Greetings all.

How do the plastic inserts (widgets?) in draughtflow cans work? Also
is it an additional function of these things to make all beers taste
the same or is it just me?

Thanks.

Fred:

Mechansim is quite simple, before the beer is placed in the can (or bottle
or keg), it is carbonated and nitrogenated to precise levels in a holding
tank. Here in the USA this tank is known as a bright beer tank. As the
empty cans/bottles move down the conveyor toward the filler, a special
machine places a widget in each can/bottle. The widget is esentially a
hollow plastic sphere or other shape, and other than holding the widget in
place in the can I don't believe that the shape has any major role. However
the secret is that just before the widget is placed into the can a laser
cuts a hole of a precise diameter in the widget. The can is then filled and
sealed in the conventional manner.

After sealing, the higher pressure in the can relative to the inside of the
widget results in the widget filling with the beer until the pressure inside
the widget reaches an equilibrium with the rest of the can. Things then
remain stable until the can is opened. When the can is opened, the pressure
in the bulk of the liquid falls, faster than that of the liquid inside the
widget. As a result of this differential pressure, the liquid in the widget
squirts out through the orrifice, this sets up shear forces that strip the
nitrogen from solution in exactly the same way as the restrictor plate is a
"stout faucet" does. The nitrogen forms the dense creamy bubbles that give
the characteristic creamy head.

As for making all beers taste the same, I believe that this is a side effect
of the niotrogenation. My experience is that the nitrogen tends to strip
hop bitterness from the liguid into the head. I know this sounds gross, but
use your finger to scoop out some of the head and taste it, typically it
will be bitterer than the liquid, hence the beer will have that same
relatively bland smooth taste.

Iechud Da - Cwrw42


"FredG" wrote in message
om...
Greetings all.

How do the plastic inserts (widgets?) in draughtflow cans work? Also
is it an additional function of these things to make all beers taste
the same or is it just me?

Thanks.

That was interesting! Thanks!

So what's the reason that a laser must cut a hole just prior to insertion
into the can? I don't see any explanation for that. If the other things
you say are true, then the "hole" can be manufactured at the same time
the rest of the widget is - no need for any laser on the filling line.

: Fred:

: Mechansim is quite simple, before the beer is placed in the can (or bottle
: or keg), it is carbonated and nitrogenated to precise levels in a holding
: tank. Here in the USA this tank is known as a bright beer tank. As the
: empty cans/bottles move down the conveyor toward the filler, a special
: machine places a widget in each can/bottle. The widget is esentially a
: hollow plastic sphere or other shape, and other than holding the widget in
: place in the can I don't believe that the shape has any major role. However
: the secret is that just before the widget is placed into the can a laser
: cuts a hole of a precise diameter in the widget. The can is then filled and
: sealed in the conventional manner.

: After sealing, the higher pressure in the can relative to the inside of the
: widget results in the widget filling with the beer until the pressure inside
: the widget reaches an equilibrium with the rest of the can. Things then
: remain stable until the can is opened. When the can is opened, the pressure
: in the bulk of the liquid falls, faster than that of the liquid inside the
: widget. As a result of this differential pressure, the liquid in the widget
: squirts out through the orrifice, this sets up shear forces that strip the
: nitrogen from solution in exactly the same way as the restrictor plate is a
: "stout faucet" does. The nitrogen forms the dense creamy bubbles that give
: the characteristic creamy head.

: As for making all beers taste the same, I believe that this is a side effect
: of the niotrogenation. My experience is that the nitrogen tends to strip
: hop bitterness from the liguid into the head. I know this sounds gross, but
: use your finger to scoop out some of the head and taste it, typically it
: will be bitterer than the liquid, hence the beer will have that same
: relatively bland smooth taste.

: Iechud Da - Cwrw42


: "FredG" wrote in message
: om...
: Greetings all.
:
: How do the plastic inserts (widgets?) in draughtflow cans work? Also
: is it an additional function of these things to make all beers taste
: the same or is it just me?
:
: Thanks.

wrote in message
...
So what's the reason that a laser must cut a hole just prior to insertion
into the can? I don't see any explanation for that. If the other things
you say are true, then the "hole" can be manufactured at the same time
the rest of the widget is - no need for any laser on the filling line.

It's a Goldfinger Industries filler.

--
Lew Bryson

www.LewBryson.com
Author of "New York Breweries" and "Pennsylvania Breweries," 2nd ed., both
available at www.amazon.com
The Hotmail address on this post is for newsgroups only: I don't check it,
or respond to it. Spam away.

"Lew Bryson" wrote in message
om...
wrote in message
...
So what's the reason that a laser must cut a hole just prior to
insertion
into the can? I don't see any explanation for that. If the other
things
you say are true, then the "hole" can be manufactured at the same time
the rest of the widget is - no need for any laser on the filling line.

It's a Goldfinger Industries filler.

--
Lew Bryson

www.LewBryson.com
Author of "New York Breweries" and "Pennsylvania Breweries," 2nd ed., both
available at www.amazon.com
The Hotmail address on this post is for newsgroups only: I don't check it,
or respond to it. Spam away.




If so, wouldn't "laser" need to be in quotes???

"Cwrw42" wrote in message nk.net...
Fred:

Mechansim is quite simple,
snip

An excellent explanation, and I understood it.
Thanks :-)

Joe:

Good follow up question. To be absolutly certain of the answer I would need
to dig through some files, however I seem to recall that there were two
reasons for making the hole with a laser just before the widgets are put in
the can.

1. The widgets are blow moulded using an inert gas, probably nitrogen, if
the hole was get earlier, the nitrogen would diffuse out with the result
that air and oxygen would enter the sphere. This oxygen would subsequently
end up in the beer and cause oxidation. As you probably know, brewers are
obsessive about eliminating oxygen pickup during packaging. So waiting
until the last possible moment to make the hole is a way to limit oxygen
pick up in the package.

2. I also believe that the diameter of the hole was crucial, and they found
that the best way to get a consistent diameter was using a laser to cut the
hole.

Hope this answers your questions - iechyd da - Cwrw-42.


wrote in message
...
So what's the reason that a laser must cut a hole just prior to insertion
into the can? I don't see any explanation for that. If the other things
you say are true, then the "hole" can be manufactured at the same time
the rest of the widget is - no need for any laser on the filling line.

: Fred: