StillSmart

I am lucky enough to have a few people from work collecting their empty wine bottles for me.

I use a lot of them for my homemade wine but also keep some back, especially the clear ones, for spirits.

I noticed a few posts mentioning things like never use rum bottles for neutrals. I assumed that glass if properly cleaned and sterilised would not carry over any unwanted flavours. Am I wrong and should I avoid used wine bottles for spirits?

I do tend to keep specific bottles for my Pastis and ouzo, but otherwise no, glass is hard to taint.

For spirits I wouldn't even bother to sterilise them, unless you sloosh around some of your fores and then rinse.

Cheers GTF. Happy now to continue accepting empty bottle donations

Even with strong smelling spirits, the glass is unlikely to taint, it's more likely to be the stopper or the white foam / foiled cardboard insert in the screw top which will retain the smell.

To my mind, glass is glass.
You can use it, and abuse it.
I find that using domestic bleach in it afterwards and rinsing well, returns it to as new status.
But GTF does hit on a good point there, many people overlook the stopper.

Robert.

Also it probably worth noting that the screwcaps don't last forever, I use novatwist caps on mine.

... And don't cork them. The neck is not strong enough.

I've got a collection of empty wine bottles but I've had some real trouble getting the labels off some as they are plastic coated, anyone got any good tips for removing them?

Its not just the water proof coating on the label it is also the glue.

In the past I have resorted to a sharp knife to cut off the label and then solvent to get rid of the glue. Its a real PITA as we tend to use self adhesive labels on jam jars and it is the same issue.

Recently someone reminded me that you can put new labels on with gelatin based glue, (or hide glue from carpentry suppliers) and it makes subsequent cleaning much easier.

Anavrin wrote:I've got a collection of empty wine bottles but I've had some real trouble getting the labels off some as they are plastic coated, anyone got any good tips for removing them?

A good soak in hot soapy water then scrape with the back of a knife then any residue I remove with 'sticky stuff remover' yes that is a thing!

Some of the plastic coated labels may peel off quite easily after a short while if you fill the bottle with hot water but keep the outside dry.

Others leave the adhesive on the bottle and are a right PITA.

Unless it's a really nice spirit bottle which I would particularly like to hang on to, these go straight in the recycling, I've got better things to do with my time.

I soak mine overnight in a 2 litre plastic Coke bottle with the neck cut. Fill it with soapy water (saves water and sink space).

Then a knife to scrape it and and stubborn stickiness is usually removed with a squirt of WD40. Like GTF, if it is too stubborn, it goes in the bottle bank.

Hope you dont mind me saying gents.
I brew my own wine as well.
Ive often been seem bum sticking out of bottle dump
at our local Italian restarant (no screw caps here).
Find best way to remove labels, soak in GWP or
similar in a fermenting bin (cleans bin at same time)
scrap off label in sink with hot water fairy liq
and ss scourer.Gives bottles a good clean as well.

SS scrubbers def work a treat

Yes anyone want to buy some.
Shopping on Ebay bought a pack,
thought it was 10 turns out it
was a 60 pack.
Thats what we call an Ebay
score !!!
Only got 59 left.