You have your beer. You have your cans. Now, what do you need to actually bring them together so you can enjoy your beer for months to come?
Beer canning has many benefits over bottles, from cost to environmental impact. Not to mention, the taste is preserved better in a can because there is less exposure to light and air.
Investing in a beer canning system means a larger upfront investment, but over time, canning is your cheaper option. This guide walks you through what you need to can beer and how to choose a beer canning machine.
Basic Beer Canning Steps
The basic process for canning beer starts with empty cans being fed into the line and rinsed with water to clean them. They are then filled with CO2 to purge out all the air.
The cans head to the filling station. Once filled, lids are dropped on top of the can, which moves down to the seamer.
The can rotates as it runs through the crimping seamer, which seals the lid to the can.
Build Your Beer Canning Line
If you’re ready to consider building a canning line, you might start by talking to a beer canning system seller to learn more about specific options. When buying a beer canning machine, the cost is a definite factor. They can help you get a good idea of what you’ll pay for a base model vs. the total cost with add-on features.
Standard beer canning equipment you should consider includes the following:
- Rinser
- Filler
- Sealer/seamer
- Labeler
If you’re working with a small number of cans, you might be able to handle the rinsing and labeling manually and skip those machines. It depends on the speed of your line and how efficient you can be.
Filling Methods
You will find two main options when it comes to can fillers – counter pressure and open atmosphere.
Counter-pressure fillers use pressure differentials to force liquid into the can. They have a wider range of fill temperatures, and you can control your fill rate to reduce product loss. They are more expensive, however.
Open-atmosphere fillers leave the top of the can open, exposing the beer to air while filling. You have tighter fill temperature restrictions and carbonation restrictions, but they are a less expensive choice.
Seamer
A good seam is critical to hold the quality of your beer. The seamer first rolls the lid over and under the can lip, then pounds the metal into place.
When picking a seamer, look for a mechanical option to ensure consistency. Also, you want a seamer that goes faster than the filler to minimize the amount of time the beer is exposed to air.
Buying Equipment
There are several considerations beyond cost to keep in mind when buying a beverage can filling machine.
- Space to run it
- Throughput
- Easy to run and operate
- Well-built, so minimal maintenance
- Fast and reliable seamer
- Supplier support
- Upgradeable
- Integrates with other equipment
Ready To Can Your Beer?
Beer canning is becoming a more viable option for smaller and homebrewers. Learning about the process and how to choose appropriate equipment help you make the best decision as you build your canning line.
Check out other articles on our blog related to hobbies like beer brewing that you can take up from home.