This sucks 1st time bottling

[paulster2626]

All of these ideas wouldn't work for me, until I learned magic. Now I just use the Dark Arts to remove labels and sanitize. It's quick and mess-free.

 

[VillageBrew]

I couldn't imagine actually sitting there trying to do this all at once. I have a 5 gallon bucket that is full of water and a little bleach to ward off flying creatures that bite. I just let them soak a day or so. When I finish drinking a fresh brew, I put in the empty and take one out. The labels practically fall off. It is like a bottle pipe line! We have some really goods beers that come in 22 oz bottles that are around $3. Building my bottle supply has been fun! I think, for what I can remember.

 

[n00tz]

I'm new to the hobby (in experience) but what experience I do have is removing labels from bottles.

Take a 5 gallon bucket (I don't plan on using it for brewing/fermenting) and fill it with 4 gallons of hot water. Add oxyclean. I use the measuring cup that came with the box to the first line. Stir to dissolve oxyclean, if necessary. Add bottles and leave overnight. In the morning the labels will be easy to remove, if they haven't fallen off on their own. I use a baby-gate as my drying rack, then transfer them to the sixer/twelver box upside-down for storage.

I do 14 bottles at a time (or 12 12oz and a 22oz bomber) with this method.

 

[amingo]

+1 Oxyclean

Fill brewpot with oxy and hot water. Drop in bottles. Cover. 24 hours later, labels are floating around and a simple wipe with a sponge will remove glue residue as you rinse with warm water.

 

[Big_Belgian]

I found a very good solution to this problem about a month ago. Taking a note from Mark Twain (Tom Sawyer's whitewashing), I convinced my 6 year old son that he is the world's most awesome label remover and its become a very fun activity for him (at least until he catches on to my ruse). He pulls them out of the soaking tub and vigorously removes the labels and hands the bottle to me. I rinse and put on the drying tree, then take another drink while he works on the next one. He actually chose this activity over the Wii one night last week. I've just got to get enough bottles done before he catches on. Huge eyerolls from the wife.

 

[Backslider]

I use a baby-gate as my drying rack, then transfer them to the sixer/twelver box upside-down for storage.

I am a poor student (not starving or anything) and relatively new father. I have been using a second-hand stainless steel dish strainer for drying bottles... I can dry about 15 bottles at a time. Of course I plan on eventually upgrading to kegs but for now I have been trying to improvise something for bottle drying.

Why didn't I think of this? I have baby gates at the top of the stairs, the kitchen entryway, on the entry for the back patio. An extended baby gate would be perfect for seating an up-ended bottle. Thanks for the idea!

 

[paulster2626]

I am a poor student (not starving or anything) and relatively new father. I have been using a second-hand stainless steel dish strainer for drying bottles... I can dry about 15 bottles at a time. Of course I plan on eventually upgrading to kegs but for now I have been trying to improvise something for bottle drying.

Why didn't I think of this? I have baby gates at the top of the stairs, the kitchen entryway, on the entry for the back patio. An extended baby gate would be perfect for seating an up-ended bottle. Thanks for the idea!

I just took a couple 2x4 scrap pieces I had lying around, screwed 'em together, and then put a bunch of 3" screws in to the wood. Screws hold the bottles, wood absorbs the water. You can get 24 screws in a small area. It works quite well, and costs nothing.

Of course, I only wash/rinse about maximum 6 bottles at a time. I find it better to keep on top of this ****ty task rather than doing it all at once.

 

[Backslider]

It's ok for the bottle tops to touch the wood?

The only reason I didn't do something similar is that I worried about the bottles touching the wood and the wood soaking up water and getting nasty over time. Being a noob I'm probably just being way too careful.

 

[BasementBrewmistress]

It's ok for the bottle tops to touch the wood?

The only reason I didn't do something similar is that I worried about the bottles touching the wood and the wood soaking up water and getting nasty over time. Being a noob I'm probably just being way too careful.

Actually, this is what the guy at our local shop told us to do. Guess you could probably put a seal on the wood to extend its useful lifetime.

Then again, I'm too new to give qualified advice...that's just what we were told to try on a short-term basis.

 

[n00tz]

An extended baby gate would be perfect for seating an up-ended bottle. Thanks for the idea!

That's exactly how I use it. I prop it up on two chairs I have in the basement, fully extended. Mine holds about 45 bottles at a time.

I want a bottle tree, but I'm starting to think I might be kegging sooner than a bottle tree would pay for itself.

 

[Zixxer10R]

Aren't most baby gates plastic now?

 

[paulster2626]

It's ok for the bottle tops to touch the wood?

The only reason I didn't do something similar is that I worried about the bottles touching the wood and the wood soaking up water and getting nasty over time. Being a noob I'm probably just being way too careful.

The wood dries out fairly quickly - it's not a whole lot of water anyway. If I put a bunch of bottles on it and soak the wood, it'll be bone-dry by the morning. Plus, I think I read somewhere that wood has naturally-occuring anti-bacterial properties (here's something). Anyway I'm only a few batches in, but no problems so far.

 

[SgtB]

Bacteria loves wood.

 

[BritBrewer]

Tried and tested method with Canadian and British bottles:

1) Submerge bottles for approx 4 hours (I leave overnight) in cold water with a good squirt of washing up liquid + white spirit.
2) Submerge any bottles still with labels in warm/hot water (a kettle full of boiling water into a sink and top up with cold).
3) Rinse
4) Sanitise

I tend to do steps 1 and 2 after I finish every crate of beer and then leave in garage until needed for bottling.

