This sucks 1st time bottling

[unionrdr]

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".

Ok,I see what you're saying. We & our son collect craft 12 packs in those sturdy boxes. So I soak the bottles,dobie & brush them,then onto the bottle tree to dry. I've got enough bottles for a few batches now. I've got it down easy enough where recycling bottles is just part of the process,as you say. Since it only has to be done once,it is indeed a cheaper way to go. The cleaner does most of the work,anyway.

 

[BamaRooster]

Am I making some kind of noob mistake using ammonia to remove labels? Reading through this thread, I seem to be in the minority. I've used both Oxyclean and Ammonia, and I've found ammonia to be more effective (though a bit pungent).

I also use ammonia and it works great..... I thank Papazian for that tip!!

 

[alers22]

I use TSP. Pour some in a bucket, mix with hot water and soak your bottles. I have even left them over night for maximum effectiveness but that is not necessary.

 

[unionrdr]

I used to buy big boxes of TSP to clean the stains off the driveway. Didn't think of using it this way. Interesting...

 

[Aunt_Ester]

Boiling? WTH? A big bin, hot water, oxyclean and overnight soak is all you need/

I'm surprised more of you don't boil. I do it just to be sure nothing's living after they've been sitting on my tree for a couple weeks. I boil, then dunk in bucket of sanitizer after they've cooled, pour and then put back on the tree. Then I begin bottling. Done it that way for 2 years. Guess I've been overzealous?

 

[unionrdr]

Sorta. I use PBW at recycling time to get them clean & slip the labels off. Then rinse,onto the bottle tree to dry,then store them in covered 12pack craft beer boxes. On bottling day,they're still clean,& get starsaned with the vinator. Every now & then I'll soak a batch of bottles in PBW just to make sure they're still clean. I always rinse them out after drinking as well. Then onto bottle tree bit again.

 

[Aunt_Ester]

You could, but for me, it makes it easier to distinguish between the beer I have in my fridge. Less confusion that way. For example, if I'm in the mood for a certain type of commercial pale ale, reach into the fridge and grab one, I'd be annoyed if I pop the cap only to see that it's really a porter I had made. If it has no label on it, I know to look at the cap.

This is borderline prima donna.

 

[Dan]

Oxyclean rocks! All my bottles are SNPA. I soaked around 65 of them in the garden sink with oxyclean, forgot about them a few days and the labels and glue were gone. Good rinse inside and out and they were ready to be sanitized.

 

[Fennis]

I guess as others have said, why go through all that when a tub with hot water and oxyclean will work just as well. Plan ahead the night or two before bottling, let them soak overnight, and when you get up in the morning almost all the labels will be floating at the top or will slide off the bottles. For the stubborn ones, get some steel wool and scrub the rest away.

 

[Beezy]

I have let them sit there for up to a week. I have a bin just for that. When it's not being used I just throw the empties in there.

Another tip. I got this little plastic scraper that came with a ceramic cooking dish. That works awesome on the stubborn ones.

 

[kh54s10]

I can't believe I just read through 11 pages of OxiClean soak and scrub pad then rinse posts with a few PBW's and some leave the labels on before I skipped to the last page and it was still the same!

DOH!

 

[bomberman]

This has probably been mentioned already, but what I've been doing is finding a commercial beer I enjoy that I know has easy cleaning bottles (in my case, Long Trail, the labels peel off clean and the glue takes almost no work to remove) and just buy a few 12 packs to drink while saving the bottles. I've come to despise bottling pretty quickly, so any work/money I can save myself in the process is a big plus.