Oxy Clean takes labels off bottles

[el_kirk]

Yeah, I know you all knew that, but since I started brewing again I've been kegging almost exclusively and OxyClean didn't exist when I was brewing in my previous life, so I just figured it out.

3 gallons or so of water and a quarter scoop of Oxy Clean seemed like overkill in hindsight, but I'm not complaining. The labels literally fell off when I lifted the bottles out of the bucket. Quick hit with a scrubby and the glue came off just as easily.

I looked in the stickies for this forum and there wasn't anything already listed about this, so I figured I'd post this to help out the ONE other person in the world that didn't know this.

Kirk

 

[funkbier]

Oxiclean is great for taking off labels, kicks pretty much any labels ass except for Rodenbach. Somehow they've developed some crazy adhesive that survives a soak in Oxiclean for over a week!

 

[northernlad]

So does cold water...

 

[Brewdouche-RuBrew]

I discovered this to, cause I hate to scrap off labels & scrub scrub scrub. I use to just use bleach and hot water, worked ok. Then one day I was out of bleach and vwala.

 

[MeadWitch]

This is great to know as I am collecting beer bottles for a batch of cider. I need a case of them and am having a heck of a time getting the labels off of most of them. I just put 6 bottles in the recycling bin cause I couldn't get the labels and glue off. Austin Amber & Fireman 4 labels literally fall off........the glue is water based I've been told.

 

[el_kirk]

MeadWitch, YOU are the reason I posted this...I wonder if I can help two people...


Kirk

ps -- by the way, I'm an apostate Texan myself!

 

[JoshuaWhite5522]

I typically use PBW, has the same effect as OXY. I do notice that after about a case of bottles everything starts to get sticky once it dries. I'm assuming it's the glue that holds the labels. Anyone notice this with oxy? Maybe I should switch.....

 

[Brewdouche-RuBrew]

I typically use PBW, has the same effect as OXY. I do notice that after about a case of bottles everything starts to get sticky once it dries. I'm assuming it's the glue that holds the labels. Anyone notice this with oxy? Maybe I should switch.....

I've never had residual stickyness, but some times you can still see the glue lines on the bottle so I only have to lightly have to rub with a green scrubby. Just be careful case they are slippery.

 

[Bassman]

I just de-labeled 36 bottles with PBW. The first 18 were in the PBW for 2 days because of schedule and came off good, the rest were in for a day and needed some help coming off with a scrub pad. Also, Brooklyn Breweries' labels are pretty sparkly and tough to get off but Sam Adams and Bud American Amber came off with no difficulty. I rinsed everything, both inside and outside, with very hot water to really get it clean.

btw, the PBW mixture that I used was first used to get rid of some scorching in a brew pot, then put in a second brew pot to get rid of some scorching and then used for the de-labeling. So it is pretty reusable, but by the end it was pretty skanky.

 

[grathan]

I have had a pbw mixture taking off labels for well over a week now. Still works as good as day one, but the bottles need rinsing while they are still wet.