Looking for a Bottle filler

[leftturndistilling]

Hi All !!... I'm looking for a bottle filling machine , at this point I will look at just about anything !!... I will be doing my first bottling in a couple of weeks, and still haven't nailed down a filler ... So if you have one kicking around or in the corner that you no longer use let me know ..... Thanxxx...Brian

[jeffw]

Enolmatic cheap fix at least for now to get you started. You can get from St. Pats among others.

[GeekSpirits]

I was just talking to these guys today. I will probably go with them.

http://www.xpressfill.com/volumetric-filler#XF460

[Lenny]

Those xpressfill machines work well. I want to say it's about at 4 week lead time on them though. If you're in a pinch, I can lend you an enolmatic filler. It's kind of a turd, but it works, and if you're heading up this way anytime soon...

[nick jones]

Hi All !!... I'm looking for a bottle filling machine , at this point I will look at just about anything !!... I will be doing my first bottling in a couple of weeks, and still haven't nailed down a filler...

Brian,

If you're going to buy new, I'd recommend the bare bones Mori tabletop (I bet a 4 head would be plenty big enough for you). TCW equipment had a good price on it last I checked.

I've never used the xpressfill or the enolmatic, but the complexity of those fillers has always given me pause. It's hard to find a pump that requires less maintenance than good ol' gravity...

Good luck!

Nick

[leftturndistilling]

Those xpressfill machines work well. I want to say it's about at 4 week lead time on them though. If you're in a pinch, I can lend you an enolmatic filler. It's kind of a turd, but it works, and if you're heading up this way anytime soon...

. Thanxxx a bunch Lenny,!!!.... Probably wont be up for a couple of months..... But I do appreciate it... Are you using an express fill now???

[Lenny]

Yeah, Brian. I'm using the two head xpress fill (your welcome to come on up and help fill bottles on it ). We never bottle more than 30g at a time so the 4 head seemed excessive.

To Nicks point about the Mori filler... totally agree with the benefit of a more simple filler, but we just didn't have the space. The xpress is substantially smaller.

The enolmatic isn't a bad way to get started for sake of shorter lead time, and having a backup incase a more robust filler ever fails.

[CopperPig]

I am using an xpress fill 4 head, and love it. The compact size of it makes it ideal if you aren't bottling often, or if you just don't want to have to deal with giving up daily space to something else. If you want something else or a MORI, TCW is a great company...if you want to grab an xpress fill, call them direct and buy direct from them--saves you $200. Since you are in ABQ (my folks are retired there) have you any experience using race label?

[leftturndistilling]

Thanxx for the replys... Copper ... I will be using a race labeler ...I have been over to his facility and checked his machines out ... pretty cool .... thanxxx...Brian

[Dehner Distillery]

I have a race labeler, and an express fill...... I love them both!

[nabtastic]

Has anyone got verifiable bottling filling capacity? website claims 470 (750ml) bottles per hour, in a 6 hour shift could you actually get 2800 bottles filled? Also, how much if any product is wasted in cleaning and operation?

[Wayward]

I just purchased an Xpressfill 2 bottle Volumetric filler. Cheap at under 2k Canadian delivered. Delivery time under a month.

I went with them because of the transfer kit. I can wheel a blending tank over, drop the hose in and have the filler pump direct.

The posted time is 40 seconds for 750ml, two bottles at a time, plenty of capacity for me.

[Max Action]

Please keep in mind a lot of these wine fillers use PVC hose that isn't rated for high proof spirits. Even though they might tell you it's "food grade" it could still be prone to leaching chemicals into your product. We purchased a filler from XpressFill and we specifically requested they construct it with braided polyethylene tubing rather than their usual PVC.

[MichaelAtTCW]

I noticed we get a lot of people coming to our website from this page looking for the Mori filler. The link above is stale since we changed our website to allow online ordering. Here's where you can find info about the Mori filler now. It comes in a few different configurations.

The bare-bones Mori filler is fed by gravity, and dispenses by gravity. Super simple.

Some of our customers can't feed their fillers by gravity because of the layout of their facility or the placement of their tanks. They need a pump to feed the filler. For that reason we designed an upgrade to the Mori filler with distilleries in mind. It runs completely on compressed air, uses PVC-free dairy tubing to feed the reservoir, and pumps liquid into the filler via a groundable, explosion-proof air diaphragm pump. It has an air-driven reservoir level sensor that detects when the level of the reservoir is depleted, and kicks on the pump to replenish it.

If you're bottling low-proof spirits and don't need a totally air-driven system, we have an electronic level control + pump for the Mori filler that works great and is a little cheaper.

Xpressfill is a great choice as well. Good folks, and good support. Many of our customers have been very happy with their Xpressfill fillers.

