Removing Paint from Bottles

07May08

I just got this from the AHA forum, and was happy to learn this–I have bottles that I’ll re-use later, but haven’t put them in circulation because of the paint, especially when I’m trying to work my way to my own labels by only using unlabeled bottles.

I wasn’t sure where I could save it that I’d find it later, so I post it here for my later use and your instruction:

I remove ink from bottles, such as Corona, with acid blend. Acid blend is a blend of citric, malic, and tartaric acid and is available for mead and winemaking. A 2 oz jar is usually less than two dollars. I put about 3″ of water in a bucket with about two teaspoons of acid blend. I fill the bottles with tap water and set them in the solution. I don’t submerge the bottles because I don’t want the dissolved ink getting inside them. I heard that Star San works also, but I have not tried it. Some bottles, such as Rogue and Red Stripe, are not affected by the acid blend.

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