Collecting Bottles

[Dro]

Thanks for all the great advice folks.

 

[Bevvied]

I'm a big fan of Newkie brown bottles.
The labels fall off, they are over 500ml so you get closer to a pint.
I know they are clear glass, but I don't store my beer on a Caribbean beach, so as yet have had no problems.

By far the easiest bottling I do, is to reuse 1 litre pop bottles. The missus sups the 1L bottles of diet ginger ale and bitter lemon from tesco., so I try to always keep 20 odd in the shed. Bottling is a doddle with them.
For me, they are perfect for when pouring a couple of pints, so use them for kit lagers/pales to go in fridge ready to share, or anything really over the summertime when I know I'll be gagging for a couple of cold pints.
I'd recommend them to anyone for ease of use.

 

[nixhaz]

Adnams Ease Up IPA labels are super easy to remove btw. The rest of their beers, not so much. (Don't kill me, I love Adnams. Would kill for their yeast).

 

[MmmBeer]

I have found that the Wild Bill IPA (from Aldi) labels just fall off at the merest sight of hot water. At the other extreme, Proper Job labels are welded on.

 

[Dro]

I will try and get my hands on those, to taste if anything. Thanks. Anyone had any experience of capping and taking the label off the Bass bottle? I really enjoy the beer.

 

[Mr_S_Jerusalem]

I like to soak bottles in hot water, then scrape the label off with a knife. Then I clean the bottle with a solvent to get rid of the glue.
Then I give it a rinse to get the solvent off.
Cant remember the name of the one I have right now. I’ve also tried white spirit and that works well too but it makes the kitchen smell awful for a couple of days lol.

 

[Dro]

I like to soak bottles in hot water, then scrape the label off with a knife. Then I clean the bottle with a solvent to get rid of the glue.
Then I give it a rinse to get the solvent off.
Cant remember the name of the one I have right now. I’ve also tried white spirit and that works well too but it makes the kitchen smell awful for a couple of days lol.

I have found a knife works well also.

 

[Satellitemark]

My local pub landlady gives me bulmers cider and rekorderlig cider bottles I just load them up in the dishwasher to clean them and remove the labels, they are good strong dark 500ml bottles, I do the same with leffe bottles but with those you need bigger 29 mm caps.
My bench capper came with two bells so I can use it for both sizes of caps.

Mark

 

[Dro]

My local pub landlady gives me bulmers cider and rekorderlig cider bottles I just load them up in the dishwasher to clean them and remove the labels, they are good strong dark 500ml bottles, I do the same with leffe bottles but with those you need bigger 29 mm caps.
My bench capper came with two bells so I can use it for both sizes of caps.

Mark

Never thought of the dishwasher! Good to know about having different bells. Would never have thought of that. Thanks.

 

[Richie_asg1]

Hobgoblin bottle labels used to slide off in water, then about 2 years ago they changed the glue and now are hard work.
I did find something interesting with wine bottles though.
Try peeling a corner, and if it does start to peel like an adhesive label, then leave it and rub some cooking oil over it, then leave it overnight.
After that most peel of very cleanly leaving no sticky residue. If you used hot water instead it makes an awful mess to clean off with white spirit.
Some bottles use 2 types of label - one soaks off the other doesn't and needs oil.

The link to Sen5es crown caps first says they don't charge delivery on caps, but then priced up 1000 - and they added £7.50 delivery !!!! , so I think i'll leave it.

 

[Satellitemark]

I stand the bottles up neck down on the plate prongs , for the leffe ones I remove the top basket, Don't forget to remove all the labels from the dishwasher when done.

For storage on the 500ml bottles I use plastic reseal caps and on the leffe I use cling film to cover them, I then store them ready for next time though I still sterilise them just before use.

 

[chuffer]

Think marstons and sharps ones used to be good. I used to let 3 or 4 sit (filled so fully submerged) in a bowl of warm water for about half hr, they shoul peel off relatively easily, if not they're not worth bothering with. To finish off scrape with a blunt knife and rub with brillo pad

 

[Dro]

I'm very grateful for all advice gents. Thanks.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Adnams Ease Up IPA labels are super easy to remove btw. The rest of their beers, not so much. (Don't kill me, I love Adnams. Would kill for their yeast).

Ask a pub for cask dregs or harvest from a minicask of Bitter, Broadside or some of the specials (note the miniKEGs of Ghost Ship etc are force-carbonated so don't have the yeast). It's a double strain, so it's needs some taking care of if you're looking to use it long-term. It came from Morgans of Norwich in 1942, and supposedly has its origins in Whitbread B but has changed considerably since then.

 

[nickjdavis]

Most continental beers the labels slide off the bottles after only a 20 second soak in warm water. I think its something to do with the recycling regulations on the continent that means labels are not applied with araldite, as many British beer labels seem to be!!!!

 

[nixhaz]

@Northern_Brewer thanks for the tips! Sounds like tricksy yeast (yeasts?) but I'll give it a shot when I get the chance and report back!