What’s everyone’s preferred method for removing labels off commercial beer bottles. I was planning on just soaking them in water/PBW solution but wanted to make sure I wasn’t wasting my time if this wouldn’t work. Most of the people over at HBT forums go with oxyclean but I’ve already got the PBW and would rather use that.
I just use dish soap and hot water.
Some commercial labels don’t come off very well at all, so I don’t even bother with them anymore.
Just soak in hot water and PBW works great for most and just need to use a brush to get some of the glue off. But like stompwampa said some are a pain and not worth the trouble, so if the label doesn’t easily peel off after the soak, in the recycling it goes.
[quote=“stompwampa”]I just use dish soap and hot water.
Some commercial labels don’t come off very well at all, so I don’t even bother with them anymore.[/quote]
I hear ya. I still have trouble with Corona bottles. :mrgreen:
People use oxiclean because it’s a cheaper alternative to PBW and works well enough for most things. But if you have PBW and don’t mind using it use it. That’s what I do.
One method that works great for me is to place the bottles in a luke warm bathtub with about a cup of baking soda. Within a short bit the lables will be floating at the top of the water.
On the rare occasion that I do bottle if I can’t get a label off I just have at it with a Sharpee.
Then again…there is something kind of evilly satisfying when someone comes over, snaps up a bottle and says: “HA HA!! I’m going to drink your last [insert commercial brew here]” and it ends up being something else. Serves you right for grabbing my last one ya jerk.
Agreed that soap and water generally works. It’s rare I can’t get the label off and I generally don’t care. I simply won’t enter that bottle into a competition.
I hear ya there. We recently bottled 20 gallons in one day. Probably half the batch is bottles with labels on them still. We just stopped caring at that point in the bottling day.
that’s me.
1 scoop oxyclean in a “Homer Bucket” with enough hot water to cover the neck labels.
10-12 bottles in a run; just let them sit for a few hours.
I fill the bottles with plain tap water to keep them from bobbing up.
I usually soak the whole bottle in water and oxyclean, the labels fall right off. I then wash each bottle real well with water and then I add them in the dishwasher on the “Antibacterial” cycle.
I typically lay about 50-60 bottles in the bath tub. Crank the hot water and add one package of One Step for about 15-20 minutes. The labels fall right off and your completely sanitized. Just my method, but I’m over bottling all the time and just made my own kegerator.
That is actually a good idea, i might do that next time
I’m no pro but I’ll interject here.
I soak it in hot water then peel the label off.
As for the glue I hit it with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol… the glue comes right off.
I’ve been thinking about moving into acetone or something as evil for a little more kick and less rubbing.
I don’t bottle the same day I remove labels. I kinda remove them as I go, while washing dishes and what not.
5 gal bucket with one scoop oxiclean and hot water.
Let the bottles sit for 1 hour and rinse off. if there is any glue still on rub the bottle with a scotch bright BLUE pad (safe for teflon). Be careful though oxiclean makes the bottles slick and have broken 2 after they shot out of my hands. Cheers.
P.s sam adams lables come off super easy. 8)
Baking soda is definitely the way to go
