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Local Micro-Breweries Thrive Using Micro-Canning Assembly Line

Local Micro-breweries are filling up the shelves at stores across the country thanks to micro assembly lines.

The popularity of micro brewing has grown in recent years and Owl Creek Winery decided to grow with.

About 5 years ago they began developing a line of hard ciders made from local apples.

Their problem was that the equipment they already own for bottling wine would not work with the delicious, carbonated hard cider they produce.

That’s where Luke Brown, owner of I-Can solutions from Indiana can help.

His company owns and operates a portable canning line.  

“Just like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Sprite it’s the exact same way just a little bit smaller scale.” 

I-Can solution travels around to different micro breweries in the region canning beers and ciders on site at an affordable cost.

“We bring the equipment, and then we just pick up the cans as needed and do that days work, and then hit the road and head home.” 

This type of operation gives Owl Creek owner Brad Genung the ability to produce small batches of cider and get them to the distributor in a timely manner.

“They literally roll up with a complete package and we just chug and plug and go.” 

Brown noticed a drift in the products being produced while working in industrial manufacturing.

“I slowly saw the cans they were producing being changed from all Coors Light, all Miller Lite, all Budweiser to Micro Brews, from California, Colorado, the East Coast.” 

Noticing this trend lead Brown to a new career, which in turn provided Genung the resources to reach new markets.

“It’s been great to get us in far away urban markets, there’s a thirst out there for locally grown, high quality cider and there’s none of this snobbery that the apples have to be grown in Napa.” 

Which makes it possible for a small cider operation in Southern Illinois to grow beyond the region.

“Help these guys grow, he buy more tanks, we can bigger runs its all about growth and starting at the bottom and getting up there where you want to be.” 

I-Can solutions operates in Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, and Indiana.

For a more in depth look at the process click here.

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