Canning for Homebrewers

[jonlarsen002]

If you could can your homebrew, would you be interested? I've been thinking a lot about this lately, particularly due to my frustrations with the laborious bottling process.

For example, you bring your beer over to a warehouse where you rent some canning equipment by the hour. (capable of approx. 25 cases/hour) Maybe you buy 6 months supply of printed cans and use them gradually.

What price/case would make it worth it? And how many cases/month would you can?

Are the environmental and practical benefits of cans important to you? Or is bottling still the preferred method for craft brewers?

 

[Revvy]

Someone asked something similar just before christmas....That thread sunk faster than a lead balloon, which showed perhaps the level of interest.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/canning-vs-bottling-213188/

Meh....I've got my system so tweaked that I can effortlessly bottle 2 cases of beer in 45 minutes. Unless the place were next door it would probably take that much in just DRIVING time. So why?

So rather than hating bottling, have you actually tried pimping the process to work for you? https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/

Besides are they gonna clean and re-sanitize the setup before each homebrewer's 5 or 10 gallon batch??? Seems like it would amp up the cost. All you need ins one infected batch and a lapse in sanitization to ruin, what stat did you give, 25 cases/hour's worth of beer?

 

[Revvy]

Also, one would have to wonder how "safe" it would be to transport a carboy or bucket of fermented beer on a car ride with it sloshing around, I betcha that would cause a lot of batches to end up oxydized, since really the only way to prevent oxydation would be to pump in co2...and if you have the setup to do that...then you more than likely can keg already....Heck that's the only way I would feel safe transporting by beer, in a keg, but if I did that, I wouldn't necessarily be bottling would I?

Additionally, you've just shaken your fermenter up, so all that nice sediment in the primary or secondary that you've patiently waited to settle and clear...is not back in solution. So what? Would we have to drop off the beer, let it settle overnight, have them bottle it, then come back and pick it up the next day?

I would have been done with bottling my beer 45 minutes after I thought about it, not 24 or 48 hours later. So again, doesn't seem all the time saving or practical to me.

 

[jonlarsen002]

Yeah, it's probably not going to have lots of appeal for homebrewers who make 2-5 cases per month.

But what about 10-20 cases? Or does that homebrewer even exist? I guess at a certain point after a couple cases per month, you need to have an outlet for your supply... and that might make you a micro-micro-brewery.

 

[Revvy]

... you need to have an outlet for your supply... and that might make you a micro-micro-brewery.

And those people would cut out the middleman (you) and either just buy a canning line or go to the source that (you'd) be buying YOUR canning line from, Cask.com, since they offer both the line OR the canning service to microbrewies (and that even includes label design and silkscreening of the cans. It's kinda because of them, that microbrewer's can can anyway...by lowering the can order limit to 150,000 units.....

As it mentions in there, they DO sell to brew on Premise operations, but people who BOP are leaving their fermenters onsite and bottling there. And those folks aren't typical homebrewers...if they were they wouldn't pay the ridicualous markup that BOPS have.

 

[Yooper]

Yeah, it's probably not going to have lots of appeal for homebrewers who make 2-5 cases per month.

But what about 10-20 cases? Or does that homebrewer even exist? I guess at a certain point after a couple cases per month, you need to have an outlet for your supply... and that might make you a micro-micro-brewery.

Most of us keg if we're brewing any sort of volume at all. More than about 4 cases (two batches) a month generally push us toward kegging.

 

[ChshreCat]

If someone could come up with a home canning system that was as easy as bottling and at least as cheap, I'd probably be interested. I don't think I'd want to haul my beer down to a cannery even if it was free.

 

[Revvy]

If someone could come up with a home canning system that was as easy as bottling and at least as cheap, I'd probably be interested. I don't think I'd want to haul my beer down to a cannery even if it was free.

I don't see why noone's come up with a simple silicon or rubber plug that can fit in the hole where the tab on an existing can is (you'd obviously have to pull out the existing metal tab.)

It would have the same design as a rubber grommet that asks like a gasket on each side of the lid, only solid. Maybe with a little thing to open back up after with your finger tip.

