refill them. Just before refilling I give them a couple of pumps of StarSan from the Vinator to make sure there are no critters inside and fill them with my beer of the month.

That sounds like a lot of work, but if you work on them when you have a bucket or two of bottles, it doesn't take long at all. It is typically a one beer operation! BTW--works great for wine bottles too!

 

[CadillacAndy]

Leave them on if it doesn't matter to you. I have 4 cases that still have the labels on them. They're Heineken bottles, so they're a giant pain to remove. I use them when I have about a case left in a keg that I want to free up. I just make sure I mark the caps so I know what's inside. As long as you're not entering them in a competition, and as long as the inside is clean, who cares?

 

[BrewerBear]

I could care less if the labels are still on my bottles, I just make sure they are clean

 

[TBaGZ]

I just cleaned a bunch of bottles for my first batch and have come to the conclusion that from now on I am only removing labels if they are paper. I cut my thumb open trying to razor off the plastic stickers.

 

[E-Mursed]

Leaving them on is not a major issue...but come on, Sam Adams????

They are the absolute easiest to remove.

 

[TyTanium]

Plus they have "Samuel Adams" in raised letters on the neck. I pass on Sam.

 

[TBaGZ]

Amstel labels can blow me!

 

[FlyDoctor]

Who the hell cares? You pour it in a glass anyway, and as long as you know what is in it, what does it matter what bottles they are carved and chilled in? Do you decorate your keg so it's personalized for your beer? Jut drink it and move on...

 

[mb82]

I have got bottles from the 80s that still have the labels on. They have gone through the dish washer 30+ times and they are still in good condition. They are old Miller Lite bottles so it is fun to pull them out at parties because people think I have some throwback bottles. Nope sorry there is actually good beer in here. Labels these days come off too danged easy.
Yes I use newer Sam bottles even though they have the raised lettering. One of the cool things about home brewing at least to me is the fact I am reusing a product and not putting it through an energy intensive process to be able use it again. Thus those raised letters are a badge of honor to me.

 

[Rickochet]

I like that--raised letters are a badge of honor!!! Some think it's a trip to the emergency room.....

 

[MaverickBrew]

Ammonia, hot water, Brillo pad and rinse well. Like a drunk woman's undies they come right off. You can do 24 bottles in about five minutes.

 

[Rickochet]

Ammonia, hot water, Brillo pad and rinse well. Like a drunk woman's undies they come right off. You can do 24 bottles in about five minutes.

Wow--that is fast!!!! 5 minutes x 60 seconds = 300 seconds / 24 bottles =12.5 Seconds per bottle

I don't think I can take my own underwear off that fast!

 

[Jaybird]

Ya know I may be a total snob here, but when people come into the store and bring me a beer to "sample" and the label is still on the bottle, I always question the process of cleaning and sanitizing. I don't know man, maybe its just me but I guess if someone doesn't have the time to take the label off (PBW+Hot Water+30 min) I wonder how well the got the inside too.
I do know if the label is on the bottle at a competition you'll be docked points.
FWIW
Cheers
Jay

 

[passedpawn]

Ya know I may be a total snob here, but when people come into the store and bring me a beer to "sample" and the label is still on the bottle, I always question the process of cleaning and sanitizing. I don't know man, maybe its just me but I guess if someone doesn't have the time to take the label off (PBW+Hot Water+30 min) I wonder how well the got the inside too.
I do know if the label is on the bottle at a competition you'll be docked points.
FWIW
Cheers
Jay

A agree with the bird. Bird is the word. Bird bird bird.

 

[paulster2626]

You know, when someone gives me a beer to try with the label removed, I think to myself that they may not have spent an appropriate amount of time cleaning the inside, and instead concentrated on the outside.

Label removal? PFFFT.

On a serious note: I usually mix 'em up - 50% are bottled with "naked" bottles, and the rest go in to "dirty still labelled" bottles. The ones with the labels are for my own personal quality control and evaluation. Others can drink the sexy nudes.

 

[Revvy]

I usually mix 'em up - 50% are bottled with "naked" bottles, and the rest go in to "dirty still labelled" bottles.

I'm pretty much the same way too these days. I have cases of delabled, and I have a few cases with the labels still on that I was going to "get around" to processing, and I never did....then one day I wanted to bottle and all that was open was those, so the rest is history. Now they're pretty mixed up. Though I try to have at least a 6 packs worth of naked bottles for every batch I brew in case I want to enter some in contests.

 

[bcgpete]

Plus they have "Samuel Adams" in raised letters on the neck. I pass on Sam.

I got rid of about 5 cases of bottles a friend gave me (already de-labeled) just because of the stupid etchings in them. I only use clean, de-delabeled bottles free of (etchings) imperfections.