How Do Breweries Weigh Fills?

[hamstringsally]

I was wondering if anyone knew how small micro breweries ascertain the correct fills in their bottles? do they use calibrated glassware to measure to get it spot on?

also do they weigh the finished product?

cheers

 

[QldKev]

I thought most use lazer beams to check the fill levels, but happy to be informed otherwise.

QldKev

 

[wessmith]

I was wondering if anyone knew how small micro breweries ascertain the correct fills in their bottles? do they use calibrated glassware to measure to get it spot on?

also do they weigh the finished product?

cheers

No, I dont know any brewery anywhere that actually weighs filled bottles. Glass manufacturers calibrate their bottles at the design and manufacturing stage and mould in a fill level in mm. You can usually find this number around the bottom periphery of the bottle - something like the "52" on the Coopers bottle I am currently drinking. That number is the correct fill level in mm from the top of the bottle - in this case 52mm from the top.

Wes

 

[hamstringsally]

I thought most use lazer beams to check the fill levels, but happy to be informed otherwise.

QldKev

thats what my mate says but i thought the guys did it by also measuring with calibrated jugs and glass wear?

 

[hamstringsally]

No, I dont know any brewery anywhere that actually weighs filled bottles. Glass manufacturers calibrate their bottles at the design and manufacturing stage and mould in a fill level in mm. You can usually find this number around the bottom periphery of the bottle - something like the "52" on the Coopers bottle I am currently drinking. That number is the correct fill level in mm from the top of the bottle - in this case 52mm from the top.

Wes

im drinking a hoegaarden cru atm and your right wes it does say imprinted on the glass at the bottom 0,33l 45mm. So if the really small micro breweries dont have the wizz bang bottling equipment how do they get it spot on? by eye?

 

[wessmith]

im drinking a hoegaarden cru atm and your right wes it does say imprinted on the glass at the bottom 0,33l 45mm. So if the really small micro breweries dont have the wizz bang bottling equipment how do they get it spot on? by eye?

Not quite, most bottle fillers use a dip tube of some sort. The dip tube will determine the fill level cutting off the flow to the bottle when the dip tube, which provides air/gas relief is covered. It is up to the brewery to calibrate when this occurs and whether the fill level is correct. If all this sound a bit sus, then pay a visit to a full scale bottling line and see how many underfills get rejected. How else do you think the brewers get their take home beer?

Wes

 

[barls]

there is also a ultrasonic sensor that can detect that the bottle has a cap and is also the correct fill level with in the tolerance.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

ultrasonics, lasers, gamma rays to look through cans, cameras and computers.... all get used on "big" brewery bottling lines. but most micros would probably be making do with eyeballs. Fill with a diptube to get it right, eyeballs to make sure the filler got it right.

 

[tavas]

I thought most use lazer beams to check the fill levels, but happy to be informed otherwise.

QldKev

Are they attached to minature sharks?

 

[Midnight Brew]

Sensors in form of "Lazer Beams" on the line out of the filler. When QC runs are done, they weigh a tare bottle then about 6 bottles to find the average.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

One of these....

 

[JDW81]

Are they attached to minature sharks?

No, they're attached to mutated sea bass.

 

[MHB]

LAZER - Always been a pet hate, ranks up there with expresso.
From Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation = LAZER. Give me an S
Mark

 

[sponge]

LAZER - Always been a pet hate, ranks up there with expresso.
From "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation" = LAZER. Give me an S
Mark

Be right back... just need to run down to the atm machine...

 

[hamstringsally]

One of these....

are these pretty accurate for 330l fills? Thats what i was thinking of. a calibrated jub of some sort

 

[hamstringsally]

are these pretty accurate for 330l fills? Thats what i was thinking of. a calibrated jub of some sort

are these pretty accurate for 330ml fills? Thats what i was thinking of. a calibrated jub of some sort

 

[Stagwa]

Be right back... just need to run down to the atm machine...

Make sure you use the correct PIN Number at the ATM Machine

 

[ahidau]

LAZER - Always been a pet hate, ranks up there with expresso.
From Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation = LAZER. Give me an S
Mark

I recall being told that it really should be referred to as Light Oscillation by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, but the military refused to fund LOSER guns so it got a name change.

 

[Kai]

No, I dont know any brewery anywhere that actually weighs filled bottles. Glass manufacturers calibrate their bottles at the design and manufacturing stage and mould in a fill level in mm. You can usually find this number around the bottom periphery of the bottle - something like the "52" on the Coopers bottle I am currently drinking. That number is the correct fill level in mm from the top of the bottle - in this case 52mm from the top.

Wes

I know at least a couple that do.

Take an empty bottle with a crown as your tare, take the weight of a full bottle as the net, use the specific gravity of the beer to convert the weight to volume.

Fast, easy and non-destructive.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

are these pretty accurate for 330l fills? Thats what i was thinking of. a calibrated jub of some sort

Each person on the bottling line has a calibrated jug they fill the bottle with

 

[zxhoon]

Do any use check weighers on their conveyor line?

 

[Sprungmonkey]

no scales used that i know of - a lot of Aussie breweries are using Filtec's. Volumetric flasks are used to validate the filtec's are working.

 

[///]

Or you could just do the old AIB filler and count any shortfill as quite normal really, dont know what your complaining about ... its meant to be 2cm difference in all of them ... we work on averages ...

Sorry, could not help myself ...

Scotty

 

[Wimmig]

No, I dont know any brewery anywhere that actually weighs filled bottles. Glass manufacturers calibrate their bottles at the design and manufacturing stage and mould in a fill level in mm. You can usually find this number around the bottom periphery of the bottle - something like the "52" on the Coopers bottle I am currently drinking. That number is the correct fill level in mm from the top of the bottle - in this case 52mm from the top.

Wes

This is one of the primary methods. Though, there are many in use. For the most part, all output must meet shown VOL standards. From what i'm aware nothing is set in stone, so long as it can be proven when tested by needed regulators.

 

[Hargie]

...we fill ours to the rim and take EXACTLY one sip out of each bottle...

 

[bradsbrew]

...we fill ours to the rim and take EXACTLY one sip out of each bottle...

:lol:
Which is the way I would do it. And is exactly why I would not get a job in a brewery bottling line :icon_cheers:

 

[Brad Churchill]

...we fill ours to the rim and take EXACTLY one sip out of each bottle...

Heh heh. You would have to make sure the same person does it for every bottle as no two mouths would be the same size...

 

[Kai]

Or you could just do the old AIB filler and count any shortfill as quite normal really, dont know what your complaining about ... its meant to be 2cm difference in all of them ... we work on averages ...

Sorry, could not help myself ...

Scotty

I would be really happy if our beers had neck labels...

 

[///]

I would be really happy if our beers had neck labels...

I'll just pick myself up off the floor with that one ...

With how Mr Hargie works, i think a sip from each bottle is fair enough!

Scotty

 

[DJR]

Be right back... just need to run down to the atm machine...

While you are there make sure you enter your PIN number

Check out this document from O-I giving fill level specs too

http://www.o-i.com/uploadedFiles/Pages/Asi...20Catalogue.pdf