Written by Steve McGarvey /// Imagery provided by Cru Bottling Systems
STARTING SMALL Answering common questions about spirits bottling lines
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n all of the time we’ve been involved with small-scale bottling, by far the most common question I hear is: “How easy is it to do it myself?” Whether it’s vintners and distillers with decades of experience with this type of equipment or those who have no experience, our answer is always the same: “It’s very easy.” We get asked a variety of questions from all different-sized distilleries and vineyards regarding small-scale bottling. For those without bottling experience, the thought of taking this on can be daunting. We get it. Of the many questions we get asked at trade shows, on our website, and through emails, I’ve taken the most popular ones and wanted to share them with you. Hopefully, we can publish a second part to this article to cover some of the more obscure (but still important!) questions that we get. So, in no particular order, let’s begin:
Q: A:
How much room does a small-scale bottling line require?
Many customers operate their entire bottling line on a single eight-foot long bench top. With limited space inside of their facility, they have easily made this work within a small footprint. Different manufacturers carry equipment of varying sizes, but typically an entire small-scale bottling line can fit on (two) six-foot bench tops. This includes the bottle filler, corker (or capper), labeler, and heat shrinker. You will need some additional space for unpacking the empty bottles (before filling) and then packing the full ones once completed.
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Q: A:
I have zero experience in bottling. Can I really do this myself?
Absolutely! Small-scale bottling equipment is specifically designed to be simple to operate. Watch any video on YouTube of small-scale bottling in action, and you will see for yourself how simple the process is. For instance, with a four-nozzle gravity filler, the bottles fill themselves and automatically shut off when full — it’s designed to prevent overflow. It’s really that simple. The cork/cap is then inserted into the bottle by the push of a button. The labeler will also apply the label by simply pushing a button as well.
Q:
How many people do I need to operate a small-scale bottling line?
A:
A small-scale bottling line can be operated by one person. You will be able to move faster if you have a partner helping, but you can easily operate the different parts of the bottling line by yourself, depending on the volume you’re trying to achieve.
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