It'd be like this only solid, and shaped like the openning in the can.

You'd just fill the can, and pop on the gasket and bang. But it would have to be as cheap as bottle caps though.

We wouldn't even need a canning line, or even a bottle capper, you would just slip it in place.

OKAY if one of you steals my idea, I get the first 5,000 of them free.

 

[Somebody]

A guy in my hbc is doing an experiment right now using the twist off cap monster energy cans. This seems to be reasonable since the cans are capable of holding pressure and can be canned at home instead of going somewhere to do it.

I will let you know how this experiment turns out.

 

[mr_goodwrench]

Also, wouldn't the beer need to be carbonated before being put into the cans? If so, you would need a way of force carbing which again, would lead to a kegging setup.

 

[Revvy]

Also, wouldn't the beer need to be carbonated before being put into the cans? If so, you would need a way of force carbing which again, would lead to a kegging setup.

Why? If it's a tight seal and the can is strong enough to to withstand the pressure of co2 building up during carbonation, you, in theory should be able to carb in a can....With my idea (though obviously it's only an idea) it's just another container to carb and condition in.

Or at least I think so......

 

[mr_goodwrench]

I suppose you are right. I guess I am over-complicating the process.

 

[Special Hops]

Or you could just keg it.

 

[edgeofblade]

In case you didn't go poking around this site, here's what canning would entail:

http://www.cask.com/files/misc/New_MCS_Promo.wmv

 

[Revvy]

In case you didn't go poking around this site, here's what canning would entail:

http://www.cask.com/files/misc/New_MCS_Promo.wmv

Funny I never bothered to watch the vids....Seems to me that's even MORE "fiddling" with steps than how I bottle my beer.

 

[shazster]

Unless you have a draft setup (just getting back to brewing after 10 years of laziness and really miss my old draft gear), bottling is a necessary evil for various reasons but primarily:
-glass bottles are easier to inspect visually for cleanliness than anything metallic.
Bottling is a pain if you are among the motivation-challenged group most of us are in. It is far better to drink it than bottle it. And there is nothing like slaving away for 2 hours bottling to have your buddies come by and clear you out in 3hrs. My cheat is to use larger bottles - 750ml Unibroue bottles are awesome - and plastic champagne stoppers w. wired basket. Less bottles...but bigger ones. Champagne bottles are a good option too - kind of an old school, dawn of homebrewing, this-is-how-my-granddad-did-it sort of solution. Probably not good for your liver, and I have noticed that lately I look at anything 12oz with increasing scorn, but a solution nonetheless...

 

[weirdboy]

You know I remember a business on Gordon Ramsey's F Word where they would go around with a truck with a whole bottling line in the back. Basically they'd pull up, you'd give them your fermenter with the beer and they would bottle it up with custom labels for you.

 

[Revvy]

Bottling is a pain if you are among the motivation-challenged group most of us are in. It is far better to drink it than bottle it. And there is nothing like slaving away for 2 hours bottling to have your buddies come by and clear you out in 3hrs.

Again, why do you let it take 2 hours to bottle? If it's taking anyone that long to do it, then, the problem is the process. How they are choosing to do it, and not with bottling in itself. We adapt 99% of the brewing process to work for us, but people don't do the same thing with the one thing the B!tch the most about. Or they run like cowards to kegs, then think it is "fun" to jump into bottling (or in this case a canning canning thread) and say "Keg...." Like the folks having an intelligent or serious discussion about bottles are too dumb to have heard of kegging.

If it's taking that long, or you are having that much trouble then you have a lot of wasted motion and wasted steps going. I toyed with bottling, trying this and that until it was just an easy series of steps that had the most "economy of motion" involved.

You've at least done one thing to pimp your process by using larger bottles, but again you really don't need to change the volume to have a smooth bottling operation. Like I said, I can do 48-54 12 ounce bottles in 45 minutes from the time I lift my fermenter to the table til the time my cases are in the brew closet and I'm cleaning up.

And it's no more an onerous task than any other aspect of the hobby....

