Best/Worst Beer Label Removals!!!

The last time I was removing labels after a long soak, Sierra Nevada labels easily peeled off, but the lagunitas labels were a bitch!

 

Surprised nobody said Troegs. I soak these and after an hour all the labels are floating on the water. All other brewery labels still on and need a gentle scrub.

 

By far, the easiest labels to remove are the ones found on the bottles that homebrewers send in to competitions (typically a little Avery label with a number written on it). These bottles are frequently offered to judges and other volunteers at the end of each competition to save the organizers the trouble of disposing of them. Already delabeled and ready to fill, yet again. I often bring home a case or two of unopened bottles - those that didn't advance to Best Of Show (even among those, the quality has improved dramatically over just the past five years or so). Get involved! it's fun, you spend the day drinking free beer with a bunch of like minded people, and you get to bring home all the delabeled bottles you can fit in your car!

 

Exactly what I was thinking. Why even bother with clear bottles? I really don't care if they secure them with industrial epoxy. Might as well try getting the ink off the label so you can reuse the paper while you're at it.

 

Flying dog beers are all a biatch

 

my 2 cents, I hate taking the time to remove labels. So I usually just buy new bottles. Little expensive, but my time is worth more to me

 

I once tried to remove southern tiers pumking label from a bomber and after a 24 hour pbw soak I had to physically rip the label off with a scalpel and forcep and then the bottle stuck to my hand and I haven't been able to operate my own zipper since....

 

Bells are great. I dont even use any cleaner, just hot water for 15 minutes and they slide right off. Grolsch are about the same, great because there is hardly any label there.

Russian River is the worst for me. North Peak is up there, which is unfortunate because they changed their labeling last year. They used to be a glue-on and they switched to a peel-and-stick. I really like their bottles but those new labels are practically impossible. Oxyclean will actually remove all the ink from the label but the label will remain.
Founders is something people seem to have problem with. I tried to get a Bolt Cutter label off this weekend, I didnt have very good luck, but a 1-2 hour soak in HOT water with oxyclean seemed to separate the top part of the label from the paper backing. Didnt come off perfect, but for saving labels it worked ok. I put the bottle back in to soak the paper off, and today it just slid off. So I might try some more Founders with a long soak in strong oxyclean.

 

Though opening them is a bit like Russian roulette. For me, about 20% are instant drain pours, 20% more merit a few sips, 40% are decent and about 20% are really good. And I accumulate so many bottles that I give the major portion of them to other brewers.

Yes, competitions are fun. Anyone who doesn't want to take any tests can be a steward - they are always in demand, it's really easy (like being a waiter with only one table to watch) and most judges will encourage you to taste the beers. My wife and I go to competitions together; I judge and she stewards. It's always fun, you meet some great people and drink some nice beer. It is embarrassing when she corrects my arithmetic mistakes though.

 

My experience...

BEST: Most eu imports
WORST: Russian River (wow that is probably the one and only time I called them the worst at something)

 

I've found Sam Adams labels to come off pretty easily. Soak in hot water for 5-10 minutes and use a scraper. I've never tried the oxiclean but will in the future. A lot of Belgians (Chimay, Orval, etc) come off with just hot water.

 

on second thought, the worst are those sole comp labels. they are like newspaper so as you are trying to remove them, the label rubs off on your hand. REALLY tough to get one in good shape.

 

Sierra Nevada, bells, and dog fish head are by far the easiest I've encountered.

 

Just an FYI if anyone ever actually has a problem with Bells labels. They do sell label sets on their website.

 

Pliny bottles for sure are the worst to get off. I use Oxiclean with HOT water soaked in ice chest overnight. Then use brillo pad while inside the ice chest scrubbing the hell out of the bottle. Most other bottles the label will slide right off or a little elbow scrub. But the Pliny labels are the worst. I just toss the Pliny bottles away now.

 

Most of my bottles come from New Glarus. I soaked them in oxyclean or similar overnight. By morning, most of the labels were floating and the remaining glue comes of with a dishbrush in a stream of hotwater.

 

Heat gun on Russian River bottles worked great. Took about 3 minutes per bottle, heat a little, peel a little, just work your way across. I set mine to 650 F. Have a piece of heavy paper ready to stick the label to when you get it off.

 

Does anyone else just not bother? I think it's a bit of nostalgic fun to see beers gone by as I'm drinking the homebrew.

Do you cork them? My Autumn Maple bottle had the wrong size mouth for my caps.

 

I find it odd you say Great Divide as easiest because I was just about to post that they were the worst for me. I don't even save the labels I just take them off for brewing so I don't care how they look and Great Divide is still far and away the worst. Avery brewing comes off nice and easy though. Soak for a few hours in hot water in a cooler and most things just fall off.