Removing bottle labels
Removing bottle labels
The first batch I brewed (Wherry) was put in the King Keg apart from 4 bottles worth. They were badger First Gold bottles & the labels came straight off with a 1/2 hour soak in hot water. I'm trying to clean a few more bottles from various beers for the next batch (Fixby Gold) but the same method hasn't worked.
Just wondered what the best method for removing labels is.
Just wondered what the best method for removing labels is.
I think I know which type of paper labels you mean, the method I use is soak them in water until you can scrape the paper off with a blunt knife, then soak them again, overnight if possible in cold water, not hot, this saturates and destroys the glue, it will go a whitey colour when it's ready, then it's back to scraping with the knife again.
Some people think it's a unreasonable waste of their time doing this and sometimes I would agree, but when you've got as many bottles as me you'd understand. I have never bought an empty one....
Some people think it's a unreasonable waste of their time doing this and sometimes I would agree, but when you've got as many bottles as me you'd understand. I have never bought an empty one....
Sorry but why bother! as long as the insides are clean.
I just ignore them after they have been through the pre bottling cleaning process a few times they come of anyway.
Plus you have the added advantage of slipping some home brew to those friends who insist that "its all s**t and would never touch the stuff " disguised as a pucker brew. Amazing how they realy enjoy it when they think its the real thing!
I just ignore them after they have been through the pre bottling cleaning process a few times they come of anyway.
Plus you have the added advantage of slipping some home brew to those friends who insist that "its all s**t and would never touch the stuff " disguised as a pucker brew. Amazing how they realy enjoy it when they think its the real thing!
Leave them
Why have all the labour and hassle I agree with Glug as long as the inside is clean nowt to wherry about!!! pardon the pun. Mine don't last long enough to look at the labels and when I do it is all a haze!!
Spot on. For labels applied with hot melt glues, white spirit is the preferred solvent - I've used gallons of the stuff when refurbishing glue stations from labelling machines.Andy wrote:For labels which leave a sticky residue I get a scrubby and put a few drops of white spirits on it. Soon shifts the gunk
The pre-gummed labels can be trickier to remove...
Hey Roger
One other alternative is to only buy bottles of beer that you know the labels come off easily that's what we're doing
Out with the summer lightening, and old empire and in with anything from Wychwood, TTL, most Badger beers as these guys use water soluble glue! I leave mine in a bin of soapy water overnight and most of the labels have come off by themselves.
I'm currently trying to drink enough beer to get sufficient bottles to put my Fixby Gold in, it's a dirty job but someone's got to do it
One other alternative is to only buy bottles of beer that you know the labels come off easily that's what we're doing

Out with the summer lightening, and old empire and in with anything from Wychwood, TTL, most Badger beers as these guys use water soluble glue! I leave mine in a bin of soapy water overnight and most of the labels have come off by themselves.
I'm currently trying to drink enough beer to get sufficient bottles to put my Fixby Gold in, it's a dirty job but someone's got to do it

I'll try this J P, the last lot I did were soaked in a hot soda crystal solution, strangely this worked for some bottles & not for others, even though they were the same brand
I've collected enough now for a full 5 gallon batch but just can't be ars*d to clean & sanitize 40 odd bottles at a time so I've been filling about 6 ~ 8 & kegging the rest.

I've collected enough now for a full 5 gallon batch but just can't be ars*d to clean & sanitize 40 odd bottles at a time so I've been filling about 6 ~ 8 & kegging the rest.
Bottles
I use Pet bottles and I think they are brilliant, cheap easy to obtain and do the job.
Buy the bairns some bottles of pop either 500 litre (buy some for four for a fiver at Morrisons) or 1 litre and off you go....easy to clean and no worry about pressure....you can easily make your own lables if you so wish to clag on. All I have is a code nos. which tells me what ale and when bottled.
Buy the bairns some bottles of pop either 500 litre (buy some for four for a fiver at Morrisons) or 1 litre and off you go....easy to clean and no worry about pressure....you can easily make your own lables if you so wish to clag on. All I have is a code nos. which tells me what ale and when bottled.
Re: Bottles
jeez, how much pop are the bairns drinking?parkerwitton wrote:Buy the bairns some bottles of pop either 500 litre (buy some for four for a fiver at Morrisons) or 1 litre
