An Online Resource Serving The Beer Industry
» PackagingPackaging for the craft brewing industry
Ska Fabricating automates packaging lines for craft businesses, specializing in depalletizers, palletizers, conveyance systems, rinsing, drying, fill detection and date coding products. With over 650 customers worldwide, we have the products and experience to help you increase your production while saving expense.
SKA BLOG read our insights on canning beer. Get A Quote From SKA Fab
Vobev, a Utah-based can manufacturing company established in 2019, has announced details about its new 1.2 million sq. ft. facility that is due to open by the end of this year in Salt Lake City, Utah. The new production plant is expected to help provide some relief for the ongoing can shortage that has impacted the beverage industry.
Read more...Demand for cans was unprecedented in 2020 — and it hasn’t slowed in 2021.
Read more...Domestic beer in cans grew 11.4% to 12.7 million barrels in 2020, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights. Cans now make up 74% of total volume share, up from 58 share 10 years ago. Not surprisingly in the pandemic year, draft fell by 7.9 million barrels and bottles dropped almost 3.6 million barrels.
Read more...Silent Pool Distillers, a UK-based distiller has introduced the first worlds first spirit in a paper bottle.
Read more...Cases – Typically a full stack of beer (approx. 60 – 72+ cases in either cans or glass) – will weigh anywhere from 1900 to 2200 pounds per pallet stack.
Read more...So far, all of the considerations we have discussed have centered on the expense side of the ledger. But there is good news: Good beer is worth money. And, once you have navigated all the red tape to get licensed, scavenged the money to build a brewery and actually brewed some beer, there are people out there willing to pay you for your efforts.
Read more...As brewpubs continue to proliferate across the country, many are opting to sell their products through retail accounts to utilize excess capacity and increase revenue. Off-site sales can also increase your walk-in business by creating exposure and interest in your brewpub. As attractive as this may seem, off-site sales entail a great deal of time, resources and effort to successfully achieve these objectives. And in some states, brewpubs are not allowed to sell their products outside the confines of the licensed premise.
Read more...The relationship between a brewer and wholesaler is a very complex and regulated one. State alcohol regulatory agencies mandate certain responsibilities of both the wholesaler and brewer such as payment terms, incentives, price posting, contracts, etc. Every state has a different set of regulations. It is extremely important that you familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations pertaining to the brewery and wholesaler relationship before doing business in that state. Many states also have franchise laws that define very specifically the parameters for terminating a wholesaler. Even in non-franchise states, a brewer can not terminate a wholesaler without cause unless they are willing to compensate the wholesaler for relinquishing the brand.
Read more...In the current distribution climate, where distributors have many more brands than they are able to adequately and properly attend to, it is imperative for the supplier to take steps to gain and retain mind-share within each distributor. Many times, the distributor needs information about a particularly brand, either by request of a sales rep or a retailer. The easier it is for the distributor to access the information, the more likely that information will be passed on as a sales tool to the person in need.
Read more...Distribution has become one of the most important yet overlooked components in the operation and success of running a microbrewery. A common misconception by those entering the craft beer industry is that once the beer is brewed, packaged and shipped to a wholesaler, the brewer can essentially forget about it, leaving the sales, marketing and promotion up to the distributors. This is not the case as beer wholesalers are primarily a delivery mechanism; most do little actual selling and promoting of the brands in their portfolio. Hence, it is imperative that the microbrewer know and understand the second tier of the business to ensure their products are adequately marketed and handled after leaving the caring hands of the brewer.
Read more...For any packaging operation machines exist to do the work of each stage more quickly and with less or no manpower.
Read more...Bottle rinsers are used to sanitize and remove environmental debris from bottles prior to filling. Various forms of rinsing are available with a few shown below.
Read more...Most cans and some bottles come pre-branded or labeled. The date the beer was bottled and also a “best before” date (three months after the bottling date) are printed on the label.
Read more...The first and most important concern when packaging beer is preventing contamination by two of the main culprits that reduce the shelf-life of beer, stray yeasts, and exposure to oxygen.
Read more...– Packaging line basics
– Labeling
– Bottle rinsers
– Other equipment
Beerstone – A stubborn type of scale also known as calcium oxalate (C2CaO4).
Read more...Download the Keg Safety checklist (.pdf)
Read more...A brewery’s keg inventory represents a substantial investment, add to that the value of the precious cargo it carries, and the importance of a properly functioning keg system becomes pretty clear. Implementing procedures for receiving, cleaning, and storing your kegs is vital.
Read more...Leasing Programs – Many companies offer leasing options through finance companies or keg rental as an alternative to purchasing kegs outright.
Read more...Before you even begin shopping for kegs, make sure you are aware of any limitations for draught sales in the area you plan to distribute. Some places restrict the size of kegs allowed, others don’t allow sales of draught beer at all from a pub or brewery, and some areas ban the use of certain types of kegs. Also, distributors sometimes have their own restrictions regarding the sizes and types of kegs they handle. Deciding which is best for you could also depend partly on what is already prevalent in your market. Usually, selling a draught placement means displacing another brand. If switching to your brand involves the additional hurdle of installing a new tapping device, you may lose the sale.
Read more...