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Cheapest source for bottles; label question
I recently delabeled 120 bottles, mainly Sam Adams. Sam bottles are ok. After letting, the lager, black lager and cream stout soak, the labels float off or peel off eventually. Sam Lights are a pain cause they have the metallic label that peels in layers. Worse than Sam bottles are Harpoon and Smuttynose. I had to use bruguru's idea to use a potato peeler to get them off.
AS for the bottles, I get them on the cheap. I live in Pa. so we have the indie owned beer distributor locations.
My local guy sells me the case of 16 oz. brown returnable bottles for the whopping returnable cost of $1.50 per case 16 oz.. And that includes the carrying case. He told me the breweries no longer want to deal with returnables due to the cleaning and sterilyzing anymore and the distributors cant stand them piling up until the truck comes. I'll take them home the 1st time and put them in a large tub in the garage in a diluted bleach and water soak for a few days. The gunk comes right out either by itself or real easy with the bottle brush which is part of the process anyhow. The bleach also loosens the labels so well that they wipe right off.
THEN they get the dishwasher treatment with NO soap. Then before bottling they get the one step steri rinse. After that you do as normal...drink, rinse, onestep, fill....repeat !!!
I have not yet labeled my bottles...would like to soon though. Right now I just mark the caps with a sharpie.
In response to Uclajd's comment about removing labels from bottles, an old trick my my father taught me for a hands-free method.
Its pretty simple and effortless for the most part, if only time consuming. Simply take an Ice cooler or sink (anything that can handle multiple bottles, fill it with cold water then add a good deal of salt. Submerse the bottles in the saltwater and leave over night. The next morning the labels will slide right off.
I hope this helps everyone. Happy brewing!
[/i]Hi, first off, I had a question on bottles. What is the cheapest source you guys are using, including shipping, for flipper-top bottles?
Second, for those of you doing custom labels, are you using the Design Studio software? Are standard 3 1/2x4 mailing labels you get at Staples OK? I found a good solution for taking labels off, but I am not sure what software and labels to use. And it seems that the Design Studio labels are mostly for wine??[/i]
I just ask my friends for bottles. Most drink Sams or Guiness so i'm good to go. I also have a few Grolsch bottles. Ikea Also sells 750ml stopper top bottles think I paid 99 cents apiece for them only thing I dont like is they are clear. . But I keep all my beer in the storage room in the basement with no windows so getting skunky isnt a problem.Didnt know how they would work outr but after 6 bottleings no problems.
I have got 72 of the 16 oz brown plastic bottles that I use but I also use plastic soft drink bottles, all sizes. I have found the 2 liter bottles work well when I get together with my friends and I always split it up and put some in each size when I botlle a batch. I know they are clear but I have got plenty of dark storage and I have never had any problems with them. With the soft drink bottles I usually use them 2 or 3 times and chunk them. I just buy new lids for my brown bottles. As far as labels I dont use them. Also less bottle prep time.
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primary: Dukes Mixture IPA
secondary: empty
just bottled Dog Tail Ale
I've been collecting Sam Adams bottles, thanks to my dad's garage looking like a sams warehouse. To remove the labels should I tear off what I can of the labels and then soak to get the rest, or soak them with the label on?
I've had real good luck with an overnight soaking, starting with hot water & cheap ammonia.
The ammonia partially disolves the glue & the label slides off. No need to scrape before.
Then into the dishwasher w/ a little detergent & a hot cycle.
I use Super Grunge remover from homebrewheaven .I dont know the makeup on this cleanser but I had some bottles that the lables refused to come off .. After 10 minutes they slid right off with no glue residue .I use it just about everything my wife steals it to clean teh kitchen floor and range hood.