Labels

[Green Aura]

We just use a long soak then wire wool. Seems to come off OK.

On chickens?

Only if I can't find any wine bottles or jam jars that need the labels removing:lol:

[crowsashes]

if its a plastic label - fill the bottle with boiling hot water and leave for a few minutes to soften the glue up - then peel the label as it will take most of the glue - brillo pads work best for getting the rest off.

other wise just buy bottles/jars with paper labels :)

[dave45]

Well I hate mayonnaise (ever tried to buy a sandwich without such slime?), so I'm gonna try it. I'm sure there is some lurking at the back of the fridge. Maybe its the vinegar in it? i.e. maybe acetic acid reacts with the Stalinist glue.

Will try it after then next "bought bottle" and report back

[frozenthunderbolt]

Here in NZ i have come across 4 types, here are the solutions in order to apply
1. Hot stuck fragile labels - get them wet and they go to bits but glue remains - Fill carefully with boiling water and they will peel neatly off so long as they don't get wet. Sometimes a little turps to polish.
IF this don't work try:
2. Hot stuck strong labels - soak in hot water and they will peel
3. Bastard bottles - these are the ones you soak, scrape with a knife and then rub with turps - unless they are unusually beautiful chuck 'em
4. the nice 'uns - a simple cold water soak will remove them.

If you are a regular brewer it is a good idea to note which bottles have which kind of label, and, FWIW if you are putting on your own labels use glue stick - it comes off easily even in cold water!

[dave45]

frozenthunderbolt

bastard bottles - exactly !!! but I think these are taking over the world.

There is another class of label which will peel dry if you get the angle just right and do it in one move... but as soon as it starts to rip, it reverts to "bastard bottle" !

I use "school glue" to stick my own labels on wine bottles (kids glue) or liquid gluesticks (all nicely water-soluble)
On beer bottles I've given up with labels and just use the crown cap colour... saves a lot of time. :-)

I still haven't brewed a decent lager though ... it always comes out like a light ale.

[gregorach]

On beer bottles I've given up with labels and just use the crown cap colour... saves a lot of time. :-)

I like to put a date label on mine, but I've learned to use round labels small enough to fit on a crown cap - that way, you don't need to clean the label off the bottle.

[scrap]

While we're on this topic..

Any reccomendations on good stalinist glues for sticking your own labels on bottles?
They don't need to last for ages,Maoist glues will serve me just fine.

[dave45]

Update:

just bought some Sheppy's cider... bad news - their labels are now stalinist :-(

[crowsashes]

i think PVA glue would be good to stick a label to a bottle - it peels off nice and easy for re-use and sticks better than a glue stick.

m&s now only seem to have 'bastard bottles' was scrubbing for ages but gave up and stuck them in the recycle bin!

barrs bottles (fizzy drinks) are so easy to peel i have a mini stash to store cordials in for the summer.

now i have been given some demijohns it looks like i have to keep my eyes open for more bottles for wine making....

[yvette]

When I made jam last time I didn't bother attaching a new label to the jar, just tied one round the neck. Could not face all that de-sticking palaver again!

[dave45]

Demijohns - I used to use old computer punch-cards (cos I had loads) and a large rubber band for labelling work in progress..
I tend to do 5-gallon batches now though so this has fallen into disuse.

I am also reminded that in the good old days I used to soak off labels and keep the pretty ones or those from wines that I'd like to try again.... it seems there are some serious folks out that that are still trying http://www.winelabels.org/remove.htm

mmm ovens, razors and hairdryers eh?

meanwhile results from Mayonnaise test #1 - got a result but seemed as much effort as potato peeler and lighter fluid.

[battybird]

Having just spent ages trying to remove the label from a mayo jar, this thread made me laugh!
I found some beer bottles in Portugal "super bock" 1litre brown bottles which have NO labels so I save those for elderflower cordial. It comes to something when OH can only have the beer with the decent bottle!

[Big Al]

Get a bottle of sticky stuff remover from kleeneze. garunteed to remove aLL KNOWN STICKY STUFF......

You can also get a similar product here;


http://www.lakeland.co.uk/sticky-stuff- ... %20remover

[dave45]

It comes to something when OH can only have the beer with the decent bottle!

this is often ignored by marketroids, but is a serious factor! I have emailed the MD of Sheppys to protest. If she replies I'll let you know !

[Millymollymandy]

Get a bottle of sticky stuff remover from kleeneze. garunteed to remove aLL KNOWN STICKY STUFF......

You can also get a similar product here;


http://www.lakeland.co.uk/sticky-stuff- ... %20remover

Feel like deja vu here, on a Brittany forum someone has posted a tip about removing labels and glue and mentioned this stuff. Actually his tip was olive oil rubbed into the glue for a few minutes, then some washing up liquid rubbed in too, which he reckons loosens it. He just mentioned the Lakeland stuff because most of us are not in the UK so can't get hold of it so he was offering an alternative.

It's just amusing reading the same thread on two completely different forums.