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bottling Hot filling machine and methods?

NomadicEats

NomadicEats

I’ve searched a good bit on here trying to find a more efficient way to hot fill than the ole’ funnel method. I’ve seen the handy filler, but I’m weary of the statement of temps not over 180. I recently got passed down a liquid filling machine from a small beverage manufacturer that used it to hot fill successfully, but first time and I ruined that machine right away! My sauce is thicker than water and has seeds and fine pulp. Clogged internally immediately. I’ve seen the same type of machines with a peristaltic pump, where the liquid stays only in the tube, not passing through small chambers and such, but they are also not recommended with pulp or seeds.

So I’m wondering what folks are using when scaling up and tackeling a couple hundred woozy bottles at a time? Any luck with a machine?

I’ve been looking at electric beer brew kettles also, which would hold hot and rely on gravity though a ball valve spigot to fill. Most I’ve seen though, the tube inside the pot is so much higher than the bottom, there would be a significant amount of sauce left in there. Also sceptical about how well my sauce would come out, especially when it gets low toward the end.

So what successful efficient methods are you guys using to hot fill? And advice is appreciated!

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There are several valve type appliances that heat and dispense. Nacho cheese pump, coffee urn, syrup warmer, beer kettle, some have the spigot lower on the side than others, some have a heat control which is good so you can keep temp up in the good zone. You may need to figure out how to reduce the size of the spout so it fits into the woozies. Wont be an issue if using a wider mouth bottle.

I had a handy filler. I did not like the temp margin either. Plus the grease on the gasket, i always wondered if that was getting in the sauce.

Hope this helps, good luck and have fun!
Salsalady
 
@NomadicEats We are in the same boat with our sauce. We've been use this but heating the stainless hopper, keeping the sauce to temp for hot fill, and transferring to the hopper isn't ideal. We also started using a immersion blender as some of the pulp was causing issues.

We just started looking at the Gen4 Brewzilla electric beer brew kettle as they have 110v and 220v models. Also seeing that it has a concave base, we can gravity feed out with a hose to a handy filler or I've been starting to looking at various honey filling machines that swap plastic parts for metal to allow for hot filling. We haven't made any final decisions, but using the tap on like a 10 gallow stove top brew kettle, where the tap is only 3/8" or at most 1/2" doesn't seem ideal either. I've seen some folks use large tabletop electric induction burners, but they would take forever to heat up a 10 gallon batch.
 
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salce said:
@NomadicEats We are in the same boat with our sauce. We've been use this but heating the stainless hopper, keeping the sauce to temp for hot fill, and transferring to the hopper isn't ideal. We also started using a immersion blender as some of the pulp was causing issues.

We just started looking at the Gen4 Brewzilla electric beer brew kettle as they have 110v and 220v models. Also seeing that it has a concave base, we can gravity feed out with a hose to a handy filler or I've been starting to looking at various honey filling machines that swap plastic parts for metal to allow for hot filling. We haven't made any final decisions, but using the tap on like a 10 gallow stove top brew kettle, where the tap is only 3/8" or at most 1/2" doesn't seem ideal either. I've seen some folks use large tabletop electric induction burners, but they would take forever to heat up a 10 gallon batch.
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That Brewzilla is the first one I’ve seen with a concave bottom so it will all drain. Nice. Looks like it has a pump, but I doubt it will survive pumping pulp and seeds. I may talk to some of my beer brewing friends on that. I’m guessing you were planning on bypassing the pump to gravity feed?
 
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Exactly, or replacing the pump with something that can handle seeds and pulp by drill a hole and running a hose to the pump just sitting next to the kettle. Still researching what I want to use for the filling side; something manual like the handy fill or something more automated like a honey filling machine.
 
salce said:
Exactly, or replacing the pump with something that can handle seeds and pulp by drill a hole and running a hose to the pump just sitting next to the kettle. Still researching what I want to use for the filling side; something manual like the handy fill or something more automated like a honey filling machine.
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I just talked to some of my friends who run breweries. They said those pumps do run some of the grain and particles through it, and are designed to run boiling water, so heat is not an issue. I’m not saying they will hold up, but my beer guys say it should be fine. I’m going to try and research what kind of pump that one has and look more into it. I know that a peristaltic pump or a diaphragm pump will not work.

He he said that those pumps are propeller driven, and most of times they have metal propellers that will actually chop up any grain that gets caught going through it. Again, don’t take this as 100% true, but it is worth noting.
 
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salsalady said:
Something like a juice steamer has a way to keep the sauce warm and has a small hose for dispensing. Have your 10 gallon pot on one burner, transfer to the dispensing pot.


This one is 11 liters.
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Basically like a large Bain Marie or double boiler with a spout. I wonder how the flow would be just from gravity?
 
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Good until below half. Then it slows a bit but still workable.

The tube with clamp will work with some chunks and seeds.
 
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salsalady said:
Good until below half. Then it slows a bit but still workable.

The tube with clamp will work with some chunks and seeds.
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I just noticed it has a hole in the catch pan for the steam to pass through. Not a fan of moisture possibly mixing with the sauce.

I’ve been using this , a pancake batter dispenser, instead of a funnel. WAY faster! I fill it straight from the pot hot, and fills about 6 bottles at a time fast and easy. If anyone is using a funnel, I’d recommend this $20 upgrade. Even has a stand to set it on inbetween filling it. Not bad until I find a better high volume system.
 
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salce said:
@NomadicEats We are in the same boat with our sauce. We've been use this but heating the stainless hopper, keeping the sauce to temp for hot fill, and transferring to the hopper isn't ideal. We also started using a immersion blender as some of the pulp was causing issues.

We just started looking at the Gen4 Brewzilla electric beer brew kettle as they have 110v and 220v models. Also seeing that it has a concave base, we can gravity feed out with a hose to a handy filler or I've been starting to looking at various honey filling machines that swap plastic parts for metal to allow for hot filling. We haven't made any final decisions, but using the tap on like a 10 gallow stove top brew kettle, where the tap is only 3/8" or at most 1/2" doesn't seem ideal either. I've seen some folks use large tabletop electric induction burners, but they would take forever to heat up a 10 gallon batch.
Click to expand...
Did you guys ever get around to trying out the Brewzilla of figure out another method?
 
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