This sucks 1st time bottling

[Cwetherford]

So here I am....boiling 4 bottles at a time waiting for labels to basically fall off I'm 3 hours into the process and I barely have 20 bottles done but I think I have my method down....any other ideas besides oxiclean I don't have any

 

[billf2112]

Yea, I wasn't having that, bought 4 cases of new bottles.

 

[Beezy]

You have to get some bud. I do my bottles a case at a time in a big tote. Hardly any effort involved.

 

[Beezy]

Yea, I wasn't having that, bought 4 cases of new bottles.

Thats dumb. They are like 50 cents a bottle. Why pay for something you can get for free.

 

[SD-SLIM]

I usually fill a sink or tub with hot water...let them set for 5 minutes, scrape the label, put bottles back in water for 5 minutes (to loosen glue) then scrape all of it off...rinse and sanitize!

 

[ACESFULL]

I do my bottles a case at a time in a big tote. Hardly any effort involved.

This is how I de-label mine as well. OxiClean and super hot water. Lid it up and wait a day and you can simply peel off the labels and get most gunk out of the inside of the bottle.

 

[billf2112]

Yea, I know paying for bottles is kinda dumb. I use 22oz bottles for the most part, not as easy to get those. I have recovered about 30 bottles from friends. Dogfish Head are my favs, labels come off in soapy water, very easy to make bottling ready.

 

[hops2it]

Some are easy, others not so much. Sam Adams practically peel themselves off after sitting in hot water for 5 mins. I find it easier to keep them barely in the water so it touches the glue as I'm peeling the label. Then scrub with steel wool or a scotchbrite pad etc.

 

[Cwetherford]

Sierra Nevada and founders are very easy shorts are literally impossible I Soak and boil and everything and the glue stays on

 

[phenry]

Schlafly, Sam Adams, New Belgium, Lagunitas, and Bell's are the easiest labels to get off IMHO. There's probably some others just as easy. Big Sky, Sierra Nevada, and Left Hand aren't that bad either.

Now as for Great Divide, those suck. I don't even bother trying anymore. It's kind of a shame though, since their beer is really great.

 

[Revvy]

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

 

[Southernmost11]

I don't even bother to take of labels anymore. Soaking uncapped bottles risks getting the glue inside. The old labels don't affect the taste of the beer at all.

 

[phenry]

I don't even bother to take of labels anymore. Soaking uncapped bottles risks getting the glue inside. The old labels don't affect the taste of the beer at all.

What's wrong with letting dissolved glue get into the bottles?

 

[Revvy]

I don't even bother to take of labels anymore. Soaking uncapped bottles risks getting the glue inside. The old labels don't affect the taste of the beer at all.

WHat the hell? WHen you rinse it all goes byby. I have soaked probably 5,000 UNCAPPED bottles in my day, and never had any problem of any sort with what you think is bad.

 

[Clann]

I don't even bother to take of labels anymore. The old labels don't affect the taste of the beer at all.

Me too. I don't care if there is a lable on my bottles or not.

 

[Hockeyhunter99]

take a handy bucket. put 13ish bottles in it. sprinkle 1/2 scoop oxyclean over the top. fill with water over the lip of bottle. wait.

after wait, label comes off (usually left at bottom of bucket). wipe with a dish cloth. rinse a few times.

If you follow these instructions, really hard i know, you will have clean bottles and you will no longer be doing it the hard way.

if you want to keep scrubbing and grumbling about it, fine. but don't say you don't know how to do it.

simple instructions.

 

[SgtB]

Oxyclean all the way. The labels slide off.

 

[Cwetherford]

Hah I'll have to run to walmart in the mornin for the rest of em so how long should I let it sit in the oxy

 

[Revvy]

I usually let them sit overnight.

 

[Flomaster]

Oxyclean all the way. The labels slide off.

just like sally sues panties when.....

oh wait.... sorry

-=jason=-

 

[poislb]

Some are easy, others not so much. Sam Adams practically peel themselves off after sitting in hot water for 5 mins. I find it easier to keep them barely in the water so it touches the glue as I'm peeling the label. Then scrub with steel wool or a scotchbrite pad etc.

Ditto, sam adams bottles rock. Guinness has a black lager which if ya leave the bottle in hot water they actually come off themself, the labels are floating within 10 min

 

[Cwetherford]

Is there any perks to using long neck bottles opposed to stubby ones???

 

[Revvy]

Is there any perks to using long neck bottles opposed to stubby ones???

NO, whatever works for you.

 

[smokewater]

I mix up 5 gallons of Oxyclean every time I brew or bottle to clean my gear with. Rather than dump the oxyclean it goes into a 5 gallon bucket that sits in my carport with a lid on it. I have my neighbor trained/bribed with homebrew to place his empties in my bucket of oxyclean while I am away from home during the week. I collect 6-12 new bottles a week and by the time I get to them the labels are falling off.

 

[nefarious_1_]

Hot PBW or Oxiclean soak and they come off real easy. Most float right off and you just have to wipe the residual glue off. Others take a small amount of coaxing.

But that's the way to go.

 

[passedpawn]

Most of this thread is twilight zone. I agree with the many WTF's.

Oxiclean to clean and remove labels. Starsan and vinator and bottling tree for sanitation.

 

[nefarious_1_]

Most of this thread is twilight zone. I agree with the many WTF's.

this.

 

[davefleck]

Never cared to bother with the label. The real answer is to go to kegs. Then you will love life

 

[Revvy]

Never cared to bother with the label. The real answer is to go to kegs. Then you will love life

Not this crap again.....

 

[Cwetherford]

Haha I plan to keg but I am a young dad with not a lot of money to spare so I haven't gotten keg stuff yet

 

[passedpawn]

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

Don't need the hot water. I've been removing labels with oxyclean & cold water forever. They usually are floating the next day.

 

[Hockeyhunter99]

Use hot water for quicker results,

 

[5L1mm]

theres this vodka.
360
they come in swing top fifths.
ive been buying a bunch of that stuff.
its also damn yummy vodka

 

[Cwetherford]

theres this vodka.
360
they come in swing top fifths.
ive been buying a bunch of that stuff.
its also damn yummy vodka

Random...

 

[passedpawn]

Random...

I'm guessing he's drinking it now....

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

Sounds like you are cleaning bottles and bottling at the same time? from now on have a couple cases of bottles setting cleaned and ready to sanitize, then find revvys bottling thread and go from there.

 

[PHillBrewCo]

don't need the hot water. I've been removing labels with oxyclean & cold water forever. They usually are floating the next day.

+1.

 

[KsHopHead]

theres this vodka.
360
they come in swing top fifths.
ive been buying a bunch of that stuff.
its also damn yummy vodka

Yeah, they distill that stuff just up the road from me in Weston, Mo. Pretty good stuff, and the "double chocolate" tastes just like chocolate milk! So, I've been buying a good bit of it myself.

 

[gtlaw10]

the best thing you can do is let them soak for a couple days in whatever chemical you use to clean/sanitize, most labels will literally fall off, the pesky ones can be scrapped off and the really pesky glue (i've had glue be resistant after a week long soak in starsan solution) can be easily removed with steel wool, you wont even scratch the glass if you don't rub too hard.
IMHO the chemical soak is the easiest method, plus it cleans and, with the right chemical, sanitizes your used bottles.

 

[houndsbreath]

I just leave the labels on, some fall off during cleanin empties or when I run them through the dishwasher prior to bottling. Deschutes seem to be well glued...