Ask The Brewmasters

  • 1.  Rust on crowns

    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous
    Posted 08-17-2017 11:08
    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

    ​Has anyone ever had issues with rust forming around the bottom of a crown? It's happening the entire circumference on multiple crown manufacturers. We pasteurize so it seems the crowner is stripping the coating from that area of the crown then the exposed metal rusts once it meets the water and chemicals. Our crimps are between a 1.129-1.131. What would you look at beyond the crowner throats? Thank you in advance!


  • 2.  RE: Rust on crowns

    Posted 08-17-2017 17:56
    This wouldn't be the first time that crown rusting was a result of faulty crown liners.  Check with the manufacturer.  I don't know if crowns are manufactured in North America, Mexico, or Off Shore but it is suspect when crowns produce rust.

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    James Holden
    Brewing Consultant
    Retired but Busy
    jholden007@hotmail.com
    Canada/US/Mexico
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Rust on crowns

    Posted 08-18-2017 21:34
    A crown can develop rust at the bottom of its crimped flutes if they are not free of water or beer when packaged. This occurs because the varnish that is applied to the metal plate from which the crown is punched is damaged when the crown is formed. There is no economical way for crown manufacturers to apply a second varnish coating to this section of the crown. The solution to your rusting problem lies with removal of the liquid after pasteurization. Also, if the chemical balance is off in the pasteurizer's water zones rusting can be accelerated.

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    Steven Presley
    Brewmaster A-BI (retired)
    Napa CA
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Rust on crowns

    Posted 08-18-2017 16:57
    Rust on crowns is definitely not an unusual issue.  We see it frequently.  I see various issues going on in different breweries.  Some breweries have crowners that do some serious gouging of the crowns, others do very little.  I am not an expert in the area of crowns, but I do know a fair amount about pasteurizer water.  When a bottle enters a pasteurizer (or a warmer) with a heavily scored crown, it is difficult, but definitely not impossible to prevent corrosion.

    In the pasteurizer, the corrosion protection issues come down to your pasteurizer water chemistry, pasteurizer treatment chemistry, delivery and control of that treatment program in the pasteurizer water, pasteurizer discharge temperatures, and finally the presence of absence of blowers after the pasteurizer.  Without much more information, I can't tell you which of those (or which combination of those) issues it may be.

    Having said all of this, I would be happy to chat with you about this in detail if you would like.  Feel free to contact me at any time.  My email is rickb@chemtreat.com

    Regards,

    Rick

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    Rick Brundage
    Director Thermal Processing
    ChemTreat Inc
    Powhatan VA
    (804) 935-2000
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    Original Message


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