Canning Home Brew Beer

[YeastyBoy]

A few real options around on the market in Oz to make caning your brew a reality.

Anyone using, have a can sealing machines in the home brew arsenal?

At $500 price point for a can sealer and about fifty cents for an empty 500ml it is looking like a better option than glass.

Keen to hear thoughts on this option from those that have gone down this path??

Cheers YB

[BlackSands]

29 minutes ago, YeastyBoy said:

At $500 price point for a can sealer and about fifty cents for an empty 500ml it is looking like a better option than glass.

While cans are apparently more desirable in terms of preserving beer freshness I'm wondering why at $500 you concluded it was a better option than glass?  Glass bottles are reusable and crown caps relatively cheap...   

[Otto Von Blotto]

Not me, but then again I have 19 litre "cans". 

If I was still bottling I still doubt I'd change. The price of the sealer itself wouldn't necessarily put me off but continually buying empty cans would, when bottles can be reused numerous times and crown seals are much cheaper than 50c a pop. 

[Lab Cat]

$500 buys a shitload of bottles...

[PaddyBrew2]

I have a mate that homebrews and who cans. His beard is down to his arse. He drinks flat whites out of avocado skins, he avidly protests climate change and is vegan ( but he’ll only let you know twice a day he is )

Edited November 3, 2019 by PaddyBrew2

[YeastyBoy]

3 hours ago, BlackSands said:

While cans are apparently more desirable in terms of preserving beer freshness I'm wondering why at $500 you concluded it was a better option than glass?  Glass bottles are reusable and crown caps relatively cheap...   

Not about giving up glass but canning is good for getting out and about & taking a brew or two to share. I don't just sit at home and drink beer. I share it, take my beer to M8's BBQ's, carry it going bush, fishing, put it in the esky on road trips. Kegs & Bottles are limiting and do not fit to that lifestyle.

Cans are way more portable. You cannot take a Keg to a mates BBQ (maybe but with a truckload of fuss) or bottles bushwalking or on my fizz boat fishing or giving a few brews as a bottle is not a boomerang and wont come back.

Cans overcome that barrier and given the no fuss cleaning factor. It takes me about an hour to clean, dry 30 bottles so less that $20 for cans for a 23 litre plus asset payback it works out to be a good ROI.

Does that explain where I am coming from?

So any yeah sayers or users out there in DIY Land?

 

[Beer Baron]

57 minutes ago, YeastyBoy said:

Not about giving up glass but canning is good for getting out and about & taking a brew or two to share. I don't just sit at home and drink beer. I share it, take my beer to M8's BBQ's, carry it going bush, fishing, put it in the esky on road trips. Kegs & Bottles are limiting and do not fit to that lifestyle.

Cans are way more portable. You cannot take a Keg to a mates BBQ (maybe but with a truckload of fuss) or bottles bushwalking or on my fizz boat fishing or giving a few brews as a bottle is not a boomerang and wont come back.

Cans overcome that barrier and given the no fuss cleaning factor. It takes me about an hour to clean, dry 30 bottles so less that $20 for cans for a 23 litre plus asset payback it works out to be a good ROI.

Does that explain where I am coming from?

So any yeah sayers or users out there in DIY Land?

 

I understand where you are coming from. If you can afford then I say go for it. I kinda like the idea but I have a little 5L keg I take with me

[Cosmo2450]

9 hours ago, YeastyBoy said:

 

Cans are way more portable. You cannot take a Keg to a mates BBQ (maybe but with a truckload of fuss) or bottles bushwalking or on my fizz boat fishing or giving a few brews as a bottle is not a boomerang and wont come back.

 

I got 5L of beer and 5L Canadian club in this esky...very portable. Enjoying some fishing and beers without the hassle of taking empties to the bin. (Sorry for the horrible photo)

[ChristinaS1]

Hey @Cosmo2450 Is that 5L of Canadian Club whisky? Man, you are dedicated! Don't let anyone steal your esky!

Cheers,

Christina.

[Cosmo2450]

2 minutes ago, ChristinaS1 said:

Hey @Cosmo2450 Is that 5L of Canadian Club whisky? Man, you are dedicated! Don't let anyone steal your esky!

Cheers,

Christina.

Haha well 1L of Canadian club with 4 litres of ginger ale. Very refreshing. I’d be buckled if it was 5L of straight cc.

Forgot to mention I also have a spare co2 cylinder in that esky too. Just in case...

[ChristinaS1]

Straight or mixed, you must be a gentleman! LOL!

Have you tried the Canadian Club Chairman's Select 100% Rye? If not, I recommend it. It is nice straight, my go-to Canadian whisky. Very reasonably priced as well.

Cheers,

Christina. 

 

[BlackSands]

13 hours ago, YeastyBoy said:

Does that explain where I am coming from?

