How Much Is A Beer Canning Machine?
Are you already brewing your own beer or thinking about doing it? If yes, you thought about canning your own beer.
Canning your beer is the best way to store it and ensure it lasts. A can will always keep out air and light better than a bottle or a keg. Cans are also more portable than kegs and are not as brittle as bottles – yeah, you can drop cans, and they won’t break (let’s face it, almost all home brewers broke some bottles). Cans are lighter, you can take them on a trip, and you can enjoy your beer in the wild or in the pool without having to worry about them breaking. Canned beer is much easier to ship and send to friends or stores – there are simply no downsides!
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Only recently, getting your own beer canning machine was out of reach. They were large, expensive, and difficult to use. Now, you can have your own canning machine, and you’ll be able to make your own beer cans! Isn’t that awesome?
Canning machines come in various types, sizes, and prices – so what should you know about beer canning machines? How much is a beer canning machine? Where can you buy one?
Here’s a guide that will explain everything – let’s start:
Having Your Own Beer Canning System – What Do You Need?
A good beer canning line for your home brewing hobby should include the following machines. Of course, this is not compulsory, but they will help you a lot and will make the experience much more satisfying. You’ll need:
- a beer rinsing machine
- a beer can filling machine
- a beer sealer or seamer machine
- a beer can labeling machine
Beer Can Rinsing Machines
Beer can rinsing machines are designed to clean and sanitize beer cans before filling them. They are crucial if you want to make sure your beer is high-quality and safe for consumption. Beer can rinsing machines are used before the filling and the canning process. They use a combination of water, air, and cleaning compounds to remove any dust, debris, or potential contaminants from the cans’ surfaces. The rinsing process prevents spoilage and maintains the beer’s integrity during storage and transportation.
Beer Filling Machines
Beer filling machines are designed to efficiently and precisely fill beer bottles, cans, or kegs with the golden, bitter nectar we all love. These machines are vital in the brewing industry as they ensure consistent quality and prevent waste during the packaging process. Equipped with advanced technology, beer filling machines can handle various bottle sizes and shapes, and some can even be adjusted for different carbonation levels.
Beer Can Seaming/Sealing Machines
After the filling process, these machines create hermetic seals between the lid and the beer can’s body. Beer can sealing machines use the double seaming process to guarantee that the seams are leak-proof. Small machines feature a single-sealing head, while larger machines have multiple heads to increase production.
Beer Can Labeling Machines
These machines are designed to print and apply the labels on beer cans. Large beer producers typically use them. Home brewers rarely use this type of machine.
Using Beer Canning Machines in Home Brewing – What You Need To Know
Canning your own beer is very similar to bottling your own beer. The process is simple if you have the right tools and cans, but there are some things you need to pay attention to, like carbonation levels, oxidation, and time.
Beer Canning Machines For Home Brewers
Beer canning obviously requires a canning machine. The simplest canning machines for home brewers have a system that locks the lidded can in place while spinning it to double-seal it. The operator has to pull in the levers that activate the rollers, cramping the can’s lip on the edge of the can. After you stop the spinning, the can is released, and it’s sealed. There you have it! Your own canned beer!
How Much Is A Beer Canning Machine?
The prices vary greatly, but the basic entry-level beer canning machines for home brewers start at about $550 for the manual Cannular Bench Top Can Seamer. The semi-automatic version will set you back $700, with more expensive models available for larger cans. We advise choosing the most basic canning machine – don’t go for the drill-operated machine because it’s more difficult to use.
Other Stuff You Will Need
After picking your beer canning machine, it’s time to buy the other stuff you will need to can your own beer. You will need empty beer cans – you have to buy them from a supplier because beer cans are single-use. Beer canning machine producers also sell empty cans, which come in boxes of 192 (16-ounce cans) or 240 (12-ounce cans) cans. The boxes also include the lids, and they are both unmarked, so you will have to apply your own labels. Keep in mind that can lids are different – you get the B64 lid, the SuperEnd lid, and the 360End lid.
Filling The Beer Cans
You can use a can-filling machine, but that’s a little too much for the amateur home brewer. Our advice is to use a beer tap, a bottling gun, or a simple can-filling system.
- filling from taps – this is the easiest method, but you have to be careful to reduce the amount of foam (too much foam will reduce the beer quality in time); this method increases the risk of oxidation, so your beer will become stale quicker
- using a beer gun – this is the most common method used by home brewers because it’s cheap and effective; you can get a beer gun and accessories for about $100
- beer filling system – there are various special beer-filling systems for home brewers, like the Tapcooler Nanocanner, which are designed to make the process easier and more effective; prices start from $260
Canning Your Own Beer – Things To Pay Attention To
The Beer Temperature
Don’t can warm beer, as it will create a lot of foam. Keep the beer keg in a kegerator or refrigerator. The beer should be relatively cold during the canning process. Also, keep the sanitizing solution in a cold environment to make it more effective. Don’t can beer in a very hot or humid environment, as it will promote the growth of bacteria.
Clean Everything You Use
Obviously, you should sanitize the cans before the canning process. Additionally, clean the tap, beer gun, or filling system before and after each use. Clean the lines and fine details to make sure everything is spotless.
The CO2 Pressure
Ideally, use a pressure that only creates a little foam during the canning process. Usually, this value is around five psi, but some brewers prefer lower or higher pressure. See what works for you!
I am a young architect with a passion that goes beyond blueprints… it’s beer! undertherosebrewing.com is more than just a blog, it’s a manifestation of my lifelong dream to explore, read, and learn everything about beer. Join the blog on this unfiltered and genuine adventure into the heart of beer culture. Cheers!
