Since most restaurants, bars and taprooms
shut down by late March, brewers were
forced to shift gears and ramp up produc-tion
of canned products since there was
virtually no demand for kegs.
“The last couple of weeks have been
nuts,” said Wells, adding his company
stepped up its sanitary efforts to help stop
the spread.
Have the opportunities for mobile can-ners
been maxed out or is there still room
for growth?
Coates says there is plenty of room to
grow the business. Although craft brewers
continue to make up the bulk of Vessel’s
As might be expected, ensuring qual-ity
standards are met is a critical consider-ation
for mobile canning operators. Supply
lines are thoroughly washed before and
after each job. Wells says he and his staff
regularly swab the lines and cans they use
and send the samples to a lab where they
are tested to ensure all health and industry
standards are met. In addition, they test a
number of cans throughout the canning
process with a dissolved oxygen meter to
ensure the proper oxygen content, which is
as little as possible. Canners will also carry
out full seam inspections of each run and
make adjustments or carry out mainte-nance
before any problems arise.
Although most mobile canners don’t
print labels in-house, Coates says his
company works closely with a select few
printing partners to ensure their respec-tive
systems are integrated; safeguarding
against awkward or unnecessary delays in
the production process. Wells says it’s a sim-ilar
process with his company, which works
with a number of Winnipeg-based brewer-ies
including Barnhammer, Sookram’s, Half
Pints, Nonsuch, Devil May Care and Kilter.
Of course, like virtually every Canadian
company, mobile canners weren’t immune
to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
customers, it has recently begun catering to
a growing number of other beverage mak-ers
including cideries, wineries and ready-to-
drink cocktail producers.
“The market is always evolving and
changing, and new markets and opportuni-ties
are always appearing, so we’ve always
got an eye out,” he said.
Wells wholeheartedly agrees.
“I think the general public is becoming
more aware of craft beer and how craft beer
is making a beer for almost everyone’s lik-ing.
I think as long as that keeps happening,
there’s nowhere to go but up in this indus-try,”
he said.
COV E R F E AT U R E
Symon Ptashnick
SUMMER 2020 § POURED CANADA § 19
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