Years ago, when all bottles were returnable, the brewery used labels
that they could easily wash off when they reused the bottle. Now, when
the bottles are no longer, for the most part, reused, they are more
concerned that their label will stay on if the bottle gets wet before
being sold.

My experience is that a paper label is easily removed by soaking the
bottle, perhaps for as long as a day. However, some producers now use a
foil or plasticized paper label, and those cannot be easily soaked off,
as the water can't get through the label to the glue. The only way I
have succeeded with such bottles is by lacerating the label enough that
the water can reach the glue; sometimes you even have to take a razor
blade to the label to do this. I don't have much current experience, as
I amassed an impressive collection of bottles some years ago, and now
devote my time to refilling and reemptying them.

Dick Adams wrote:
22 fl oz bottles cost me 95 cents a piece (case price).
12 fl oz bottles cost me 55 cents a piece (case price).

To me that means buy a 6-pack of 12 oz bottles and figure
you're paying $3.10 for the bottles. Makes it easier to
sell to my childbride.

Yes it is rather simple to take labels off of bottles.
At least most of them. Unfortunately some breweries,
e.g., Stone Brewing in Kal-e-forn-ya and Yingling in
Pencil-vane-e-a, use labels I have yet to be able to
remove.

You need to see one of these bottles up close to
understand the problem. Has anyone found a way to
remove these labels?

Dick