Why oh why oh why oh why oh why, are there so many different types of glue used to stick labels to beer bottles?
Being an occasional homebrewer, I clean and keep any shop-bought beer bottles. When doing that, I remove the labels. Some just pull off cleanly straight away (usually the plasticy/shiny ones), some paper ones just need a soak overnight and they fall off, some need a soak and a bit of a quick scrape with the back of a knife to get the residue off, and some, and I'm looking at you here, M&S Cambridgshire Ale, are an absolute b@$t@rd, needing loads of soaking and scraping, to the point where I can't be bothered and they just go in the recycling.
Surely there's an optimal way that all bottlers would use? And one would assume that the weak-ass, just needs a bit of a soak and it falls off, glue must be cheaper?
And yes, I am basically stuck at home, and the triviality of my thoughts is increasing...
You are Bill or Billy or Mac or Buddy and I claim my five dollars.
I expect it is down to cost and volume. Some will be cheaper for mass production, some cheaper for small scale production. There might also be an ethical sourcing and recyclability issue to for some suppliers. As non standardisation goes it's small beer (pun intended) compared to the car industry. Why is almost every single switch, suspension part, light fitting, etc different on every car, or even the same car on another model year?
What can I say, I like a good beer buzz early in the morning
Given the amount of beer in brown bottles, how come I never come across any brown sea glass on the beach, only clear and green?...
Makes ye think.
Probably they run short of glue when they get busy.
Does the offending label effect the taste?
Why not make your own label and stick it over the top?
Homebrew tip. Print your own labels on heavy paper, brush the back with milk and stick them on the bottles. Adequate levels of stickiness to stay on the bottle for years, but washes off under the tap.
As for the original question, shelf appeal. Bottles cost a fortune compared to cans, in fact bottles probably cost a fortune compared to the beer inside them. You can't actually taste a beer before buying it so 100% of the (new as opposed to repeat customers) sales are based on how attractive the bottle is. So big shiny glossy labels stand out. And the cost per label is dwarfed by the cost of the bottle.
I'm guessing the impermeable plastic lables with metalic bits etc need stronger glues than the paper ones.
I understand the shelf appeal thing, but we're talking about (non glossy) paper labels; some just fall off with a bit of a soak, some are a gummy sticky mess.
The plastic labels with metallic bits are often the cleanest to get off, they just peel away.
After a few brain-numbing peeling sessions, I just ended up buying a load of proper home brewing empty bottles online. Life's just too short. They're cheap enough, often better i.e. thicker glass, and they all look the same which is great for OCD lol.
Actually when I move somewhere with more space (hopefully soon!!) I will dispense with bottling altogether as I hate it with a passion. Have a couple of old corny kegs stashed away and will construct a kegerator!
I don't mind bottling to be honest, I find it weirdly therapeutic. I did get a second hand bottle tree off eBay though which makes sanitising much easier, plus a bottle wand on the bucket tap and a proper crown capper.
For the ones that don't peel or soak off try putting them in the oven for 10 minutes after you've cooked something and it's cooling down. I've found that to work on labels that won't come off easily. I've done it for labels I've wanted to save.
Just use a knife to lift it away after it's got nice and hot. And don't forget that even though the oven is off the bottle is going to be bloody hot. Not of course anything I've ever forgotten. 😊
Given the amount of beer in brown bottles, how come I never come across any brown sea glass on the beach, only clear and green?…
Makes ye think.
I'm sure its there, it probably just blends in better.
All beer not in brown bottles* is shit though - any beer that comes in a clear or green bottle isn't worth drinking.
That not to say everything in brown bottles is good, but everything in clear or green is crap.
*or cans, cans are better in every way except for tradition
If cans are better, why does the beer always taste metallic?
yep, got all that, still hate it 😂I did get a second hand bottle tree off eBay though which makes sanitising much easier, plus a bottle wand on the bucket tap and a proper crown capper.
because you only buy shit beerIf cans are better, why does the beer always taste metallic?
If cans are better, why does the beer always taste metallic?
