This sucks 1st time bottling

[Zixxer10R]

Aren't most baby gates plastic now?

 

[paulster2626]

It's ok for the bottle tops to touch the wood?

The only reason I didn't do something similar is that I worried about the bottles touching the wood and the wood soaking up water and getting nasty over time. Being a noob I'm probably just being way too careful.

The wood dries out fairly quickly - it's not a whole lot of water anyway. If I put a bunch of bottles on it and soak the wood, it'll be bone-dry by the morning. Plus, I think I read somewhere that wood has naturally-occuring anti-bacterial properties (here's something). Anyway I'm only a few batches in, but no problems so far.

 

[SgtB]

Bacteria loves wood.

 

[BritBrewer]

Tried and tested method with Canadian and British bottles:

1) Submerge bottles for approx 4 hours (I leave overnight) in cold water with a good squirt of washing up liquid + white spirit.
2) Submerge any bottles still with labels in warm/hot water (a kettle full of boiling water into a sink and top up with cold).
3) Rinse
4) Sanitise

I tend to do steps 1 and 2 after I finish every crate of beer and then leave in garage until needed for bottling.

 

[Jota21]

After pouring a beer, I rinse the bottle, open the dishwasher and set it on the rack until it's dry. After that, it goes into an old case until it's time for bottling again

 

[jonmohno]

I just use my dishstrainer after using a bottlebrush/baking soda hot water.If you balance them upside down leaning against each otherthey all fit stategicly laying against each other.YOu can sanirinse them dry then store then resanitized on bottleing day. thats all you gotta do. Its easiest if you always use a glass and dont put your dirtymouth on the botttles. You virtually have a clean bottle if you rinse well with hot water after you use them shortly.

 

[KsHopHead]

I rent a local bio-lab facility for my label-removing process to ensure protection against infections, and store my bottles in a deep-freeze locker, with each bottle wrapped with a condom for extra protection. I always wear full haz-mat gear during the bottling process and incinerate all of my used equipment after every batch. So far I'm 100% infection-free.

That's some funny shizznit, and trust me, I know my shizznit, cause I'm full of shizznit!!

Peace all, I'm Audi!!

 

[KsHopHead]

I found a very good solution to this problem about a month ago. Taking a note from Mark Twain (Tom Sawyer's whitewashing), I convinced my 6 year old son that he is the world's most awesome label remover and its become a very fun activity for him (at least until he catches on to my ruse). He pulls them out of the soaking tub and vigorously removes the labels and hands the bottle to me. I rinse and put on the drying tree, then take another drink while he works on the next one. He actually chose this activity over the Wii one night last week. I've just got to get enough bottles done before he catches on. Huge eyerolls from the wife.

Damn, nice ruse!! And just when I find myself all out of slave labor!! (my son is 13 and will not fall for that "you are the best ever" any more) too bad, I've got a front yard full of leaves, just itching' to be raked!!

 

[HopSong]

Oxyclean worked great for me.. EXCEPT for the labels on Heineken bottles.. I had to get a good start with a knife and peal off.. then a scrubbie to get any residue off. All other types came off easily except one type that had metallic paper.. can't remember which that was.

 

[asterix404]

Big_Belgian, I wish I had your stamina for bottling. Incinerating everything is the only plausible way to guarantee that everything is reduced to carbon form. I will try that with my burner and siphon hose... if I am very lucky I will siphon off some of the hot air which will sanitize the tubing. It will be awesome!

 

[flyingfinbar]

Honestly, HOT water and Oxyclean has worked for me in less than an hour. Like everyone else has said, the labels literally fall off. Make sure you rinse several times, and SANITIZE before you bottle! A vinator with some Star San solution worked wonders for me a couple days ago.

 

[Mandrew]

My question is... Why waste time taking the labels off? Its not like your selling them and your drinking them yourself/good friends. Its your first bottling session so its your first beer so the only thing that is important is whats inside the bottle. Honestly I have done 15 batches all bottled and I have only taken the labels off once to clean bottles and that was because of making a batch for a buddy for his wedding and I made my own labels. I use a Sharpy marker and label the cap. Its the only thing you see when you look inside of a box or a six pack holder.

There's my 2 cents

 

[SocalNat]

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

How much is your time worth especially when that time could be spent brewing beer? You take 3 hours to do 20 bottles but you can buy 20 bottles for $10 (and you get to use those bottles over and over again). JMHO

 

[SocalNat]

My question is... Why waste time taking the labels off? Its not like your selling them and your drinking them yourself/good friends. Its your first bottling session so its your first beer so the only thing that is important is whats inside the bottle. Honestly I have done 15 batches all bottled and I have only taken the labels off once to clean bottles and that was because of making a batch for a buddy for his wedding and I made my own labels. I use a Sharpy marker and label the cap. Its the only thing you see when you look inside of a box or a six pack holder.

There's my 2 cents

I've used Stone 22 oz. bottles (Shhhh) and those labels don't even come off.

 

[mistercameron]

I've used Stone 22 oz. bottles (Shhhh) and those labels don't even come off.

Well, a strong solution of starsan will do it after a few days. A gentle scrub with a Brillo pad and you've got a clean bottle.

 

[dfc]

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.

Seconded.

