I need wine bottles!

[winemaker81]

Do we have a "tips for new winemakers" list? First thing in the "do before starting" section should be "get bottles!"

I recall deciding my first wine was finished -- I used a recipe from newspaper using bread yeast, I had no hydrometer nor did I know what one was, I simply declared it was done after 3 weeks. At that point I realizedI had nothing to bottle it in. I ended up cleaning out some old whiskey bottles my dad had saved for some purpose I can no longer recall.

 

[Bill McNab]

Talking about wine bottles, any advice as to removing lables?
Thanks in advance.

 

[jvbutter]

yea sure, I use "1 step" with hot water to soak them, 1step has a bubbling action that helps to lift the labels, and hot water helps to loosen most glues used on labels There are some elastic / plastic type labels on some bottles, I stopped trying to get those off and toss the bottles.

 

[bstnh1]

yea sure, I use "1 step" with hot water to soak them, 1step has a bubbling action that helps to lift the labels, and hot water helps to loosen most glues used on labels There are some elastic / plastic type labels on some bottles, I stopped trying to get those off and toss the bottles.

Those tough residues like gummy glue under the labels can be easily removed with hot water, a little dish soap and a stainless steel scrubbing pad or a chore-boy.

 

[jvbutter]

yes I have found some residue will come off with scrubby and hot soapy water, just choose not to fight it. Too many bottles out there to struggle.

 

[crushday]

I soak mine in water for a couple days and then hit it with the labelnator...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NP5BAG0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[jgmann67]

More than a few threads on how to remove labels on this forum.

I soak mine in hot water and oxi-green, then scrap what left off with a tool from my LHBS (I use goo-gone on the difficult glues).

 

[G259]

I ask people I know to save them for me, they know I'll give them wine!

 

[VillaVino]

I knew there would be a bottle scrapper out there. Thanks George! I recommend you go to your local winery and see if you take their used bottles off their hands. They may sell them for a fraction of new bottles or may just give them to you so they don’t have to throw them out. At least where I live, the wineries can not reuse the bottles they use in their tasting rooms. Ask the winery what size cork they use and that will save you a lot of problems you have when collecting bottles from friends and other sources. Cheers and Happy New Years!!

 

[Tnawal]

I found this tip on on removing labels this morning and it worked great on 10 out of 12 bottles.

Preheat oven 150 degrees, bake bottles for 10 minutes, then use a sharp knife to loosen the corners and it should pull right off.

 

[Gerry Weiler]

The various label adhesives used seem to vary and soaking doesn't often work that well. I find the quickest way to remove the label is with a razor blade scraper. hold the bottle from the neck and push down and away from your hand. This doesn't remove the glue and I then use acetone on a small rag to dissolve the glue first. Acetone can be rinsed with water. There are are some paint brush cleaners that will also remove the glue and the reside can also be rinsed off with hot water. The product is called Brush and Roller Cleaner and works on all kinds of paint. I understand that this is acceptable from an environmental purposes.

I don't use paper labels anymore. Sharpie has a pen with paint that adheres to the glass bottle surface. White works the best and can be easily removed with acetone or the Brush and Roller Cleaner.

 

[Wayne Freeman]

Talking about wine bottles, any advice as to removing lables?
Thanks in advance.

I let 2 or 3 empty bottles accumulate on the counter, then I boil about a liter or liter and a half of water, and fill each one to just above the top of the label. After about 3 or 4 minutes, the labels peel right off. The glue that's left on the bottles is still soft at that point, and some cooking oil on a paper towel will rub it right off with no mess and no scraping. The boiling water removes any residue inside the bottle at the same time.

 

[fermenter]

Why remove the old label? I just put my label over it. As for obtaining bottles I get them from the liquor store ( full of course) and after that wine is gone I can use them for my wine.

 

[Dixiewineman]

Talking about wine bottles, any advice as to removing lables?
Thanks in advance.

Add a 1/2 cup of Oxyclean to a 5 gallon bucket. Stir and fill the bucket to 1/2 full. Put your bottles in the bucket and add water as necessary to cover all the labels. They just fall off. Easiest way I’ve found. Oxyclean makes one with no added fragrance.

 

[Scooter68]

I think it is against the law for a restaurant to give used bottles away in Alabama. You see Norm, it's like this here in Alabama , we really need our politicians to lead us from the gates of hell!

Alabama has the strictest laws regarding the quantities of wine, beer, mead, and cider. One listing I read stated that you cannot have more than 15 gallons on the premise at a time and production is limited to 15 gallons per quarter.

 

[robert81650]

I'm from Alabama, were did you get your info......never heard of that restrictions.............

 

[cmason1957]

I'm from Alabama, were did you get your info......never heard of that restrictions.............

I found it here. 15 gallons per quarter no more than 15 gallons in possession.

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrewing-rights/statutes/alabama/