Label Removal Experiment Results

drbell · Post by **drbell** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:38 pm

Hi folks,

I have finished the label experiment to find out the best way of attaching labels to home brew beer bottles, in terms of appearance and ease of removal.
The full results are available in 3 posts on my blog:
http://bellsbeer.wordpress.com/

I hope its ok to post links to outside sites on this forum, but I don't want to dump all the results here.

To summarise the results, label removal for standard stickers and paper attached with glue or milk is no problem at all. As for appearance, paper seems to be the way to go.
Oh, and milk doesn't smell as people correctly stated.

Post by **Jim** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:57 pm

Interesting experiment, DRB.

I use plain paper and a glue stick and have no problems.

booldawg · Post by **booldawg** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 5:18 pm

I went down the road of labels printed in Word and stuck on with milk. I've been a bit lazy with my last brew and gone back to my old method of using one particular colour of crown cap. As I only really have 3 or 4 brews on at the same time its not too difficult to remember what colour is what brew. I keep a running Excel spreadsheet of brew activities, also write notes in an A5 notepad. If I want to check ABV and bottling date then its just a glance away. Labels do look nice though!

vacant · Post by **vacant** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 6:10 pm

I use a whiteboard marker just to put an initial on the PET bottle screw top. It's quicker than labelling and I can identify every bottle quickly when I look at my hoard in the cupboard under the stairs (don't have to lift them up to read a label). I just rub the ink off the cap when I'm rinsing the bottle.

prolix · Post by **prolix** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:01 am

I label bottles only when I am out to show off then I use milk and paper other wise CD pen on the lid

Martin the fish · Post by **Martin the fish** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:36 am

I started with name and date on PET screwcap. Then went mad with labels. Only to get bored with the fact that when i put them in fridge to chill the condensatiuon made the ink run. Back to name and date on screwcap.

Have a nice batch of fancy labels for the bottles i brew for my wedding though. These will go on my nice new batch of reusable proper brown glass bottles. Done some big ones to go on Demijohns for batches of cider too.

PMH0810 · Post by **PMH0810** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 5:40 pm

Converted today.

Labels created from Windows packages available at work (yes, in my lunch hours and of course I offer to reimburse my boss the costs..).

Previously attached labels with a pritt-stick (other glue sticks are available).

Tried milk today. Cannot believe the ease and the fact this stuff fell out of a cow. So easy!

drbell · Post by **drbell** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 2:51 pm

Adding labels to bottles is definately the way forward.
Only takes a couple of minutes to knock something up - I just use powerpoint. Sticking on the labels with milk just fills up a bit of time while the next bottle is being filled, and it makes them look so much nicer especially if its for a friend. Also makes for a much nicer sight when I open "The Brewery" door to choose a tipple

steve_flack · Post by **steve_flack** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:23 pm

Does it have to be a particular strength of moo-juice? Is Semi-Skimmed ok?

PMH0810 · Post by **PMH0810** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:44 pm

Just floated the laser printer paper lables in semi-skimmed, slapped them on and waited for them to fall off. When they didn't I converted from glue stick to moo juice!

drbell · Post by **drbell** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:50 pm

I use a pastry brush to give back a coat of milk and just gently press the edges to the bottle.
I also found that a quick blast in the fridge tightened up any slightly creased labels before serving if you are really bothered about bottle presentation for your friends...

Stonechat · Post by **Stonechat** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 4:48 pm

drbell wrote:I use a pastry brush to give back a coat of milk and just gently press the edges to the bottle.
I also found that a quick blast in the fridge tightened up any slightly creased labels before serving if you are really bothered about bottle presentation for your friends...

How did someone get the idea to use milk? It must have taken some thinking outside of the box to get from putting milk in tea to putting it on beer labels. But if it works that's great.
My concern is that the milk will turn sour and then go mouldy, which will spoil the presentation, or does all JBKHF beer get drunk too quickly for this to be a problem.

ColinKeb · Post by **ColinKeb** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 4:51 pm

if you ever want to get a label off thats been stuck on with glue then wd40 is the stuff , once youve got the paper off any remaining glue just wipes off.

PMH0810 · Post by **PMH0810** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 8:13 am

Stonechat wrote:My concern is that the milk will turn sour and then go mouldy, which will spoil the presentation, or does all JBKHF beer get drunk too quickly for this to be a problem.

Don't see why it should, excess is removed with a cloth and the remainder is so little I'm not expecting a problem.

However, I am not expecting the bottles to be full for more than three months at my current rate of consumption.

I'd be interested to hear of any downsides too.

Duncndisorderly · Post by **Duncndisorderly** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 9:59 am

I stuck a load of labels (well 7, buts that all the bottled i had left) on with copydex adhesive, apart from the side effect of making my fingers look leprous it appears to have done the job nicely, will be interesting too see how easily it come off, i may be a milky convert if all does not go sMOOthly

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Label Removal Experiment Results

Label Removal Experiment Results