Removing Labels?

[humboldthomebrew]

HumboldtHomeBrew Here, new to HBT, does any have a surefire way to remove label from store-bought beer bottle. and I mean really get all the paper and adhesive off.
Thanks- HHB

 

[Ize]

Welcome!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=8378&highlight=removing+labels

That thread should help. I usually do an oxyclean and water soak, but heck, sometimes just warm water will do it. Good luck, and welcome aboard!

Ize

 

[Pumbaa]

Oxyclean, warm water, a bathtub, and time is all ya need . . . depending if you do 3 cases at a time like I do the bath tub may not be neccessary

 

[JimiGibbs]

I use a cooler. A couple days in oxyclean and they fall right off....

 

[TheJadedDog]

I use a dishtray, some oxyclean, and warm water. Whatever doesn't peel right off after 12 hours or so, I use a product called goo-gone (available at Target and probably Wal-Mart) that will take any remaining adhesive right off.

 

[Wheat King]

i just soak my bottles in my sink with warm water. then after about 30 minutes i peel off what i can with my fingers, and scrub the rest with a dish scrubber brush

 

[todd_k]

bleachwater for a day or 2 gets most of them loose or even completely off. then i use a scraper for some of the more stubborn labels.

 

[Flyin' Lion]

I soak the bottles in hot soapy water for a couple of hours and what doesn't come off after the soak,comes off with a scotch brite pad. So far I haven't met a lable I couldn't remove.

 

[debtman7]

15 minutes or so in a one step cleaner soak seems to do the trick for most bottles. I'm becoming more and more convinced that one step is the same thing as oxyclean...

 

[aekdbbop]

anyone got any help with printed bottles? (ie redstripe)

 

[bobbyc]

I'm not sure if Redstripe is printed the same way as Rogue is, but I've scraped those off with a sharp, flat knife. My girlfriend thought there might be a better way, and discovered that fingernail polish remover worked even better.

 

[Wheat King]

So far I haven't met a lable I couldn't remove.

The ONLY bottles i have not been able to remove the labels from are Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA. there is some serious intense glue on that one, and a laminate layer on top.

 

[bobbyc]

Ever try a Stone bottle? Not labels, but they use some serious ink on there. I couldn't scrape it off... made me do this face:

 

[Ize]

Two Brothers... 2 week soak, AND ended up having to grab the label with pliers just to get the buggers off....

Same Face.


Ize

 

[TheJadedDog]

15 minutes or so in a one step cleaner soak seems to do the trick for most bottles. I'm becoming more and more convinced that one step is the same thing as oxyclean...

They are very similar, but oxyclean is actually a bit more abrasive, that's why most folks who use it use it as a cleaner, whereas they use onestep as a sanitizer.

 

[bikebryan]

I use a cooler. A couple days in oxyclean and they fall right off....

Oxyclean loses it's power after a couple of hours. If you are waiting a couple of days, just stop using the oxyclean and soak in water (which it seems you are doing anyway). That way you'll save a little money.

 

[the_bird]

You know, it seems to me that the labels either come off very easily (i.e. just hot water and a little dish soap, like DFH labels), or they are going to be a PITA and soaking for days doesn't help. The last time I did a mega-batch, I soaked for a couple days in some ammonia water, and it didn't really seem to help. Those that would come off easy anyway did, and those that weren't coming off needed some assistance (little squirt of WD-40, followed by a VERY thorough washing). So, I'm done with soaking, I take them off as I go.

 

[disaffected]

I let a large tub of assorted bottles soak for three or four days in the backyard. The water stank by the time I got around to removing the labels. Some labels were floating in the water, the remainder came of fairly easily, but some still had to be peeled or scraped. The tin foil around the top of the Spaten bottles was a bitch to remove. The glue on some of the bottles required serious scrubbing to get it to come off.

I tried using naptha (zippo-style lighter fluid) to remove glue residue on some, but it still took some effort.

Next time I washed bottles, I left them in the sink for a few hours with hot water and oxyclean. The labels came right off just by touching them or gently pulling them, and the glue was removed easily by wiping the bottle with my hand. Even the foil came off pretty easily. Using oxyclean is definitely not the same as using just plain water.

 

[Brew-boy]

The best thing that works for me is a good soak with warm water and Ammonia.

 

[Hopfan]

I'm not sure if Redstripe is printed the same way as Rogue is, but I've scraped those off with a sharp, flat knife. My girlfriend thought there might be a better way, and discovered that fingernail polish remover worked even better.

The nail polish remover will work as it attacks the glue, and straight acetone may work a bit faster, but be careful. The acetone is readily absorbed directly through the skin and easily passes through all cell membranes in your body eventually ending up in your liver. Being beer drinkers, we all test the capacity of our livers anyway, but adding acetone to the mix is just asking for serious problems as it is more difficult for the liver to break down and eliminate.

Didn't I read a post on here before about TSP taking labels off? That's a bit less harsh to our systems.

 

[seyahmit]

I like to use OxyClean. 99% of the labels are either floating in the water or can be easily pulled off. I'm starting to save the labels and this method works great for that.

 

[fezzman]

I soak in hot soapy water for about 20 minutes. Then I peel/scrape off most of it with my finger nails. After that, everything remaining comes off in a few seconds with an SOS Oxy pad.

 

[usnsti]

Another way to do it that works great for me:

Put the bottles in the dishwasher. If you have it use the extra hot setting. Don't use soap obviously. You can also do it in the rinse only cycle to save time if you washer will dry after "rinse only". Then when the bottles have been rinsed, about halfway through the drying cycle, open up the dishwasher and they should peel right off. The soaking with water, combined with the steamy environment of the drying cycle gets them so loose some may just fall off on their own! Make sure to check the bottom of the dishwasher for loose labels. I have had great success with this method. Just don't forget to pull them out before the drying cycle dries them or you have to start all over.

Cheers