Buckeye Lake Brewing is now sealing up their craft brews one 32oz can at a time.
The brewery recently acquired a tabletop can seaming machine, enabling them to seal one-time-use canned growlers. Oskar Blues Brewing Company debuted the seaming machine in late 2012, trademarking the name Crowler (“can growler”), but otherwise makes the machines, manufactured by Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry, available to other breweries for purchase. Cincinnati’s Rhinegeist Brewery also has one of the fresh fill canning systems.
Here’s how it works: a Co2 tube is first inserted into the can to purge it of oxygen, then the growlers are filled with beer and topped off with more Co2. After that the metal lid is attached in about three seconds using a small seamer.
“Most growler fills are meant to be served within a week or two, so these should have a longer shelf life with the Co2 purge and the permanent seal of a can lid versus a twist-off growler,” said Buckeye Lake owner Rich Hennosy.
Buckeye Lake will fill the cans for $6 with their standard beers and $7 for specialty beers. The brewery will continue filling traditional growlers, but it’s nice for customers to have another option when they forget their glass growler at home, want something that will stay fresh longer, or are heading to a glass-free zone.
“Being on the lake and near Legend Valley music center [where glass is not permitted] it made sense for us to jump on this opportunity from Oskar Blues,” said Hennosy. “The can fits our customers lifestyle.”
