Canning beer at home

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WIBeerGeek

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I know that commercial canning lines are damned expensive and require a minimum run far larger than a home brewer often does. However, I noticed this video for a brew shop in Australia:

Does anyone have any idea what machine that is that they are using to can beers one at a time?
 
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Yeah the same company that made it cost effective for microbrewers to can their beer, by reducing the minimum size of the can runs, ALSO supplies the canning equiptment, both to microbreweries AND to Brew on Premises.

WELCOME TO CASK.COM

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There's a pull down for BOPs.
 
Just sent out an e-mail to try to get a quote on the manual canning system. If anyone is interested, I will post the price on here after I get it.
 
Yeah, its pretty frickin awesome! IMHO, canning is a better way to go than bottles, at least on a commercial scale.
 
Just sent out an e-mail to try to get a quote on the manual canning system. If anyone is interested, I will post the price on here after I get it.

Based on this thread I found on a forum it's way pricey :)

We are currently exploring the idea of a canning line. We could buy a filler and seamer system that matches the speed of our bottling line (200 bpm) for about $300,000+ but we thought we'd much rather test the market for our beer in cans. I have found Cask Brewing Systems offers a nice 30 cpm system for about $50,000. Does anyone have any experience with them or any other suggestions. Ideal speed would be about 80-100 cpm and cost about $100,000-$150,000. We don't like to buy used equipment. I'm willing to accept any thoughts or suggestions. Also if anyone knows how much cans cost for smaller orders (~20,000 cases at a time) please let me know. Thanks.

P.S.... Since I've found this website it seems like I'm posting way more than anyone else. Am I abusing the system?
 
Neat! Not really a feasible solution for all but the most lavishly rich and financially irresponsible home brewers, but it would be awesome to can at home using one of those systems.
 
I know it's supposed to be cheaper in the long run, portable, & with newer technologies not effect the taste... but perhaps it's just me, I still prefer bottles and feel the product tends to be of higher quality. A cleaner, pure flavor. Sure cans eliminate light exposure & supposedly no longer impart that aluminum twang. They are Eco-friendly, lighter, efficiently stored... yet I just don't enjoy the product I pour nearly as much. Perhaps I need a side-by-side. Meh.
 
Growing up I'd drink any beer that had the most beer per $, which was usually Meister Brau @ $8 for 30 cans. It tasted terrible, so now I always attribute cans to cheap beer even though it's really not the case anymore.
 
neat - curious on cost just for curiosity's sake...no way its going to be affordable for a home brewer. Just the cost of cans (and the quantity you'd have to buy) would make it unreasonable.
 
I know it's supposed to be cheaper in the long run, portable, & with newer technologies not effect the taste... but perhaps it's just me, I still prefer bottles and feel the product tends to be of higher quality. A cleaner, pure flavor. Sure cans eliminate light exposure & supposedly no longer impart that aluminum twang. They are Eco-friendly, lighter, efficiently stored... yet I just don't enjoy the product I pour nearly as much. Perhaps I need a side-by-side. Meh.

I have heard of a few blind taste tests with the new type of cans, mostly over on Basic Brewing Radio, and supposedly with the new cans a canned beer is indistinguishable from a bottled one.

And if you haven't had it, and of the beers out of Oskar Blues are great, and they can everything without any of the added aluminum tanginess.
 
neat - curious on cost just for curiosity's sake...no way its going to be affordable for a home brewer. Just the cost of cans (and the quantity you'd have to buy) would make it unreasonable.
Compared to the cost of buying bottles, I would think it would be much cheaper.

Granted a unit is far higher than the price point that most home brewers are looking to come in at, but it seems like a much cheaper option for anyone looking to go pro.
 
Compared to the cost of buying bottles, I would think it would be much cheaper.

But you can buy a single case of bottles. The smallest order for cans is a pallet (something riduculous like 10k cans). Per unit it would likely be cheaper, but you can't just purchase what you need.
 
Ultra-Medic said:
I know it's supposed to be cheaper in the long run, portable, & with newer technologies not effect the taste... but perhaps it's just me, I still prefer bottles and feel the product tends to be of higher quality. A cleaner, pure flavor. Sure cans eliminate light exposure & supposedly no longer impart that aluminum twang. They are Eco-friendly, lighter, efficiently stored... yet I just don't enjoy the product I pour nearly as much. Perhaps I need a side-by-side. Meh.

I actually think the opposite. My friend and I are finding the cans to be superior to bottles. We have done a few side by side tastes, and the canned craft brews are better. We think it's because they have to condition cans versus force carbonating bottles. It's most noticeable with new Belgium fat tire. The cans are way better than the bottles.
 
Same...I would not think that there is a difference in carbonation procedures for canning versus bottling.
 
I've had craft brews from a can, but I think my personal reasons were mentioned earlier... I relate drinking beer from a can. To me, beer is BMC, & 211. When I pour from a bottle I think of it as ale, or lager... a more refined quality version of "beer". Funny how our minds work.

But I think BYO had an article on this last issue. Basically because of the cost if the canning machine & need to bulk order... it's just not feasible for a home brewer. But quality wise, cans supposedly surpass bottles because light will not penetrate them, and todays aluminum cans are sealed to prevent the metallic twang of the past. But my mind just doesn't easily accept it.
 
A number of the microbreweries here in AZ are canning their beer now. It isn't practical at the home brew level though.
 
What about reusing aluminum bottles? True, you have to endure drinking the beer that's inside (and I can't recall if those are twist tops or not) but some BMC drinking friends could just drink it for you. I have to keep some around for non-enlightened beer drinkers anyways. I've been thinking about this for taking homebrew on float trips in place of buying small portable kegs (if you get caught with glass bottles you get a fine).
 
What about reusing aluminum bottles? True, you have to endure drinking the beer that's inside (and I can't recall if those are twist tops or not) but some BMC drinking friends could just drink it for you. I have to keep some around for non-enlightened beer drinkers anyways. I've been thinking about this for taking homebrew on float trips in place of buying small portable kegs (if you get caught with glass bottles you get a fine).

My big deal with using aluminum bottles is that I wouldn't want to drink what is originally packaged in them. :-/
 
I actually think the opposite. My friend and I are finding the cans to be superior to bottles. We have done a few side by side tastes, and the canned craft brews are better. We think it's because they have to condition cans versus force carbonating bottles. It's most noticeable with new Belgium fat tire. The cans are way better than the bottles.

I've been waiting for awhile now for Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale cans and finally found them at my local package store, so I picked up a case for a party this weekend. A few buddies and I, who are all VERY familiar with SNPA (to say the least! Lol) thought the cans seemed to be a smoother, cleaner version of the beer than bottles.

Now, being the cans were just released and the brew date was early February this was definitely fresh beer. Either way, I'm hooked as cans are just all around easier to deal with in my opinion. I'm all for the canning movement! :mug:
 
I've been waiting for awhile now for Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale cans and finally found them at my local package store, so I picked up a case for a party this weekend. A few buddies and I, who are all VERY familiar with SNPA (to say the least! Lol) thought the cans seemed to be a smoother, cleaner version of the beer than bottles.

Now, being the cans were just released and the brew date was early February this was definitely fresh beer. Either way, I'm hooked as cans are just all around easier to deal with in my opinion. I'm all for the canning movement! :mug:

Me too, except I fear a future were it is much more expensive for home brewers to bottle, time to hoard, as if I needed an excuse
 
I don't think it'd make any sense at the homebrew level. I'm sure even that machine costs more than any homebrewer would be willing to spend. I know that is how New England Brewing Company cans all their beers although they are looking into a canning line which costs about $95,000.
 
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