Is this a problem for anyone else? I’m always running out of bottles 'cause I never seem to get back all the ones I hand out. Not that I expect to get 'em all back - it just means more bottle delabeling is in my future.
Oh - and I HATE Elysian labels (and a few others). Amonia does not loosen whatever super-glue they use on their lables. I’ve had to scrape the labels off those bottles. Does anyone else use a method other than an amonia solution soak to easily remove labels?
I typically soak bottles in oxyclean to get the labels off. I also keep a green scrubby and a razor scraper by the slop sink to assist with the stubborn labels and glue.
I don’t bottle much any more, but when I did I would frequently run low and then get a bulk delivery of returned bottles. Usually, they were well rinsed and cleaned, but not always. I found you have to remind people every time to save and rinse the bottles.
And, when you run low on bottles it just means you need to drink more!
Oh DAMN! ;) lol
I usually got mine back. I always reminded them that I needed the bottles back and made sure they understood no bottles returned meant no beer next time.
Paul
For the most part, the amount of beer I give a person is directly proportional to the amount of bottles I get back. Just tell them that they can easily tell you whether they want any more beer in the future by how many bottles they return and they can score bonus points by giving you extras.
Participating in a beer competition (stewarding, etc.) can score you a mother lode of bottles.
Get a label maker and stick on labels that say " Please return to __" Works for me.
Dang! I didn’t even thing about that. I could have grabbed a few cases from the Pro-Am I judged at last weekend! D’oh!!! Next time.
That one wouldn’t work for me. The folks I usually give bottles to return them along with 2-3 cases of additional empties. The above logic would then say I’d need to give them a couple cases of homebrew - yikes 
I don’t give away a ton of beer (hate the bottling hassle), but when I do I don’t concern myself with getting bottles back.
That’s sort of where I am right now too. In fact, I only recently bottled again for the first time in years - I was just wondering what method others used to try and get their bottles back.
I guess I’ll continue to not worry about it.
I’m just looking forward to having at least 2 homebrews on tap for my crawfish boil next month. ;D
Same for me. They ask once in a while and I just say, whatever…doesn’t matter.
I used to ask for bottles back, but then found I had to do more work to clean them than if I just kept collecting ones for myself.
Go be a judge or steward and ask to take away leftovers after the competition. Then give them a hot water rinse that day.
Yep. Next time. I totally spaced on that while judging at the Puget Sound Pro-Am. (D’oh!)
I only bottle my porters and stouts anymore as I’m the only one who drinks them. It doesn’t make sense to use a slot in the keg fridge for those beers. The problem is I bottle them in wire top bottles. I have sent a few home with people who like a good dark beer and I always worry about not getting them back. 
Paul
I only ever give swing-top bottles to people I know I’ll get them back from.
Me too but I’m really good at worrying. ;D
Drink more. Worry less. ;D
You GIVE AWAY swing-tops? Hell, I don’t let those suckers out of my sight!
As others have said, if you want bottles, judge or steward a competition. Generally, the organizers have to beg people to take glass away. Another good source is Homebrew club meetings; since people often leave bottles behind. Help clean up and you get all the glass you need.
For labels which don’t yield well to hot water or being soaked in Oxyclean, use rubbing alcohol, acetone or Goo-Gone, depending on what’s used to attach the labels. Personally, I love European beer bottles, since the labels are usually attached with a glue which comes right off when the bottle gets wet. They’re sometimes also made from slightly thicker glass.
When I’ve got some comps coming up, and I start thinking about bottling, I’ll send out an email to all my friends to collect bottles. A couple of weeks later I’ll end up with several cases worth of dirty bottles with labels, which I just process myself. That’s enough bottles to last me the rest of the year, between competitions and gifts.
When I give beer away I just tell them to recycle the bottles. It seems easier to me to clean a bunch of bottles in one fell swoop (and thus lay in a supply of bottles I know are clean and ready to go), rather than have dirty bottles trickle in on an irregular basis.
I personally find the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale bottles easy to soak and remove labels with just hot water.
May I suggest that, if it takes you longer than 2 minutes to get a label off a bottle, then just throw it in the recycling bin.
On some bottles, label removal is a phyrric victory. Be smart, and choose your battles wisely.