Twistee Cans - Seamerless canning

[sicktght311]

Stumbled across these on facebook. Seems like they're the old Monster Energy can style with the twist off top. If they sealed properly, and were reusable a couple times, might be a cool alternative to canning with a can seamer for some to-go beers or if you want to share for a competition or something.

https://twisteecan.com/

 

[RPh_Guy]

The twist closures defeat the entire point of using cans in my opinion because they let through oxygen.

 

[sicktght311]

Yeah theres no doubt they're inferior to a properly sealed can. Just an attractive alternative to bottling or growlers for beers that you want to consume within a couple days to a couple weeks i would think

 

[dwhite60]

Over a dollar a piece....

Uh, no.

I can buy good plastic bottles cheaper.

I see canning your beer has gotten popular, why? Cans are expensive and can only be used once. I imagine they do chill faster so that's a plus. There are places you cannot take glass bottles but why not use plastic bottles?

All the Best,
D. White

 

[RPh_Guy]

I see canning your beer has gotten popular, why?

Lower oxygen = longer shelf life (fresher, better tasting beer)

 

[dwhite60]

Lower oxygen = longer shelf life (fresher, better tasting beer)

So, this is better than filling my bottles a half inch from the top? Most cans I shake clearly have a lot of air inside so I'm missing something here. Can you truly fill a can and eliminate all the airspace?

All the Best,
D. White

 

[RPh_Guy]

Are we talking about commercial or homebrew?

Commercial packaging lines purge the container of air, so headspace doesn't matter. This makes cans the superior choice with regard to oxygen and shelf life for commercial beer, and the reason we see a lot more cans recently for craft beer. They also totally prevent UV light exposure. I'm not sure how price compares.

For homebrewers, I wouldn't call canning "popular". The large majority of people who brew a lot use kegs and the rest of us bottle.
I agree the headspace in a can is problematic, and combined with the expense, it seems like not the best option compared to bottles.

 

[TheMadKing]

Are we talking about commercial or homebrew?

Commercial packaging lines purge the container of air, so headspace doesn't matter. This makes cans the superior choice with regard to oxygen and shelf life for commercial beer, and the reason we see a lot more cans recently for craft beer. They also totally prevent UV light exposure. I'm not sure how price compares.

For homebrewers, I wouldn't call canning "popular". The large majority of people who brew a lot use kegs and the rest of us bottle.
I agree the headspace in a can is problematic, and combined with the expense, it seems like not the best option compared to bottles.

One minor tweak to this - I have worked a local brewery canning line for a day and they did nothing to purge air from the cans - instead their machine overfilled each can above the crimp line, and then laid the lid on with a rocking motion so that it adhered to the beer's surface tension and pushed out excess air with beer, then when it gets to the seamer there should be virtually zero headspace in the cans.

This was a mobile canning line that was contracted by the brewery and does many local breweries in my area - so I believe this is common practice. Larger scale craft packaging lines (Sierra Nevada, Sweetwater, Deschutes, Boston Beer, GoodLife, etc) purge the cans with CO2 or nitrogen I'm sure.

 

[Ridenour64]

I agree with a can being superior because of the protection from light, however, can’t a bottle just as easily be purged with CO2 and offer the same protection from oxygen?

 

[RPh_Guy]

can’t a bottle just as easily be purged with CO2 and offer the same protection from oxygen?

No, oxygen enters slowly through the cap seal.

 

[firerat]

Sooooo don't drink and facebook….

I ended up buying some of these. Not my finest moment, but meh....

They say they are supposed to be a 1 time use thing but I bet you can get a few uses before they start to suck.

It seems any sort of long term storage with these would be questionable at best for reasons mentioned above.

But I bought them so might as well experiment right? I can brew a batch, fill em up, and test them over time to see what to expect for others that may be pondering wasting $60.

Any suggestions on how to maybe get the most out of them?

 

[davidabcd]

Canning beer is more gimmick and marketing than anything else regarding the majority of home brewers who bottle and is definitely not worth the cost at this time. The "ppb" number just isn't a worthwhile factor considering all the other exposure that occurs for the average brewer.

 

[RPh_Guy]

The "ppb" number just isn't a worthwhile factor considering all the other exposure that occurs for the average brewer.

These don't seal like normal cans so presumably they don't provide the advantage of normal cans, even if you've minimized other sources of oxygen.

 

[firerat]

These don't seal like normal cans so presumably they don't provide the advantage of normal cans, even if you've minimized other sources of oxygen.

Nope, these are essentially the same as a really thin metal bottle with a screw on cap.

The ONLY "advantages" to these things over normal beer bottles is they are light tight and slightly less cumbersome than dealing with glass.

I'm curious to see how well they seal. At worst I just bought really expensive 1 time use (supposedly) ugly cans.

I've done worse.

 

[davidabcd]

These don't seal like normal cans

I'm speaking of HB canning, not these twist-on types.

 

[info_jm_]

Sooooo don't drink and facebook….

I ended up buying some of these. Not my finest moment, but meh....

They say they are supposed to be a 1 time use thing but I bet you can get a few uses before they start to suck.

It seems any sort of long term storage with these would be questionable at best for reasons mentioned above.

But I bought them so might as well experiment right? I can brew a batch, fill em up, and test them over time to see what to expect for others that may be pondering wasting $60.

Any suggestions on how to maybe get the most out of them?

TEST

 

[matt_m]

I ended up buying some of these. Not my finest moment, but meh....

Have you gotten a chance to use any yet? I'm seriously considering ordering one box of the 16oz cans. Stupid expensive per can ($1.57/can with shipping to MI) but it would be cool to use them like crowlers to give to friends. I'd just purge with a blast of CO2 then fill from the tap for near-term consumption.

I wish the crowler size came in something smaller than a 111 count case.

