I hate bottling because...

[Springer]

Seems to be well sorted over there L.
I sometimes do a custom label for a special occasion, but my usual method is to just write the batch number on the caps, with an indelable marker, before I put them on the bottle
S

 

[RokDok]

K,

Re: getting plastic labels off bottles.

A friend of mine puts his in the oven- the labels and glue soften and simply pull off, he says.

Cheers

RD

 

[kacanepa]

RokDok,

You wouldn't happen to know what temperature and for how long those bottles are baked would you? Can't be too hot or the plastic would melt and that would be bad for the oven...

 

[Andy.H]

You know... I would be quite happy to never see another flippin' bottle again after this weekends work...

 

[RokDok]

RokDok,

You wouldn't happen to know what temperature and for how long those bottles are baked would you? Can't be too hot or the plastic would melt and that would be bad for the oven...

Well.my mate, who told me of this, is a bit of a disaster area when it comes to anything related to brewing ( except drinking which he's very good at)

He was delegated to buy an oak barrel for us to mature some cider in, we chipped in a total of £80 and he ended up buying 2 5 litre barrels which were painted with varnish and for decorative purposes only.

Thought an airlock was just that, so didn't put any water in it and 50 l of cider went west with the vinegar fly, etc etc.

Anyway, I told him to put his bottles in the oven at 100 degrees, prior to bottling in order to sterilise them.

They went in at a higher temperature than that, but he was quite pleased as the plastic labels on the Crabbes ginger beer had fallen off.

So, I think you need to experiment a little , starting at about 120 (c).

If you identify the optimum temperature / time it is probably worth posting on the "hoe to " thread.

I generally use a very sharp knife- takes about 20 mins per bottle.

Cheers

RD

 

[Dr Mike]

The best technique for labels will always vary between different beers, but for some, I find soaking is the worst thing to do. Where it is non-water based glue and a paper label this just succeeds in turning the label to mush so it comes off on hundreds of tiny shreds, if at all.

For this type I've found peeling of dry is the least worst option, although I haven't tried the heat method yet.

 

[rpt]

Bottled my first brew last night and I quite enjoyed it! Bottling bucket with little bottler, no rinse steriliser (Starsan) and bench capper made it pretty painless.

 

[kacanepa]

rpt -

I might invest in a bench capper myself. Especially since I've noticed that some types of bottles aren't the right shape for a regular capping tool. I'm thankful I had enough bottles to sort out all the ones that weren't able to seal well but I think it would have been better solved with a bench capper.

RokDok - you're near me...do you have a bench capper I might borrow next time I'm bottling??

 

[Stone Cold]

just bottled 150 bottles in 2 and half hours but then these helped :)

 

[RokDok]

rpt -

I might invest in a bench capper myself. Especially since I've noticed that some types of bottles aren't the right shape for a regular capping tool. I'm thankful I had enough bottles to sort out all the ones that weren't able to seal well but I think it would have been better solved with a bench capper.

RokDok - you're near me...do you have a bench capper I might borrow next time I'm bottling??

Yep

 

[bottler]

rpt -

I might invest in a bench capper myself. Especially since I've noticed that some types of bottles aren't the right shape for a regular capping tool. I'm thankful I had enough bottles to sort out all the ones that weren't able to seal well but I think it would have been better solved with a bench capper.

RokDok - you're near me...do you have a bench capper I might borrow next time I'm bottling??

What bottles dont fit the bottling tool mate? I dont want to walk into the same trap.

 

[kacanepa]

just bottled 150 bottles in 2 and half hours but then these helped :)

That's just showing off...

 

[kacanepa]

bottler -

I wish I could tell you but I washed/scraped/wirewooled/etc all the labels off the bottles. The best I can do is try to describe the shape of the bottle mouth. At the mouth of all bottles there is a lip that the cap attaches to. Underneath that lip bottles can flare out or have another what looks like a lip slightly below the mouth. Where there is a second lip close to the top, a regular capper won't work because it doesn't have the room to grasp the top lip to apply the cap. If the flare under the mouth is too bulbous, the capper will partially crimp a cap but not completely. We did four bottles like that before we realised that it was the bottle mouth shape that was causing the problem. They seemed to be on tight but I'll check in a week to see if it actually gripped tight enough to trap carbonation.

I'm looking at a bottle of Brains The Rev. James and that mouth shape would work with a regular capping tool.

Hope that helps!

 

[RokDok]

rpt -

I might invest in a bench capper myself. Especially since I've noticed that some types of bottles aren't the right shape for a regular capping tool. I'm thankful I had enough bottles to sort out all the ones that weren't able to seal well but I think it would have been better solved with a bench capper.

RokDok - you're near me...do you have a bench capper I might borrow next time I'm bottling??

What bottles dont fit the bottling tool mate? I dont want to walk into the same trap.

The bench capper is for 26 mm crown caps, I haven't had a bottle yet that it wouldn't fit. I suspect that the issue with the 2 handed capper might be the various lip sizes of the bottles- this isn't a problem with a bench capper. They're less than £30 - at least the one I have is.
It is quick- I can cap the bottle and put it in a case whilst the next bottle is filling itself with a bottling wand. It takes about 30 secs per bottle to fill and cap.

Cheers

RD

 

[bottler]

Thanks guys , i can see the advantage of the bench capper and further down the line will invest in one. Im not long started back to brewing since the '70s and have gathered up enough gear to keep me going, including the 2 handed capper which works fine with the bottles i use eg magners, guinness stella and bulmers, so i'll stick with them.
I brew and bottle in my spare room that was my office when i was self employed. When bottling i stick on music on the computer, close the door and bottle away with help of "little bottler" and enjoy bottling, as its one step closer to drinking the brew. :

 

[rpt]

What bottles dont fit the bottling tool mate? I dont want to walk into the same trap.

Apparently Hobgoblin (and other Wychwoods) don't.

Just discovered that WD40 works a treat getting sticky label residue off that won't succumb to other solvents. Gave the bottles a spray in the garage to keep the smell out of the house. After a few minutes the glue just wiped off with kitchen towel. Soaked them in the end of the washing up water although I did directly apply some washing up liquid to get rid of the oil. They don't smell too bad but I will put them in the dishwasher. I wonder if they need no more than a wipe with WD40 rather than a spray.

 

[oggy_chomper]

I find the bottles from Skinners a right pain to take the labels off, mind you I'd rather take the labels off the bottles than drink the contents....

 

[Springer]

Nice to see the proper kit Stone, how does it work, can't quite make it out. :? but
I think I said before why give yourself pain getting tricky labels off, if a soaking doesn't work just chuck em away and get some more, they are easy enough to come by. :)
S