*shrug*

 

[I_B_Mongo]

I have a kegging setup, and I'd still be interested in having some beer put in cans. I do a lot of canoe trips, and glass is verboten on all rivers. Also, cans would be nice when going to the pool (neighborhood or parents house), as glass is not welcome in pool areas either.

I'm intrigued with the monster twist top idea. I guess the only draw back is the cost factor of buying (and drinking) enough monster to can an entire batch worth.

 

[Yooper]

I have a kegging setup, and I'd still be interested in having some beer put in cans. I do a lot of canoe trips, and glass is verboten on all rivers. Also, cans would be nice when going to the pool (neighborhood or parents house), as glass is not welcome in pool areas either.

I'm intrigued with the monster twist top idea. I guess the only draw back is the cost factor of buying (and drinking) enough monster to can an entire batch worth.

I have some 20 ounce PET bottles with twist caps, and I use those for my canoeing/backpacking/pool events. Soda bottles would work too. How about 1 or 2 liter sized soda bottles? I fill 2L soda bottles from my keg all the time.

 

[Revvy]

Soda bottles would work too. How about 1 or 2 liter sized soda bottles? I fill 2L soda bottles from my keg all the time.

If you leave the labels you have the other benefit of being able tor bring your own beer into places that may not allow your own beer, but allow you to be carrying soft drinks. Coke bottles for porter, Vernors for IPas works great.

 

[shazster]

Again, why do you let it take 2 hours to bottle? If it's taking anyone that long to do it, then, the problem is the process. How they are choosing to do it, and not with bottling in itself. We adapt 99% of the brewing process to work for us, but people don't do the same thing with the one thing the B!tch the most about. Or they run like cowards to kegs, then think it is "fun" to jump into bottling (or in this case a canning canning thread) and say "Keg...." Like the folks having an intelligent or serious discussion about bottles are too dumb to have heard of kegging.

If it's taking that long, or you are having that much trouble then you have a lot of wasted motion and wasted steps going. I toyed with bottling, trying this and that until it was just an easy series of steps that had the most "economy of motion" involved.

You've at least done one thing to pimp your process by using larger bottles, but again you really don't need to change the volume to have a smooth bottling operation. Like I said, I can do 48-54 12 ounce bottles in 45 minutes from the time I lift my fermenter to the table til the time my cases are in the brew closet and I'm cleaning up.

And it's no more an onerous task than any other aspect of the hobby....

*shrug*

You are right, the bottling itself isn't that long, but add in prep, double checking bottles (triple checking if you are a bit neurotic like me), cleaning gear (I steep bottling wand & hoses in boiling water, boil the champagne stoppers etc.) and otherwise drag my feet..what can I say, I had many years of the bliss of cleaning a single keg instead of a bunch of bottles before I gave it up some years ago. I got spoiled. Now I'm relearning everything all over again ;-)

 

[I_B_Mongo]

I have some 20 ounce PET bottles with twist caps, and I use those for my canoeing/backpacking/pool events. Soda bottles would work too. How about 1 or 2 liter sized soda bottles? I fill 2L soda bottles from my keg all the time.

Thanks Yooper. Guess I never really thought about doing it that way. Do you ever carb in the bottles, or just fill from a carbed keg?

 

[MeatyPortion]

Having a couple cans of my beer would be "neat" but that's about where my fascination ends with that. Kegs are simple and I have a portable kegerator as well.

 

[Yooper]

Thanks Yooper. Guess I never really thought about doing it that way. Do you ever carb in the bottles, or just fill from a carbed keg?

Both, actually! Sometimes I fill from the keg and sometimes I bottle condition a soda bottle, especially if I make a 5.5 gallon batch and only 5 gallon fits in the keg.

 

[lotbfan]

i would totally go for this if you could put them in #10 cans, that you would then need to open with an old school triangle can opener like pops used to use before they invented pull tabs... it would not only be badass to use a can opener to open them, but the 3/4 gallon of beer would be great for barley wines when you had a rough day at work

crank press starts at around a grand, electrics for around 1600, the electrics can do like 125-150 cans per hour!