 

[Beezy]

I've used Stone 22 oz. bottles (Shhhh) and those labels don't even come off.

BS I have taken them off. Soak them in Starsan for a week and the paint will come off with a sponge.

 

[Beezy]

How much is your time worth especially when that time could be spent brewing beer? You take 3 hours to do 20 bottles but you can buy 20 bottles for $10 (and you get to use those bottles over and over again). JMHO

I don't want to spend 50 bucks on bottles when I could spend it on a couple cornies or ingredients or whatever. If you have the money go for it. I am very strapped for cash personally. I have about 300 bottles now. All free. That's a couple hundred dollars I have saved. It doesn't take much time. You still have to clean bottles either way. I have a big tote. I fill it up with bottles and oxyclean and let them sit for a few days. Pull them out and rinse real good. Sanitize and it's ready to go. You only have to take the labels off once. You can even leave them on if it doesn't bother you. If the labels don't come off easy I just recycle them.

You know I see it constantly everyone wants to make it easier and quicker. That's fine but it's all about the process for me. It's a labor of love. I hand crank my grain too. If you want it easy, just go to the distrib and buy it already made.

 

[unionrdr]

It's not a matter of being lazy at all. It's a matter of not bustin your hump if you don't have too. Don't work harder,work smarter. That's more enjoyable to me.

 

[Beezy]

It's not a matter of being lazy at all. It's a matter of not bustin your hump if you don't have too. Don't work harder,work smarter. That's more enjoyable to me.

That's not what I am saying. That is ironically my motto. But I make beer for fun and I go out of my way to extend my brewing activities. Besides I don't know if paying 25 for a case of bottles is working "smarter".

 

[unionrdr]

That's not what I am saying. That is ironically my motto. But I make beer for fun and I go out of my way to extend my brewing activities. Besides I don't know if paying 25 for a case of bottles is working "smarter".

Ok,I see what you're saying. We & our son collect craft 12 packs in those sturdy boxes. So I soak the bottles,dobie & brush them,then onto the bottle tree to dry. I've got enough bottles for a few batches now. I've got it down easy enough where recycling bottles is just part of the process,as you say. Since it only has to be done once,it is indeed a cheaper way to go. The cleaner does most of the work,anyway.

 

[BamaRooster]

Am I making some kind of noob mistake using ammonia to remove labels? Reading through this thread, I seem to be in the minority. I've used both Oxyclean and Ammonia, and I've found ammonia to be more effective (though a bit pungent).

I also use ammonia and it works great..... I thank Papazian for that tip!!

 

[alers22]

I use TSP. Pour some in a bucket, mix with hot water and soak your bottles. I have even left them over night for maximum effectiveness but that is not necessary.

 

[unionrdr]

I used to buy big boxes of TSP to clean the stains off the driveway. Didn't think of using it this way. Interesting...

 

[Aunt_Ester]

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

I'm surprised more of you don't boil. I do it just to be sure nothing's living after they've been sitting on my tree for a couple weeks. I boil, then dunk in bucket of sanitizer after they've cooled, pour and then put back on the tree. Then I begin bottling. Done it that way for 2 years. Guess I've been overzealous?

 

[unionrdr]

Sorta. I use PBW at recycling time to get them clean & slip the labels off. Then rinse,onto the bottle tree to dry,then store them in covered 12pack craft beer boxes. On bottling day,they're still clean,& get starsaned with the vinator. Every now & then I'll soak a batch of bottles in PBW just to make sure they're still clean. I always rinse them out after drinking as well. Then onto bottle tree bit again.

 

[Aunt_Ester]

You could, but for me, it makes it easier to distinguish between the beer I have in my fridge. Less confusion that way. For example, if I'm in the mood for a certain type of commercial pale ale, reach into the fridge and grab one, I'd be annoyed if I pop the cap only to see that it's really a porter I had made. If it has no label on it, I know to look at the cap.

This is borderline prima donna.

 

[Dan]

Oxyclean rocks! All my bottles are SNPA. I soaked around 65 of them in the garden sink with oxyclean, forgot about them a few days and the labels and glue were gone. Good rinse inside and out and they were ready to be sanitized.

 

[Fennis]

I guess as others have said, why go through all that when a tub with hot water and oxyclean will work just as well. Plan ahead the night or two before bottling, let them soak overnight, and when you get up in the morning almost all the labels will be floating at the top or will slide off the bottles. For the stubborn ones, get some steel wool and scrub the rest away.

 

[Beezy]

I have let them sit there for up to a week. I have a bin just for that. When it's not being used I just throw the empties in there.

Another tip. I got this little plastic scraper that came with a ceramic cooking dish. That works awesome on the stubborn ones.

 

[kh54s10]

I can't believe I just read through 11 pages of OxiClean soak and scrub pad then rinse posts with a few PBW's and some leave the labels on before I skipped to the last page and it was still the same!

DOH!

 

[bomberman]

This has probably been mentioned already, but what I've been doing is finding a commercial beer I enjoy that I know has easy cleaning bottles (in my case, Long Trail, the labels peel off clean and the glue takes almost no work to remove) and just buy a few 12 packs to drink while saving the bottles. I've come to despise bottling pretty quickly, so any work/money I can save myself in the process is a big plus.