A Bottle of Carbonation: the abcs of counter pressure filling
Counter pressure filling is a technique used for filling bottles or cans with carbonated beverages, offering more opportunities to present your drink. Who wouldn't be impressed by a perfect whisky highball served in a bottle from a particular bar during a private bbq party? Learn the benefits, process, and downsides of counter pressure filling.
Every bartender occasionally reaches a creative block. For whatever reason, they may find it challenging to craft new and interesting cocktails for their guests, even if they want to. At this crucial moment, the solution is to advance their skills and knowledge. By learning something new, a bartender adds a novel element to recharge their game.
Luckily, we live in an age where a wealth of information is freely available; you just need to choose the right one. The Cocktail Balance is one such source of information, including the shop where bartenders can find inspiration in various areas of gastronomy.
Information acquired from books or the web needs to be translated into modern technologies so bartenders can create new experiences for their guests. One such technology now readily available is counter pressure filling.
In this article, you'll find an explanation of what that means and an introduction to the process, different types of fillers, and three benefits associated with using this method.
What is counter pressure filling?
Counter pressure filling is a technique used for filling bottles or cans with beverages that are carbonated. This method is used to fill beer, sparkling water, or various cocktails with the goal of minimizing carbonation loss and preventing oxidation. With counter pressure filling, a bartender can create more opportunities to present of their cocktail. Who wouldn't be impressed by a perfectly carbonated whisky highball served in a can at a picnic, or the special of a particular bar during a bbq party at a friend’s home?
The filling process involves four basic steps:
• Pressurizing the container: The bottle or can is first pressurized with carbon dioxide (CO2) to equalize the pressure with the beverage in the keg or tank. This step is crucial to maintaining the carbonation level in the liquid.
• Oxygen purging: Before filling, the container is purged with CO2 to remove oxygen. This prevents oxidation of the beverage, which affects taste and shelf life.
• Filling under pressure: The pressurized container is then filled with the beverage. Since the pressure in both containers is equalized, the beverage flows smoothly without excessive foaming or carbonation loss.
• Sealing: After filling, the container is immediately sealed to maintain internal pressure and carbonation.
Benefits of counter pressure filling
Acquiring a “Counter Pressure Filler" for your business or home, whether to kickstart your own business or simply for the pleasure of guests, has many advantages. One of the biggest is maintaining quality, as it maintains beverage carbonation at a constant level. This feature is crucial when using ingredients such as tonic or soda.
As well, the cleaning process using CO2 eliminates oxygen from the can before filling, helping to preserve the flavors and freshness of the cocktail. This enables the bartender to preserve seasonal flavors even outside the season of particular fruit or herbs.
Professional presentation is an integral part of gastronomy, adding value to the product and overall service. Product presentation is another huge advantage of a counter pressure filler:
• The filler provides consistent and controlled filling levels, ensuring that guests always receive a consistent taste of the drink. This enhances the brand or establishment's image and attractiveness.
• Bartenders can create various cans or bottles of cocktails, expanding and streamlining their offerings for guests. With such cocktails, the drink menu becomes diverse, setting the overall presentation of the establishment apart from the competition.
For busy bars, investing in this technology is a huge advantage due to the efficiency and speed it can achieve in selling such drinks. Cocktails can be prepared beforehand, and the only thing a bartender in a busy establishment needs to do is serve a can with ice and interesting garnish to the guest.
The ability to remove damaging oxygen from cans or bottles is a huge advantage for mass processing. On Tuesday, a bartender can prepare 300 portions of a drink, which are sufficient until Saturday evening.
Once set up, the system is easy to use, reducing the time and effort required to manually fill multiple containers.
Types of counter pressure fillers
Fillers can be divided into two types of various categories. The first is based on size. The Cocktail Balance shop has two size options of 9 or 19 litre capacity. A 9-litre filler will fill 27 bottles or cans of 330 ml and 19-litre filler will fill 57 bottles or cans of 330 ml.