 

[DrWill]

They say they are supposed to be a 1 time use thing but I bet you can get a few uses before they start to suck.

Any suggestions on how to maybe get the most out of them?

I spoke to one of the sales reps and he said that reusing them a few times shouldn't be a problem, and they're going to be selling replacement caps. The cans are lined and the lining will break down over repeated uses, but the primary reason they suggest one time use (beyond wanting to sell more cans) is aesthetic.

 

[DrWill]

I'm curious to see how well they seal. At worst I just bought really expensive 1 time use (supposedly) ugly cans.

The seal is surprisingly tight, because it's not a standard thread that allows for so much oxygen ingress. Naturally they're not going to give you the seal of a seamer, but I'd put them up against a crown capper on a bottle with no worries.

 

[matt_m]

I've seriously considered a can seamer which mostly would be for the cool factor. I ran some numbers comparing 16oz Twistee cans to buying the Oktober SL1 and buying 192ct cases of 16oz cans from Oktober, one case at a time as I need them. The break-even between Twistee and Oktober close to 1000 cans assuming no damaged cans and no reuse. That's a lot of cans.

After further analysis, I'm really close to ordering a case of the crowlers. 2 16's in Twisee is $3.15. One 32 is $2.08. I'll use them more for near term use, probably sometimes just filling from a tap as I would a growler. If I'm giving it to someone who isn't going to drink near term, I'll purge and fill with the beer gun. If I do get them back I'll reuse. I wish they came in smaller quantities but I'll probably offer up several dozen at cost for local pickup in SE Michigan. I think this will be a more better all around solution for me. I didn't even run the numbers there as a crowler sealer is out of the question.

 

[firerat]

Have you gotten a chance to use any yet? I'm seriously considering ordering one box of the 16oz cans. Stupid expensive per can ($1.57/can with shipping to MI) but it would be cool to use them like crowlers to give to friends. I'd just purge with a blast of CO2 then fill from the tap for near-term consumption.

I wish the crowler size came in something smaller than a 111 count case.

Not yet but I plan to in a few weeks so I'll update then.

 

[matt_m]

I finally broke down and ordered. The price on the 32oz crowlers, delivered, has dropped about $0.28 each since January due to both a price cut and shipping price reductions.

 

[FlatRoofBrewing]

I finally broke down and ordered. The price on the 32oz crowlers, delivered, has dropped about $0.28 each since January due to both a price cut and shipping price reductions.

How are these going for you? I'm considering grabbing some along with the Tapcoolor CPF can filling setup.

 

[matt_m]

They are working out well for my primary use of sharing beer with friends. I haven't tried long term storage but a friend did keep one for a couple weeks and said it was still good. I'm not purging or filling with a gun for that intended purpose. I should use my beer gun and purge/fill properly and store it a couple months as a test.

I ordered some waterproof laser-printable mailing labels and made up some labels like commercial locations use on their crowlers. They don't cover the whole can but still look cool. I need to find some different stock though as they do smear even days later written on with a permanent marker.

 

[LokiM4]

Anyone have a coupon code for Twistee Can?

 

[thedrunkdutchman]

In just browsing this page I've seen a lot of stuff comparing the pros and cons of these can. But there is one pro that I haven't seen anyone talk about. Most events that allow you to bring in a cooler of drinks don't allow glass bottles. So normally, if you want to bring in your homebrew, your opinions are
a) buy stainless steel bottles, which are even more expensive and are really hard to find.
B) buy twist top aluminum bottles, drink the beer inside, and reuse the bottles, which is ok but I don't want my stuff labeled as Miller light
C) invest in a canning setup, but that is obviously a really big investment.
But I'm really liking the idea of using these twistees. Fill them up, throw them in the cooler, and go to the races. Or your preferred bring your own drink event.

 

[matt_m]

That's been a big use for mine so far this spring. A group I usually go out to dinner with weekly has been meeting in various members' back yards instead and do some kind of pot luck, pizza, or food delivery. I just fill a crowler and take that.

I had one I tossed after 4 uses, seemed like *maybe* after a few hours it had gone slightly flat.

 

[matt_m]

Just pulled a crowler I filled right at the beginning of October with the last of a batch of Tangerine Wheat I brewed late summer. I had properly purged and filled with a beer gun to minimize any oxygenation. Obviously I couldn't do a side-by-side comparison but the beer was great with an appropriate level of carbonation. Looking at my markings, that was actually the 3rd fill for that particular can so I wouldn't hesitate to reuse these a few times even for more that a day or two of storage if you are properly filling to minimize oxidation.

 

[Markman_S]

Have you gotten a chance to use any yet? I'm seriously considering ordering one box of the 16oz cans. Stupid expensive per can ($1.57/can with shipping to MI) but it would be cool to use them like crowlers to give to friends. I'd just purge with a blast of CO2 then fill from the tap for near-term consumption.

I wish the crowler size came in something smaller than a 111 count case.

@matt_m: I own a small microbrewery in MT and we use these as an alternative to glass growlers (albeit we also sell glass growlers). We use the 750mL twistees and pay $2.12 per can landed (can, cap, extra caps, and label), but we simply add that onto the COGS for our beer.

We are just north of Yellowstone NP on the river, so we see a ton of fishermen, rafters, tourists, etc. that love the fact that they can take essentially two pints of beer on the river in a resealable vessel, and we've never had anyone complain about the upcharge for the can. We order 600ish cans at a time and that will last us about three months. We also offer $1 the fill if the customer brings their can in to be refilled. They've been a huge hit at our place.

We obviously communicate that it isn't 'canned' beer. We fill directly off the faucet, cap it, write the info on the label, and let them know that it's no different than a growler. Open within a week and once opened, needs to be finished within a couple days.

-Shawn at Katabatic Brewing Co.