Unless its shit beer, it will only taste metallic if you drink it from the can.
90% of the beer I drink these days comes in a can. I was initially pretty skeptical as I always though bottled beer was better, but there are not many good reason to put beer in bottles these days.
You are Bill or Billy or Mac or Buddy and I claim my five dollars
Bravo 👏
If cans are better, why does the beer always taste metallic?
Because you expect it to.
Canned beer tastes shit for the same reason that tea tastes bad out of a plastic cup, the can is lined with a varnish or polymer. It tastes even worse if you drink it straight from the can because the top of the can is usually bare aluminum and this reacts with the beer which is slightly acidic, and the metal conducts the heat straight from your hand into the beer making your drink too warm and your hand numb.
Canned beer tastes shit
for the same reason that tea tastes bad out of a plastic cup, the can is lined with a varnish or polymer. It tastes even worse if you drink it straight from the can because the top of the can is usually bare aluminum and this reacts with the beer which is slightly acidic, and the metal conducts the heat straight from your hand into the beer making your drink too warm and your hand numb.because you've been told it tastes shit out of a can, and because you can't smell it. Beer also tastes shit out of a bottle.
All beer not in brown bottles* is shit though – any beer that comes in a clear or green bottle isn’t worth drinking.
That not to say everything in brown bottles is good, but everything in clear or green is crap.
*or cans, cans are better in every way except for tradition
Bollocks. I have many years of experience to back up the fact that bottle colour in no way reflects the quality of the beer it contains.
You are Bill or Billy or Mac or Buddy and I claim my five dollars.
What can I say, I like a good beer buzz early in the morning
Well done gentlemen, nice pop-culture reference there! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Cans make your hand numb. Bravo, that's beer snob bawbaggery at it's finest! 🤣🤣🤣
Enough cans makes everything numb
Once upon a time bog brushes were great then some massive knobber came along and told EVERYONE that the handle must screw on. Thus the world changed for ever and we must all suffer rattly loose wobbly bog brushes for ever threatening to fall apart into the pan. WHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYTYTYYYYY!?!?!?!?!?!?
If you go round the bowl in a clockwise motion with the bog brush, it keeps it nice and tight and none-rattly. But yeah, stupid design.
Bollocks. I have many years of experience to back up the fact that bottle colour in no way reflects the quality of the beer it contains.
Okay name a good beer that comes in a clear bottle?
No such thing exists. Brown bottles stop the beer degrading in sunlight.
The label thing rally annoys me too. Almost every time I get a beer and want to save the bottle it’s either a struggle with the label, a struggle getting the glue off or a simple task of just letting it soak. I’m not saying I now go for local beer from places that have easy to remove labels, but...
Okay name a good beer that comes in a clear bottle?
Corona 😉
I've standardised on Budvar 500ml bottles. They're expensive at £1.50 a bottle but the contents taste nice, the labels come off easily and you can see the level easily when bottling.
I’m not saying I now go for local beer from places that have easy to remove labels, but…
When I was home brewing I definitely chose beer based on how easy the labels came off.
It was covered higher up but it depends on set up of the production line. Depends on age, speed, volume, procurement options. There will be a couple of common methods.
Hot melt where the glue and label are applied sequentially. Some labels will be supplied with an adhesive backing. There are then probably older set ups that use a contact adhesive. Probably a few people using something water based for environmental reasons and then some using what ever is cheapest.
I once worked in a fruit juice factory where I optimised glue use on a few of the production lines. Fun times...
It is someones job to develop glue for sticking labels... not mine, I watch paint dry.
If soaking in water doesn't work, the dishwasher might be hot enough or the oven with some baking parchment underneath to catch drops. After than chemicals - acetone/nail varnish remover would be a good bet. Effective and volatile so it evaporates off quickly leaving little if any residue.
In non-brown bottles, beer very quickly becomes 'lightstruck'. Some people are very sensitive to the taste/smell. I can't taste it even when it is apparently really significant, so I will drink any old rubbish. Useful sometimes.
Matt
