Leaving Bottle Labels on

[mrmauricepattison]

Hi. My first post. I've searched but cannot find this question having been asked already.

Can I be lazy and leave old label on the commercial glass bottles that I'm going to put my Pilgrims Hope in?

 

[graysalchemy]

You can....................... but it looks better if you take them off. :whistle: :whistle:

 

[tim_n]

I'm too lazy to take off the labels from my beer. I've never done it. They're all different shapes, sizes and colours, the labels don't exactly make it look more professional.

I differentiate with different colour bottle caps. Or I keg.

If you are putting on your own labels, I've heard skimmed milk is a good adhesive (http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f46/using-m ... bels-16313)

 

[Gethin79]

Nearly all the bottles I have removed the labels from came off with virtually no effort. After drinking just let them soak in hot water with washing up liquid. The labels just fall off, leaving a slight bit of glue on the bottle which washes of with a sponge.

That said, no harm in not taking them off.

 

[mrmauricepattison]

Thanks for your quick responses. I'll probably be leaving them on then. Especially since the brew has been ready for 6 days. I've a bit of a cold so I'm also going to try using a self seal sandwich bag over the siphon and pulling the bag away from the end of the siphon, in order to draw the brew through. I've no idea if that will work but if the seal to the siphon is OK then it should.

I did plan the coloured bottle caps. I seem to have some A4 sheets of envelope address labels like we used to have at work. So I can print off 28 labels on one sheet and stick them on top of the old labels.

 

[alby]

I let the easy ones slide off, the hard ones stay on.

It seems the 'bigger boys' such as magners bottles, other ciders and stuff from large breweries tend to fall off quickly in the presence of hot water, same time as bottle rinse. But the smaller trendier real ale / beer bottles seem to use superglue or some other over-engineering adhesive and even when the label is wrestled off can leave the cement underneath.... just not worth it.

 

[tim_n]

I've a bit of a cold so I'm also going to try using a self seal sandwich bag over the siphon and pulling the bag away from the end of the siphon, in order to draw the brew through. I've no idea if that will work but if the seal to the siphon is OK then it should.

You can fill the tube with starsan solution (or similar). Cap with a sanitised brewing thumb and let drain into a bowl.

Or you can use a bit of cut off syphon tube which you start it with.

Or not worry about it - I've had all three opinions off the forum here. I tried the direct mouth method for the first time and the beer is a couple of weeks old and no sign of infection.

 

[desmosteve]

Hi. My first post. I've searched but cannot find this question having been asked already.

Can I be lazy and leave old label on the commercial glass bottles that I'm going to put my Pilgrims Hope in?

Just outta curiosity, what sort of answer or info were you expecting in response to this question? What do YOU think? :hmm:

 

[TheBigLebowski]

I do them in bulk in the bath over night. A few scoops of Oxyclean and they are like new.

 

[willb]

I usually put them through the dishwasher I find most labels just fall off for me

 

[Moley]

I seem to have some A4 sheets of envelope address labels like we used to have at work.

Well there's a stroke of luck :thumb:

All of my bottles have had labels removed, but any which use those over-engineered adhesives as mentioned above go straight back in the recycling, as I can't be bothered with solvents, scourers and flame throwers.

 

[CaptainMallard]

... try using a self seal sandwich bag over the siphon and pulling the bag away from the end of the siphon, in order to draw the brew through

I loosely covered the end of the siphon with cling film and sucked on that.

I have a small tap on one end, so now I leave it filled with sanitizer, and open the tap when I'm ready to bottle.

 

[4011]

Hello....my siphon tube fits perfect inside a piece garden hose ,like a mouth piece

 

[winelight]

I seem to have some A4 sheets of envelope address labels like we used to have at work.

I use these anyway, on clean bottles. They're easy enough to wash off again - not like some of the originals were.

 

[oldbloke]

My bottles get a 30 minute rinse in the dishwasher before sanitising for storage. If that gets the labels off, fine. If not, maybe it will next time. It never will with Crabbies bottles...