I’m getting ready to bottle my first brew in the next week or two. I have between 45 - 55 bottles that I need to remove the labels from. Does anyone have any tips/tricks for removing them besides socking them in water?
Any help would be appreciated.
warm water+oxyclean
yup. I just fill a big plastic tub and toss them all in. leave them overnight. They all slide off.
There is a generic oxygen based powdered cleaner without perfumes that works for me.
I let mine sit in some hot water for a few minutes and then i use a peeler to scrape the labels off. Works pretty well with the peeler.
I avoid chemicals as much as possible, so I just put them in hot water and let them soak over night. Then, I use a scrub brush to get any remaining residue off. New Belgium and Dogfish Head labels are great for this method.
Hot water + Oxyclean soak. Maybe 5min will do it. With all due respect, there’s no need for an overnight soak, but of course it can’t hurt. Most will slide right off. Some barely at all. You’ll get to know which are which. I stay away from the bottles whose labels are tough to get off. Not worth the time.
Why take the labels off?
I am not much for aesthetics so drinking my home brew with a Harpoon label on it does not hurt my feelings. and I have had no adverse effects from sanitizing and bottling with labels on.
its mostly overnight since I end up forgetting about them till morning… lol
+10000
I use bleach and cold water, but seem to be in the minority on this one. I like it because sometimes I let bottles set too long, and this solution loosens the thickest mold in just a few minutes.
I get mine at the Dollartree.
Soak in water and regular bleach overnight. A few brand labels fall off during the soak; most come right off with minimal effort. I use a sponge and hot water to get any remain glue off of the bottle. The bleach will take care of any mold or caked-on beer in the bottom of the bottle too.
