Tradition-steeped Edelweiss brewery modernises its bottle cellar

The Edelweissbrauerei Farny brewery has been brewing its exquisite Allgäuer beers since 1833. With an output of around 100,000 hl, the brewery focuses principally on its wheat beers, which account for six out of its eleven beer brands.
For lasting modernisation of this mid-tier brewery, the autumn of 2007 saw an entirely new bottling hall go into operation, rated at 25,000 bph. Farny has entrusted the job to Krones, relying on the range of machinery Krones has designed in particular for the low and medium output range. The line incorporates a single-end bottle washer from the KES series, whose loop configuration permits a long dwell time of the bottles in the baths. The label removal system has been specifically designed for the line speed involved. The machine also excels in terms of gentle container transport, particularly at the container infeed and discharge. The Linatronic inspector checks that the empty bottles have been properly cleaned. High-resolution cameras with IRIS inspection technology monitor base and sealing surface. A HF/IR unit checks the presence of residual liquid. The electro-pneumatic filler Mecafill VKPV is designed for filling beer. The double pre-evacuation feature provides low-oxygen conditions in the bottles. This filling concept meets all requirements for filling wheat beers with a relatively high CO2 content of up to 9 g/l.
The Prontomatic labeller, the Checkmat inspection units for fill level, label placement and closure position and the full crate inspection unit make up a modern concept geared to the individual needs of the speciality brewery.