Removing labels

[enohcs]

As anyone found an easy way to remove labels from bottles? I currently soak, scrape, dishwash to remove residual glue...it's a tedious process

 

[beergolf]

Soak in Oxyclean for about an hour or two. Labels slide right off. Rinse and then they are ready to be sanitized for your next brew.

Easy.."

 

[mike20793]

I just soak in water about 140 degrees in my bathtub. After a day, I can easily pull the labels off (if they haven't already fallen off). Then I fill up the tub and add some goo gone and use a brillo pad to scrub off the glue. Some come off super easy (like Magic Hat), but some are super tough (Harpoon Leviathan IPA). All in all, the process isn't bad.

 

[GulfCoastGirl]

I had some Bass and Hoegaarden bottles the other day that I put in a Home Depot bucket and filled with hot water (submersed the bottles.. about 9 of them) and a small scoop (old coffee scoop) of PBW. Covered the bucket (so my dog wouldn't try to drink from it) and left it overnight.

The next day when I uncovered it most of the labels were floating in the bucket. The ones that were still on the bottles slide off as I pulled the bottles out. There was ZERO residue on the bottles.

Hooked up the bottle washer and rinsed them with hot water. Super easy and absolutely no scrubbing.

I believe OxyClean Free will do the same.

 

[res291que]

I use a rubbermaid tote with bleach (20-30 ml per gallon of water) and water mix. Soak for about an hour labels peel off easily then use a scrub pad to remove glue, rinse and dry.

 

[enohcs]

I'll try the oxyclean and see how it goes. I've got PBW, but the stuff is so f'n expensive I only use it on my fermentors. thanks for the help.

 

[GulfCoastGirl]

I'll try the oxyclean and see how it goes. I've got PBW, but the stuff is so f'n expensive I only use it on my fermentors. thanks for the help.

Try to get the one marked with FREE on the label. I've been reading a bunch of threads here and everyone mentions using OxyClean FREE. I think it's free of dyes and perfumes that you wouldn't want to use on your bottles

 

[Cromwell]

Are you talking your own labels or commercial ones? If your own, you know about milk?

 

[HollisBT]

I'll try the oxyclean and see how it goes. I've got PBW, but the stuff is so f'n expensive I only use it on my fermentors. thanks for the help.

Next time you clean your fermenters, save the PBS solution to wash your bottles with.

 

[nvr2low]

Try to get the one marked with FREE on the label. I've been reading a bunch of threads here and everyone mentions using OxyClean FREE. I think it's free of dyes and perfumes that you wouldn't want to use on your bottles

i dont think it matters as you should be rinsing and sanitizing them anyway.

I use oxyclean, GF just tried it for the first time over the weekend and was hooked right away.

 

[rifraf]

Another vote for OxyClean. Hot water and a few scoops, labels fell off in about 10 minutes except for Two Brothers...pretty sure those are cemented on.

 

[enohcs]

Next time you clean your fermenters, save the PBS solution to wash your bottles with.

Genious!

 

[enohcs]

Try to get the one marked with FREE on the label. I've been reading a bunch of threads here and everyone mentions using OxyClean FREE. I think it's free of dyes and perfumes that you wouldn't want to use on your bottles

Good call on the free.

 

[maffewl]

Hot water and Sun Oxygen Cleaner (Walmart's Oxyclean)

 

[OlatheSurferDude]

Oxy clean free and really hot water in the sink. By the time the water is cool enough to touch bare skinned labels fall right off.

 

[PollardsVision]

An hour soak in hot water to loosen the labels (or fall off) and a quick scrape with a razor blade to get the glue off does the trick easy enough for me.

 

[C-Rider]

Guess Reevy got tired of posting his answer to this. He usually tells you to doa seach, topic has been covered a million time. :0)

 

[C-Rider]

Get a 5 gal bucket fill w/OxyClean and soak a few days. Most come right off, just rinse and they are ready to fill after Star San soak. That is if you have the room for the bucket. No work, no hot water, no sweat.

 

[anteup]

Thanks for the thread. Was wondering the same thing. Used search first before posting.

 

[HollisBT]

Genious!

I also re-use my pbw solution to soak some of my cookware that is hard to clean. That stuff works miracles on baked on messes.

 

[amedelman]

I soak mine in the tub in really hot water with oxyclean. Give them an hour or two, and most of the labels come right off. I've noticed that harpoon labels tend to be a little stickier, and need some scrubbing, but almost everything else is pretty easy.

 

[tonyc318]

I soak mine in the tub in really hot water with oxyclean. Give them an hour or two, and most of the labels come right off. I've noticed that harpoon labels tend to be a little stickier, and need some scrubbing, but almost everything else is pretty easy.

I did this exact same method the other night. Worked really well. Labels came off easy and junk that was inside a few bottles from my uncle floated right out too.

 

[enohcs]

Is it bad that my decisions in the liquor store are influenced heavily by whose labels come off easiest?
Even worse, come competition time, I'll avoid any bottle with raised letters or designs on the glass.

 

[SittingDuck]

On the subject of saving oxyclean/PBW, I save up bottles until it's time to clean the fermenters (I use buckets) or bottling bucket and then load the bottles into the buckets, fill the whole thing up with hot water and oxy, and kill two birds with one stone.

Come back later, pull out the floating labels, scrub everything down, and rinse. Clean equipment, clean bottles, no real work for me.

 

[tonyc318]

On the subject of saving oxyclean/PBW, I save up bottles until it's time to clean the fermenters (I use buckets) or bottling bucket and then load the bottles into the buckets, fill the whole thing up with hot water and oxy, and kill two birds with one stone.

Come back later, pull out the floating labels, scrub everything down, and rinse. Clean equipment, clean bottles, no real work for me.

That's brilliant!