Bottles or Cans?
The second category is based on what types of container they fill - only bottles or both bottles and cans. The question of whether to use bottles or cans depends on your specific needs, as each has advantages and disadvantages.
The shelf life of a beverage filled using counter pressure technology depends on various factors including the type of beverage, the packaging material, and the storage conditions. In general, however, for carbonated beverages a properly sealed glass bottle can maintain its quality for 6 to 12 months, or even longer if stored in optimal conditions (cool, dark place). In cans, the shelf life of carbonated beverages is generally around 6 to 9 months. However, the quality can remain acceptable for up to a year if stored properly.
Advantages of bottles:
Premium Presentation: Glass bottles are often perceived as more premium, enhancing the perceived value of the beverage.
Transparency: Clear glass bottles allow customers to see the drink, which can be appealing for certain types of beverages.
Reusability: Glass bottles can be reused or recycled easily, making them more environmentally friendly.
Flavor Preservation: Glass is inert and does not impart any flavors to the beverage, preserving the intended taste.
Disadvantages of bottles:
Fragility: Glass bottles are more prone to breaking, which can lead to safety concerns and product loss.
Weight: Glass bottles are heavier, which increases transportation costs and makes them less convenient for on-the-go consumption.
Sealing: Proper sealing is crucial to maintain carbonation, and any defect in the bottle or cap can lead to loss of carbonation
Advantages of cans:
Durability: Cans are less likely to break compared to glass bottles, making them safer and more robust for transportation and handling.
Weight: Cans are lighter, reducing transportation costs and making them more convenient for consumers to carry.
Sealing: Cans are hermetically sealed, which is excellent for maintaining carbonation and extending shelf life.
Recyclability: Aluminum cans are highly recyclable and require less energy to recycle compared to glass.
Disadvantages of cans:
Perception: Cans may be perceived as less premium than glass bottles, potentially affecting the product’s image.
Flavor Impact: Although modern cans have protective linings, there can still be a perception that aluminum affects the taste of the beverage.
Limited Visibility: Cans do not allow consumers to see the beverage inside, which might be a downside for some drinks.
Long-tube or Nukatap
The third category is whether the filler is a long-tube filler or Nukatap filler, each has its own pros and cons.
Ease of Use: the long-tube filler requires more manual adjustments and experience to operate efficiently whereas the Nukatap filler is more user-friendly with automated features, making it easier for beginners.
Flexibility: the long-tube filler is more adaptable to various bottle sizes and shapes whereas the Nukatap filler is generally more standardized but highly efficient and ergonomic.
Design and Ergonomics: the long-tube filler has a traditional design focusing on flexibility and control whereas the Nukatap filler has a modern, compact design focusing on ease of use and efficiency.
Applications: the long-tube filler is ideal for artisanal producers and those requiring high flexibility whereas the Nukatap filler is suitable for a wide range of users, including larger operations due to its efficiency and ease of use.
Potential difficulties
There is also another side to the coin; acquiring such preparation technology comes with certain drawbacks. The biggest one might seem to be the initial investment, which, however, will be balanced by long-term profits.
When purchasing such a system, it's important for the establishment to have enough space for installation and operation. This can be problematic for smaller establishments.
Maintenance can pose another problem for operations. The filler requires regular cleaning and maintenance to function properly and adhere to hygiene standards. This makes maintenance a routine that establishments with a small number of employees may struggle to manage.
Proper training for operating the technology is essential. Errors during the process can lead to product loss and inconsistent taste. Therefore, proper training is necessary. However, there are few sources and people capable of providing such training for staff.
In short
Investing in counter pressure filler technology offers many advantages for bartenders and establishments. It preserves beverage quality, provides a professional and consistent product, and can be a cost-effective investment over time.
You can choose a variety of counter pressure fillers from our e-shop; please contact us if you need help deciding which types of counter pressure filler best suits your needs.
P.S.: We also provide professional staff training.
