Anyone Canning Beer?

[DuncB]

This might help you re power supply.



You can buy adapters as well for batteries so that you plug them in and then put your andersen plug on the other end.

See in this video



I just hacked a spare charger adapter to fit the battery for supplying power having bought 2 drills with battery on each as it was cheaper than a standalone battery. One connector on the charger plate goes to a different input on the battery so it can be charged. You have to move that connector to the same position as on the drill to get output from the setup. Could post photos if needed but I think most people won't have two chargers for the same drill.

 

[bwible]

Finding it hard to get the cans? I’ve seen multiple items indicating there is a national aluminum can shortage. We’re finding it hard to even find canned cat food these days.

Seems to be a perfect storm of big breweries canning more, cheaper canning machines available so every small microbrewery is canning, the rise of hard seltzer which is everywhere and all cans, and wineries that are now canning - coupled with labor shortages from covid.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sp...-aluminum-cans-seek-additional-resources/amp/

 

[LarMoeCur]

Finding it hard to get the cans? I’ve seen multiple items indicating there is a national aluminum can shortage. We’re finding it hard to even find canned cat food these days.

Seems to be a perfect storm of big breweries canning more, cheaper canning machines available so every small microbrewery is canning, the rise of hard seltzer which is everywhere and all cans, and wineries that are now canning - coupled with labor shortages from

Finding kegland cans is easy. Almost all the homebrew suppiers have them in stock. Because of the milliliter conversion they have wierd volume in ounces. Now finding american 12 oz cans all but impossible. Oktober has them but their cost to ship sucks. Almost double the cost of kegland cans. Then there's the problem of finding a smaller amount. Most companies want you to order a pallet full.

 

[matt_m]

Oktober shipping isn't too bad if you live in MI but Twistee Can's is $$.

 

[matt_m]

I finally pulled the trigger on an Oktober which will be here tomorrow!

 

[LarMoeCur]

I finally pulled the trigger on an Oktober which will be here tomorrow!

Canning is really starting to grow on me. I've found some very interesting uses for canned beverages!

Bottle of bourbon - 20 dollars
2 liter of Coke - 2 dollars
Can Sealer - 350 dollars
Cans - .30 cents each
The look on your golf buddies faces when they have been waiting for the drink cart for 5 holes at the golf course and then they realize your cart cooler is full of ice cold pre-mixed Bourbon and Cokes - PRICELESS!

 

[treacheroustexan]

i know this is about canning, but being i am cheap. i'd use these...reusable, and wouldn't have to keep buying caps for them....

https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=132347
$48 for 150 of em... 7 cents a cap, so ~$60 all said and done.

or if you're willing to spend more to make people say, "huh?"

you could get these, tell people you prefer the 'taste' of peroxide, lol

https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=133280

Those are not for carbonated beverages and you would blow the bottle up. Do not use these.

 

[bracconiere]

i use flimsy soda bottles all the time? is it the cap that just wouldn't hold pressure? i seriously doubt it'd blow up, looks thicker then a 2-liter? same material?

 

[treacheroustexan]

i use flimsy soda bottles all the time? is it the cap that just wouldn't hold pressure? i seriously doubt it'd blow up, looks thicker then a 2-liter? same material?

I work in plastics engineering developing new bottles. But yeah it more than likely would just blow the cap off but could crack the bottle too depending on the material distribution. Either way it’s not meant to hold pressure, only water. They also use a different resin than 2 liters. Soda bottles are fine as they use a resin for carbonated packages.

 

[bracconiere]

I work in plastics engineering developing new bottles. But yeah it more than likely would just blow the cap off but could crack the bottle too depending on the material distribution. Either way it’s not meant to hold pressure, only water. They also use a different resin than 2 liters. Soda bottles are fine as they use a resin for carbonated packages.

as an experiment, i just filled a little flimsy dasni water bottle with beer...shook it up with the cap on, no explosion. but the lid was oozing.....

but you're right i couldn't find a cap for those bottles with the little gasket that soda bottles have.....

 

[matt_m]

Its here! I took a can out of the box, filled it with water, and did a perfect can in about the same time it took to type this.

 

[matt_m]

Finally got around to my first real canning session. I canned up variety packs for friends and an NEIPA "for science" to get an idea how decent my process is--I'll open 1 a week for the next 6 weeks. This was also my first time using the Blichmann beer gun, previously I used a Last Straw which works great, but dispenses upon pushing down on the tip which was a little tricky in a can with a domed bottom. I messed one can of my Tangerine Wheat up. Had to deal with that immediately.

 

[Lakeside_Brewer5]

Finally got around to my first real canning session. I canned up variety packs for friends and an NEIPA "for science" to get an idea how decent my process is--I'll open 1 a week for the next 6 weeks. This was also my first time using the Blichmann beer gun, previously I used a Last Straw which works great, but dispenses upon pushing down on the tip which was a little tricky in a can with a domed bottom. I messed one can of my Tangerine Wheat up. Had to deal with that immediately.

How’d your process go? IPA’s are my big reason for canning and I’d like to nail down a process that minimizes this and allows the cans to last.

 

[matt_m]

Seems like its working well. That NEIPA was good all 6 weeks though hard to tell how much it changed from week one to week 6. My second run I did about 48 cans. I had a few failures where I think the rim of the can was dinged. Think that's either failure to inspect, or I'm dinging them somewhere in the process. They usually pass a squeeze test so I just gave them to a friend and suggested consuming them within a week.

I'm seriously considering asking Santa for a Duofiller and I just ordered the new splash shield. Been using a towel prevent spray which worked too but hopefully the shield will be less messy.

 

[franknbeans]

I just ordered the new Oktober BenchMK drill powered one.. super anxious to try this baby out! Are you guys using a counter flow filler for cans? I have a spare CO2 line I can purge cans with and wasn't sure how needed those would be.

 

[LarMoeCur]

I just ordered the new Oktober BenchMK drill powered one.. super anxious to try this baby out! Are you guys using a counter flow filler for cans? I have a spare CO2 line I can purge cans with and wasn't sure how needed those would be.

I use my Blichmann beer gun. My process is exactly the same way I do bottles. I've had zero indacations of any oxidation. I've got a year old barely wine that is spectacular. The cans have seem to have held the carbonation better then the year old bottles.

 

[franknbeans]

I use my Blichmann beer gun. My process is exactly the same way I do bottles. I've had zero indacations of any oxidation. I've got a year old barely wine that is spectacular. The cans have seem to have held the carbonation better then the year old bottles.

I don't have a beer gun personally, but a local buddy does that I'm sure I can borrow.

 

[LarMoeCur]

I don't have a beer gun personally, but a local buddy does that I'm sure I can borrow.

I found mine here in classified forum. Cost me around $40 bucks it has been worth every penny. Bottling/canning is no longer a large pain in the a$$. Just a small pain in the a$$ but worth it.

 

[OLBrews]

I’ve been using the Oktober SL1 for a couple of months now using either the Blichmann Beer Gun for filling off the keg or can-conditioning. No detectable oxygen issues so far, even for a NEIPA canning. A good video to watch is (Bryan Rabe) in which he shows his entire canning process. In general, I find the process about the same as bottling.

Can conditioning is fun since you can squeeze the can to detect how the carbonation is coming along. I apply the usual carbonation charts to add sugar and leave about ½ inch (~ 12 mm) headspace. I’ve been canning Saison to 3.0 volumes without any issues.

Check with your local brewery for empty cans/lids, I’ve been able to source at their cost which brings the $ per can way down.