From Cask Global Canning Solutions: (Sasolburg, South Africa) – Kruger Brau brewery is now using a Cask Brewing Systems
SAMS (Semi-Automatic Canning System) machine to package its beers in aluminum
cans. Kruger Brau is Cask’s first South African customer and one of only two micro-
canners in that nation.
“Ours is a brand new brewery, designed and built by myself,” says founder JR “Rudie”
Kruger. “From day one I wanted to establish something extraordinary that makes use of
the best technologies that I could afford. This would ensure that my beers are of the
highest quality and that I can keep my overhead, operating -- and especially my transport
-- costs low.”
“I also wanted to have a ‘greener’ footprint than the average micro-brewery,” Kruger
adds. “That brought me to aluminum cans and Cask Brewing Systems equipment. The
aluminum cans give me longer shelf life, a wider distribution radius and great potential
for export later on.”
Kruger chose Cask’s canning equipment for a number of reasons. “I’m a mechanical
engineer,” Kruger says, “so the design quality, build quality and maintainability over the
long term are very important to me. My research indicated that Cask had proven
technology and many happy clients.”
“For the relatively small size of my brewery,” he adds, “Cask also offers an affordable
unit of an appropriate size and capacity. My can supplier was also aware of Cask’s
equipment and was very happy about my decision to go with Cask equipment.”
Kruger Brau is the second South African microbrewery to brew and package its beer in
aluminum cans. Nottingham Road Brewing has been canning its beers in steel cans for
the past two years. In October the brewery shifted to aluminum cans packaged on its
reworked, decades-old manual canning equipment.
Kruger has released four micro-canned beers (Cheetah African Ale, Sunset American
Pale Ale, Lazy Boy English Brown Ale, Irish Mule Irish Red Ale) in 440ml aluminum
cans. The cans are available in bars, restaurants, retail liquor stores in the local area and
at the Kruger Brau tasting room.
Kruger’s SAMS machine produces about 40 cases per hour. Along with freshness
keeping, portability and transportation, Kruger is excited about the other benefits he’ll
reap through Cask gear and micro-canning.
“The visual possibilities of a craft beer can are endless!” he says. “Our beer cans will be
unique on the retail shelves in terms of color, shape and size. If a person is shopping for
craft beers and is confronted with a row of relatively similarly looking brown bottles, our
bright and colorful cans next to those bottles will really stand out.”
In the US where Cask launched its microcanning revolution for craft brewers in 2002,
sales of US canned sixpacks in 2014 were up 97% compared to 14% growth of bottles.
“Canned craft beer is the hottest craft beer package in North America,” says Cask
founder Peter Love. “Someday that may be the case in South Africa.”
“Our canning machines give small brewers an affordable, small-scale way to package
their beer,” Love says. “And they allow those brewers to put their beer in a package that’s
portable, infinitely recyclable and gives their beer the ultimate protection from light and
oxygen. Those benefits are hard for brewers to resist.”
Cask’s compact machines require as little as 16 square feet of space. They also provide
an extremely low level of dissolved oxygen (15-20 parts per billion) that extends beer
shelf life and protects the flavor profile of the canned beer.
Cask invented the micro-canned craft beer concept. It created the concept in 1999 for
brew-on-premise homebrewing operations it supplied in Canada, the US and Australia.
In 2002 Cask sold its first machine (a table-top machine that seamed one can at a time) to
a craft brewer, Oskar Blues Brewery & Pub in Colorado, USA. The tiny brewpub was the
first US microbrewer to brew and can its own beer. Its cans-only focus made it a fast
success, growing from 700 barrels/year to over 149,000 barrels/year in 12 years.
Hundreds of craft brewers now enjoy rapid growth and great success with canned beers.
“Our canning systems,” Love says, “have helped micro and craft breweries around the
world enter the packaged-beer segment and quickly grow their businesses. We’re very
proud of that.”
Cask’s affordable manual, semi-automated and automated canning systems are used by
over 600 small breweries, wineries, cider makers and drinks manufacturers in 34 nations.
For photos, interviews and more details on Cask’s gear and history contact Marty Jones
at 00-1-720-289-9345 (cell) or marty@martyjones.com.
(London, England) – Beavertown Brewery is a Cask customer and a leader in the UK’s
growing micro-canning segment. In just over a year, the brewery has won rapid success
and acclaim with flavorful beers canned on a Cask ACS machine.
The brewery’s latest award goes to Jenn Merrick, Beavertown’s head brewer. On
December 3 she won the British Guild of Beer Writer’s “Brewer of the Year” award at
the Guild’s annual awards dinner in London’s Park Lane Hotel.
The award provides another big dose of credibility for Beavertown and micro-canning
brewers in the United Kingdom.
“For me to be recognized by the Guild as Brewer of the Year is a great honor,” Merrick
says. “Beer writers are the folks who know best what is going on in the British brewing
scene. There are so many breweries making great beer at the minute, it is really special
for me to be chosen from that pool of brewers.”
“As a brewer of modern experimental beers,” she adds, “and especially as part of the
‘new school’ who are canning, the award represents a huge vote of confidence for what
we are trying to accomplish here at Beavertown.”
The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) represents British craft brewers. SIBA
managing director Mike Benner cites Beavertown as proof of Britain’s increasingly
innovative beer culture.
“Their beers,” Benner says, “are the epitome of the quality, flavor and innovation that is
making British beer so exciting right now. Jenn has a way of injecting bags of flavor into
her beers while maintaining an unrivalled drinkability -- something which has helped
Beavertown grow in popularity with beer drinkers and beer writers alike.”
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