Yup!  Beer on the move!

I certainly like the idea of cans...   there's just no way I could justify $500 (or more). 

[James Lao]

I bottle from the keg when going to BBQs etc

Its dead easy and you don’t have to worry about keeping them straight / getting shook up etc.

If I didn’t have a keg set up and had $500 to move from bottles I think a kegerator would be the best option.

Not knocking the idea though it does sound good,  but bang for buck I would go the kegerator, you still get the transportability aspect if you bottle from the keg.

Also the beer is way way better from a keg than straight out bottling.

Just my opinion from my experience, not meaning to put the mockers on canning or anything.

Cheers

James

[Malter White]

While I only bottle with PETs, it seems to me each differing mode of storage has it's pros and cons. Whether it be washing bottles or the added cost of buying canning equipment or the 'perceived' lack of mobility of kegs. I think you should do what suits you and makes you happy and as long as nobody gets hurt by you doing your thing then that's a good thing.
Drink and be merry.   
 

[Otto Von Blotto]

I really need to make one of those kegskis. 

[BlackSands]

I remember when working at my LHBS selling mini-tapping head assemblies for vac insulated growlers.  They seemed like a fairly affordable solution if you just wanted a couple of litres on tap.  The kit included the head attachment, a mini-regulator with CO2 cartridge, a bit of hose and a picnic tap.   Around $60 all up including 40psi growler. 

[Cosmo2450]

1 hour ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

I really need to make one of those kegskis. 

https://www.ikegger.com/products/complete-jockey-box-2-x-5l-kegs-on-tap-anywhere?variant=41500629006&currency=AUD&utm_campaign=gs-2018-11-19&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9fntBRCGARIsAGjFq5GbG00c1nA8qu33PjD57TVr81N8sg435KoTo2kneo5X_d_oCUZhyp0aAo1UEALw_wcB

comes with everything. 

[YeastyBoy]

23 minutes ago, Cosmo2450 said:

https://www.ikegger.com/products/complete-jockey-box-2-x-5l-kegs-on-tap-anywhere?variant=41500629006&currency=AUD&utm_campaign=gs-2018-11-19&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9fntBRCGARIsAGjFq5GbG00c1nA8qu33PjD57TVr81N8sg435KoTo2kneo5X_d_oCUZhyp0aAo1UEALw_wcB

comes with everything. 

At the comparable price, it is a can sealing machine for me.

[YeastyBoy]

3 hours ago, BlackSands said:

Yup!  Beer on the move!

I certainly like the idea of cans...   there's just no way I could justify $500 (or more). 

Also be good for other stuff that I produce such as eating olives. So it has multiple purposes so I think I have convinced myself it is the way to go.

Cheers YB

[YeastyBoy]

Wrong colour for me however a portable Beer Can to aspire too?

[Anthony999]

On 11/3/2019 at 3:22 PM, PaddyBrew2 said:

I have a mate that homebrews and who cans. His beard is down to his arse. He drinks flat whites out of avocado skins, he avidly protests climate change and is vegan ( but he’ll only let you know twice a day he is )

In other words he has plenty of time on his hands and has actually turned into an alcoholic and gone bonkers!

[Thirsty Jim]

A bit off topic but just putting this out there as an alternative ...

9L cornie
s/s ball locks (90º)
sodastream bottle and adaptor
mini regulator
luggage strap

The beauty of this is its portability.   With a set up cost of anywhere between $175 and $225 it is affordable.  
It is also ideal if you are breewing from the smaller 'craft' fermenter - otherwise you will still be bottling about 18 talls.
Cheaper with a pluto but probably worth buying the flow resistance tap to minimize the amount of tubing required.

 

[PaddyBrew2]

Looks like Elon Musks toilet 

[The Captain!!]

On 11/4/2019 at 9:51 AM, YeastyBoy said:

Also be good for other stuff that I produce such as eating olives. So it has multiple purposes so I think I have convinced myself it is the way to go.

Cheers YB

Keep us posted. Sounds good 

 

[BlackSands]

13 hours ago, James of Bayswater said:

A bit off topic but just putting this out there as an alternative ...

9L cornie
s/s ball locks (90º)
sodastream bottle and adaptor
mini regulator
luggage strap

The beauty of this is its portability.   With a set up cost of anywhere between $175 and $225 it is affordable.  
It is also ideal if you are breewing from the smaller 'craft' fermenter - otherwise you will still be bottling about 18 talls.
Cheaper with a pluto but probably worth buying the flow resistance tap to minimize the amount of tubing required.

 

Conceptually looks quite similar to the gadgets I was talking about.  I guess there's a number of solutions out there like this and probably it just comes down to capacity required and how portable you need it to be.   I guess in this era of climate and environmental concerns some may consider single-use cans as not being the most 'friendly' option.