Canning beer

[NicoleBrewer]

Does anyone can beer vs bottling or kegging? If so what canning machine do you use and where do you buy your cans?

 

[TravelingLight]

It's not practical, and damn near impossible, to can on a homebrew scale. The can seamers are expensive ($1k+?) but from what I've read, the bigger issue is sourcing cans at a reasonable price without having to buy a whole pallet.

 

[NJGeorge]

Google oktoberdesign They make a canning machine and sell cans. Expensive though...

 

[jalc6927]

Two of the top three canning companies just merged and from I heard recently on experimental brewing podcast cans are getting tougher to buy in small quantities especially 16 oz

 

[BeardedBrews]

Quite a few threads on here about the topic, this one might be the most useful:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/canning.630651/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/search/48719/?q=canning&o=relevance&c[node]=35

In the end using a completely disposable package is going to be expensive no matter how you do it.

 

[jready]

I have Oktober designs MK16 and love it. They sell cans in reasonable quantities

 

[jalc6927]

1600 for the MK16

$76 for 192 16 oz cans

If you’re selling them it can make sense

It seem Expensive for personal use in my opinion. But we all see things from a different point of view

 

[jready]

It is a bit of a luxury for sure. I got it for a couple of reasons.

1. I have a lot of friends who come over and want to take some home. Not all have growlers and some just liked having more individual servings.

2. I travel a lot for work and my friends like to try my brews. Cans travel better particularly by plane.

3. I might want to go pro some day, cans make it easy for me to share with my pro brewer friends and get their opinion

4. For better or worse I’m single so why not??

I am eventually going to have shrink wrap cans made. The guys at Oktober designs have given me contacts to accomplish this.

 

[NicoleBrewer]

I was looking into starting a small craft brewery and thought cans would be more cost effective. But with a quick Google search I wasn't able to find a good source for cans. I found one site that I called to get a quote and no one answered, so I was hoping people here had experience and knew where to look. Thanks for the help, I'll have to check that site put

 

[jready]

I mainly just fill from my taps but I do have a counter pressure bottle filler that I modified. I will use it when I have a keg I want to empty to make space or if I have a big group coming and want to fill 20+ cans at once.

I’ve had friends try them several weeks later and have said they still taste fresh. I have not confirmed myself so they could just be exaggerating to be nice.

The most successful breweries I’ve seen usually start with a Crowler machine and sell 80-90% of their beer on premises. The canning line usually comes into play when they get follow on capital a year or two down the road. My experience is limited to TN and TX both states with really challenging distribution laws. (I think Texas is better now)

 

[WarEagleBrewer]

@jready Yup! Seeing your pic lets us know you are DEFINITELY single.....and congrats on THAT!!! If you want to know what marriage looks like, just take all your stuff, throw it in the garbage, and clutter your house with women and children crap. You sir, are living the dream!

 

[jready]

Ha! It does have some perks! The wives of my couple friends tell their husbands to go play at Jeff’s house...

 

[jready]

Ha! It does have some perks! The wives of my couple friends tell their husbands to go play at Jeff’s house...

 

[ClaudiusB]

@jready If you want to know what marriage looks like, just take all your stuff, throw it in the garbage. You sir, are living the dream!

I feel sorry for you.

 

[NicoleBrewer]

I feel sorry for you.

Agreed, I am a wife and have kids, and I love to brew. A large portion of my basement and house is taken up by my brewing equipment. Marriage doesn't have to end your fun. My husband loves the fruits of my labor and my 4 and 2 year old love to help me

 

[jready]

Agreed, I am a wife and have kids, and I love to brew. A large portion of my basement and house is taken up by my brewing equipment. Marriage doesn't have to end your fun. My husband loves the fruits of my labor and my 4 and 2 year old love to help me

I Love that! Your husband is a lucky guy!

 

[modernlifeisANDY]

I do. Friend of mine has an Oktober MK16. I buy my own cans and we share the canner. He gets a 4 pack and I get my batch canned.

 

[jready]

I do. Friend of mine has an Oktober MK16. I buy my own cans and we share the canner. He gets a 4 pack and I get my batch canned.

Those labels are really nice did you have them made?

 

[modernlifeisANDY]

Those labels are really nice did you have them made?

Nope, I printed them myself. I use matte label stock, print the background color and whatever image, and then use a typewriter to do the beer name, ABV, and volume.

 

[Zimm9]

Agreed that it's a really nice label @modernlifeisANDY !

I am my own SWMBO so I imagine my basement will soon be overrun with brewing stuff. It'll have to be a condition to put up with my brewing addiction for anyone I date.

@NicoleBrewer I'm curious to see how your adventure with opening a brewery unfolds! Good luck!

 

[NicoleBrewer]

Nope, I printed them myself. I use matte label stock, print the background color and whatever image, and then use a typewriter to do the beer name, ABV, and volume.

Love the labels!

 

[NicoleBrewer]

Agreed that it's a really nice label @modernlifeisANDY !

I am my own SWMBO so I imagine my basement will soon be overrun with brewing stuff. It'll have to be a condition to put up with my brewing addiction for anyone I date.

@NicoleBrewer I'm curious to see how your adventure with opening a brewery unfolds! Good luck!

Thank you! It'll be far out since I just found out that my home town does not allow the manufacturing of alcohol, and before I proceed with any planning I have to petition for a referendum on next November's ballot to try to change that law

 

[jready]

Thank you! It'll be far out since I just found out that my home town does not allow the manufacturing of alcohol, and before I proceed with any planning I have to petition for a referendum on next November's ballot to try to change that law

Sounds a lot like the next Dogfish Head!! Good luck to you!