How to Remove Beer Labels the Easy Way (Home Brewers Tip)

Intro: How to Remove Beer Labels the Easy Way (Home Brewers Tip)

As a home brewer I like to bottle my own beer. I don't like to mess with the 12 oz bottles as it takes to many for a 5 gallon batch. I really like the "22 oz" bombers it only takes about 26 for the same 5 gallon batch. One of my favorite local breweries (Shades of Pale, brewing company Park City, Utah) bottles with the bombers, so its a bonus for me. Good brew and a good bottle for my home brew Hobby. It can be a pain in the ass to get labels off. But I found an easy "no fuss" solution.

STEP 1: The DE-labeling Process

Sadly now your wonderful beer is gone. But the good news is now you can fill it with one you have made.

step 1: Run your water facet on the hottest setting for about a min.

step 2: fill the bottle with about 5-6 oz of now really hot water.


Step 3: shake bottle for 10 seconds and pour out water and repeat step 2

Step 4: now the bottle should be heated thoroughly from the inside out (this is the key to getting it off easily)
Now just peel the label off. If the label is being stubborn, repeat the process it should come off. This way leaves no sticky residue from the label.

Comments

[rickets19]

As a homebrewer, this is definitely one of the most tedious, and laborious tasks. I've tried this and found it will work with some labels, but not all of them. What I have found works well, uses far less water, doesn't require using hot water (saving energy) and is pretty effortless is this:

1. Rinse your bottles out as soon after you drink them as possible.

2. I keep a 5 gallon pail of water with a little oxy-clean in my garage (with all my brew equip). Drop your bottles in to soak. A lot of them fall off on their own, or peel easily, leaving a bit of glue residue behind.

3. Empty the bottles into the pail, then rinse with clean water.

4. Remove any glue residue with a blue scotchbrite scrubber, before the bottle dries.

5. Refresh the water and oxy-clean periodically.

[rickets19]

I forgot to mention, I usually leave them overnight. That's typically plenty of time.

[Dominic Bender]

I would probably use a water boiler in order to save the tap water going down the drain for a minute, but I like the idea. I have two batches of mead to bottle soon, and this will make preparing the bottles much easier. Thanks for sharing!

[paularellano12]

that's a really good idea to heat the water in a pot. I de-label the bottle as soon as my beer is gone so I can rinse out the yeast cake if there's any left in the bottom of the bottle.

I'm going to be posting an Instructable on my all electric set up here pretty soon you might be interested in it.