 

[Jota21]

After pouring a beer, I rinse the bottle, open the dishwasher and set it on the rack until it's dry. After that, it goes into an old case until it's time for bottling again

 

[jonmohno]

I just use my dishstrainer after using a bottlebrush/baking soda hot water.If you balance them upside down leaning against each otherthey all fit stategicly laying against each other.YOu can sanirinse them dry then store then resanitized on bottleing day. thats all you gotta do. Its easiest if you always use a glass and dont put your dirtymouth on the botttles. You virtually have a clean bottle if you rinse well with hot water after you use them shortly.

 

[KsHopHead]

I rent a local bio-lab facility for my label-removing process to ensure protection against infections, and store my bottles in a deep-freeze locker, with each bottle wrapped with a condom for extra protection. I always wear full haz-mat gear during the bottling process and incinerate all of my used equipment after every batch. So far I'm 100% infection-free.

That's some funny shizznit, and trust me, I know my shizznit, cause I'm full of shizznit!!

Peace all, I'm Audi!!

 

[KsHopHead]

I found a very good solution to this problem about a month ago. Taking a note from Mark Twain (Tom Sawyer's whitewashing), I convinced my 6 year old son that he is the world's most awesome label remover and its become a very fun activity for him (at least until he catches on to my ruse). He pulls them out of the soaking tub and vigorously removes the labels and hands the bottle to me. I rinse and put on the drying tree, then take another drink while he works on the next one. He actually chose this activity over the Wii one night last week. I've just got to get enough bottles done before he catches on. Huge eyerolls from the wife.

Damn, nice ruse!! And just when I find myself all out of slave labor!! (my son is 13 and will not fall for that "you are the best ever" any more) too bad, I've got a front yard full of leaves, just itching' to be raked!!

 

[HopSong]

Oxyclean worked great for me.. EXCEPT for the labels on Heineken bottles.. I had to get a good start with a knife and peal off.. then a scrubbie to get any residue off. All other types came off easily except one type that had metallic paper.. can't remember which that was.

 

[asterix404]

Big_Belgian, I wish I had your stamina for bottling. Incinerating everything is the only plausible way to guarantee that everything is reduced to carbon form. I will try that with my burner and siphon hose... if I am very lucky I will siphon off some of the hot air which will sanitize the tubing. It will be awesome!

 

[flyingfinbar]

Honestly, HOT water and Oxyclean has worked for me in less than an hour. Like everyone else has said, the labels literally fall off. Make sure you rinse several times, and SANITIZE before you bottle! A vinator with some Star San solution worked wonders for me a couple days ago.

 

[Mandrew]

My question is... Why waste time taking the labels off? Its not like your selling them and your drinking them yourself/good friends. Its your first bottling session so its your first beer so the only thing that is important is whats inside the bottle. Honestly I have done 15 batches all bottled and I have only taken the labels off once to clean bottles and that was because of making a batch for a buddy for his wedding and I made my own labels. I use a Sharpy marker and label the cap. Its the only thing you see when you look inside of a box or a six pack holder.

There's my 2 cents

 

[SocalNat]

Thats dumb. They are like 50 cents a bottle. Why pay for something you can get for free.

How much is your time worth especially when that time could be spent brewing beer? You take 3 hours to do 20 bottles but you can buy 20 bottles for $10 (and you get to use those bottles over and over again). JMHO

 

[SocalNat]

My question is... Why waste time taking the labels off? Its not like your selling them and your drinking them yourself/good friends. Its your first bottling session so its your first beer so the only thing that is important is whats inside the bottle. Honestly I have done 15 batches all bottled and I have only taken the labels off once to clean bottles and that was because of making a batch for a buddy for his wedding and I made my own labels. I use a Sharpy marker and label the cap. Its the only thing you see when you look inside of a box or a six pack holder.

There's my 2 cents

I've used Stone 22 oz. bottles (Shhhh) and those labels don't even come off.

 

[mistercameron]

I've used Stone 22 oz. bottles (Shhhh) and those labels don't even come off.

Well, a strong solution of starsan will do it after a few days. A gentle scrub with a Brillo pad and you've got a clean bottle.

 

[dfc]

This is how I de-label mine as well. OxiClean and super hot water. Lid it up and wait a day and you can simply peel off the labels and get most gunk out of the inside of the bottle.

Seconded.

 

[Beezy]

I've used Stone 22 oz. bottles (Shhhh) and those labels don't even come off.

BS I have taken them off. Soak them in Starsan for a week and the paint will come off with a sponge.

 

[Beezy]

How much is your time worth especially when that time could be spent brewing beer? You take 3 hours to do 20 bottles but you can buy 20 bottles for $10 (and you get to use those bottles over and over again). JMHO

I don't want to spend 50 bucks on bottles when I could spend it on a couple cornies or ingredients or whatever. If you have the money go for it. I am very strapped for cash personally. I have about 300 bottles now. All free. That's a couple hundred dollars I have saved. It doesn't take much time. You still have to clean bottles either way. I have a big tote. I fill it up with bottles and oxyclean and let them sit for a few days. Pull them out and rinse real good. Sanitize and it's ready to go. You only have to take the labels off once. You can even leave them on if it doesn't bother you. If the labels don't come off easy I just recycle them.

You know I see it constantly everyone wants to make it easier and quicker. That's fine but it's all about the process for me. It's a labor of love. I hand crank my grain too. If you want it easy, just go to the distrib and buy it already made.

 

[unionrdr]

It's not a matter of being lazy at all. It's a matter of not bustin your hump if you don't have too. Don't work harder,work smarter. That's more enjoyable to me.

 

[Beezy]

It's not a matter of being lazy at all. It's a matter of not bustin your hump if you don't have too. Don't work harder,work smarter. That's more enjoyable to me.

That's not what I am saying. That is ironically my motto. But I make beer for fun and I go out of my way to extend my brewing activities. Besides I don't know if paying 25 for a case of bottles is working "smarter".