What’s the best way to store our cans?

On almost every packaging run there will be challenges that can occur, whether small or large. Even though some of these challenges can be unavoidable and will have to be dealt with on the day, there are also many things that we can control…

During packaging runs so much focus and time goes into the quality of the fills, seams, fobbing etc. (and rightly so). With all this focus elsewhere, people can forget about one of the most important aspect of the canning run… the cans.

No matter how good the beer is, how clean the machine and hoses are, how perfect the fobbing is, if the cans have been exposed to dirt/ dust or have been mistreated it can result in a poor product.

In this post we are aiming to provide information on what we have found are the best ways to properly store and protect your cans for the next canning run. We will also have a look at storage and movement of lids as they are the final piece of the puzzle to a good canning run.

What can you do to help ensure we give ourselves the best opportunity to have a successful packaging run…?

To kick things off let’s start with what we do at the end of the run: wrapping up the pallets. This is one of the most crucial aspect of can storage in your brewery, poorly wrapped pallets will cause all sorts of headaches down the line.

The biggest issue when wrapping up pallets after a run is when you have half a layer left when the run has finished. It is always best to finish on a full layer so that the pallet can be tightly wrapped up and won’t allow any gaps in the cardboard slip sheets, creating a gap for any nasties to make their way in towards the cans. We understand that this is not always possible or the preferred option on a canning run, no-one wants to leave half a layer worth of beer in a tank if they don’t have to.

Depending on how many cans are left on a layer will decide what the best course of action will be for wrapping up the pallet.

1. If there is only a small amount of cans left on the layer it can be worthwhile putting the cans into some cases and taping them up so they can be used at a later date.
2. If the layer is mostly full then it can be pretty easy to move the cans around so that they are predominately towards the edges which always helps with being able to tightly wrap the pallet up!
3. Alternatively, the last half a layer or so of product can be kegged and sold behind the bar.

The best way of wrapping up the pallet is to put a nice clean slip sheet on top of the final layer of cans, then fold up the plastic wrap on all four sides and tape with some packaging tape. After this it’s advisable to also put on one of the plastic collars on top of the pallet and tape this down. This will help hold down both the slip sheet and the plastic wrap (especially if it gets a bit windy around while the cans are being stored).

Storing cans at your facility:

On ECC runs our  crew will be the ones to wrap up the leftover pallets, however something that is in control of the brewery staff is the storing of the pallets between runs. Here are some tips to help ensure your cans remain in the best condition possible for future packaging runs.

1. Always keep your cans indoors! Wind, rain, dust etc have all played havoc on cans in the past. Even if the pallet has been properly wrapped, there is still a chance of nasties getting in when exposed to the elements. Especially rain which can soak through the slip sheets and work its way down into the cans.
2. Stacking: When stacking cans always remember to put a partially used pallet on top of an unopened one. This will minimise the chance of any cans becoming damage from the weight of other pallet during storage.
3. Location, location, location! Even if you do keep all cans inside the brewery there are still a number of things to keep in mind as to where you are keeping them.
   1. Keep them away from grain bins: having grain bins lying around near where your empty cans are is simply asking for disaster, as we all know grain bins attract all sorts of bugs, insects etc. So keep these as far away from each other as possible
   2. In the driest area possible: Aim to keep the stored pallets in an area where they will be least likely to get wet from everyday brewery cleaning, especially from chemical cleaning.

While we’re at it let’s not forget about the storage of lids. They are just as important as the cans and need to have care taken when storing them.

The storage of lids is, again, a crucial part in ensuring a smooth and high quality packaging run. The main thing to remember is that these lids can be very sensitive and fragile. This is not to say that the lid sleeve will break easily but rather that any small dent or bend in the lid can have dramatic impacts on quality of the finished can and also ability to run the machine without stopping.

Damaged lids usually occur due to poor handling can have one of two common outcomes:

1. Get stuck in the chute, which means the machine has to stop while the lid is cleared out usually resulting in 5-7 cans having to be put aside due to high DO from sitting with beer exposed.
2. Make its way through and not seam properly causing leaking cans. This is the worst case scenario and what we are actively aiming to avoid through proper storage practices.

Keep these tips in mind next time you’re moving around a pallet of cans!