24 February 2010

Sun King Can

"A year ago we had just started filling this brewery space" said Sun King Brewer/Owner Clay Robinson as he displayed the workings of the brewery's new canning system, "and it's crazy to think at where we're at now."


The meteoric rise of Sun King continues with the addition of an automated canning system that should help the brewery get its beer on local liquor store shelves by mid to late March.


Many craft breweries are still small batch bottle processing, a slow and tedious process that involves touching each and every bottle that goes out the door. Sun King's new canning system is capable of maximum speeds of 18 16oz cans per minute - or somewhere between 60 - 70 cases per hour.


What this means is that you can expect the beer in even more locations. "This enables us to sell the beer to folks who may not have a spare tap line available" said Robinson.


One potential problem with canning versus bottling is that pre-printed cans must be bought in bulk - a costly initial investment that can hamper diversity of product. Sun King plans to start their canning with their most popular styles - Cream Ale and Osiris Pale Ale - and see how the demand shakes out.


"One of the reasons we went with this machine is that it allows for different can sizes" said Sun King Process Engineer Michael Pearson. "So if we want to do one-off runs of bigger beers in bigger cans, or smaller cans, or anything like that, we have the ability."


Another option the brewery is looking into is a shrink-wrap type label that would allow for in-house labeling of blank cans. This would allow for cost-effective smaller batch or one-off varieties.


Robinson noted that he has already been in talks with 8 to 12 local liquors stores, with names local craft beer fans are familiar with - Mass Ave Wine Shop, Vine and Table, Goose the Market, Crown Liquors and Kahn's were just a few mentioned - so the beer should be available all over the city. That's a good thing, because initial taste tests proved that the beer out of a can is a tasty and wonderful thing. Considering Sun King's success, we wouldn't expect anything less.

16 comments:

  1. Congrats to SunKing! Great people that make some great beer!

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  2. Great read and photos. I live hour and half North of Indy, so no growlers for me. This is going to be awesome to finally try Sun King!

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  3. Grizzly Adams did have a beard!

    I am looking forward to taking some Sun King to the 500 this year.

    Bravo guys.

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  4. no label/artwork preview? Boo Hiss

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  5. Jeez Martin I gotta sleep sometime.

    I'll see what I can do about that artwork...

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  6. It still won't make me drink beer out of a can, Sun King beer or not. I guess that it's growlers for me for now...

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  7. Very cool write up! Love Sun King-- excellent beer and very nice people. Can't wait to buy the canned version.

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  8. Pitt, it's one thing to drink craft beer *out of* a can. We would never recommend that, just as we would never recommend that you drink craft beer out of a bottle. However, we would highly recommend that you at least try drinking craft beer that you've *poured from a can into a glass.* I bet that you would be pleasantly surprised. Some sterling examples of craft beer in a can: any Oskar Blues beer, which you unfortunately cannot buy in Indiana, and Southern Star Pine Belt Pale Ale, which you can buy in Indiana.

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  9. Surly is another example of excellent beer in a can, but unfortunately we can't get that here either.

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  10. Sun King, I think I love you....
    Beer Lady

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  11. Well according to PITT's logic, I guess I should drain pour all my Surly Furious and Coffee Bender's. Also my cans of Red Racer IPA, Gordon and Ten Fidy. All horrible, horrible beers...

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  12. Yeah, my logic is flawed. I never thought about actually pouring the beer OUT of the can. Maybe it's not such a shabby idea afterall...

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  13. There are a lot of craft beers in cans in California, glad to see we are getting this here soon. It would be great for sporting events (and golf... :-)

    Don't leave us out in the rest of the state, you folks in Indy can drive by for growlers after all! Print Osiris cans and distribute state wide.

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  14. Mike,
    just being sarcastic. Thanks for giving us the first look at the canning line. I do really want some "HBG Old Timey Malty Beverage Thing"

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  15. This will certainly be the most delicious canned beer in all the land, however, I'm sure it will still taste better from a bottle or growler. Saw a really cool interview with the owners on Inside Indiana Business on Comast Local On Demand--if you have it, it's worth checking out. http://watchindiana.tv/2010/04/business-spotlight-sun-king-brewery/

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  16. I'm sure it will still taste better from a bottle or growler.

    I'm curious of the reasons why you say that?
    Are you drinking it directly from the can?
    Bad experience with canned beer?
    Disgusting Chef Boyardee incident turned you off to cans altogether? What man, what?

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