[agporte]

Michael - What is the reservoir capacity (volume) on the gravity fed Mori unit? Also, if there are any elastomers or tubing, what are they made of? Lastly, what is the fill rate for the 4 and 6 spout units?

[MichaelAtTCW]

Michael - What is the reservoir capacity (volume) on the gravity fed Mori unit? Also, if there are any elastomers or tubing, what are they made of? Lastly, what is the fill rate for the 4 and 6 spout units?

Hi Agporte,

There are two sizes of Mori fillers: 4-spout and 6-spout. The 4-spout filler has a reservoir capacity of about 11.2 gallons. The 6-spout filler has a reservoir capacity of approximately 16.4 gallons.

There is no tubing on the gravity feed unit. The fill nozzles are all stainless steel, and the liquid input is through a stainless steel ball valve with 3/4" hose barb. You can use any 3/4" ID tubing you like to connect your tank to the filler. We normally use polypropylene tubing when we build the air-driven or electronic level control fillers.

With regard to other elastomers, there are a few o-rings on the fill nozzles made of EPDM, one seal made of buna, and the "nozzle cone" -- the cone that rests against the lip of the bottle, made of silicone. The latter two have no/minimal contact with the liquid, but have good compatibility with alcohol nonetheless.

Assuming standard 750 ml bottles, fill rates are approximately eight bottles per minute on the 4-spout and twelve bottles per minute on the 6-spout.

[agporte]

Hi Agporte,

There are two sizes of Mori fillers: 4-spout and 6-spout. The 4-spout filler has a reservoir capacity of about 11.2 gallons. The 6-spout filler has a reservoir capacity of approximately 16.4 gallons.

There is no tubing on the gravity feed unit. The fill nozzles are all stainless steel, and the liquid input is through a stainless steel ball valve with 3/4" hose barb. You can use any 3/4" ID tubing you like to connect your tank to the filler. We normally use polypropylene tubing when we build the air-driven or electronic level control fillers.

With regard to other elastomers, there are a few o-rings on the fill nozzles made of EPDM, one seal made of buna, and the "nozzle cone" -- the cone that rests against the lip of the bottle, made of silicone. The latter two have no/minimal contact with the liquid, but have good compatibility with alcohol nonetheless.

Assuming standard 750 ml bottles, fill rates are approximately eight bottles per minute on the 4-spout and twelve bottles per minute on the 6-spout.

Awesome thanks!

Last question. Do you have dimensions for both of the tabletop units (4 & 6 Spout)? I need to make sure I'll have enough space on my table.

[MichaelAtTCW]

Awesome thanks!

Last question. Do you have dimensions for both of the tabletop units (4 & 6 Spout)? I need to make sure I'll have enough space on my table.

Yep, the dimensions for the tabletop units are as follows (W x D x H):

Tabletop 4-spout: 780 x 410 x 920 mm (30.7 x 16.1 x 36.2 inches)

Tabletop 6-spout: 1100 x 410 x 920 mm ( 43.3 x 16.1 x 36.2 inches)

[kckadi]

Michael, Is there a calibration adjustment for flow/level on bottle filling for the Mori?

[MichaelAtTCW]

Michael, Is there a calibration adjustment for flow/level on bottle filling for the Mori?

The Mori is a level filler. It fills to a consistently repeatable level. You can adjust the fill level by adjusting the shelf the bottle rests on. Move the shelf up for a lower fill level in the bottle. Move the shelf down for a higher fill level in the bottle.

With regard to calibrating flow rate, no. It's a very simple gravity filler. The flow rate is determined by the head pressure from the reservoir relative to the opening in the stainless steel nozzle that the product flows through. I've not heard of problems with flow rate being too fast or too slow, so perhaps that's one reason they're so popular amongst our customers.

[Rum]

The Mori is a level filler. It fills to a consistently repeatable level. You can adjust the fill level by adjusting the shelf the bottle rests on. Move the shelf up for a lower fill level in the bottle. Move the shelf down for a higher fill level in the bottle.

Michael - a few questions:

How adjustable is the shelf? Does it only adjust in increments based on the holes I see on the sides? Or is there a way to fine tune it more? If only the holes, how large is the minimum increment for adjustment?

At what proof of spirit would you recommend the air pump?

How do you recommend cleaning the unit (reservoir in particular) after bottling a product with strong flavors? Is there a drain on the bottom of the reservoir?

[MichaelAtTCW]

How adjustable is the shelf? Does it only adjust in increments based on the holes I see on the sides? Or is there a way to fine tune it more? If only the holes, how large is the minimum increment for adjustment?

Hi Troy. The adjustment increments are 5/16 of an inch apart. At one point we had the option of a micro-adjustable nozzle for fine-tuning, but of the hundreds of Mori Fillers we've sold I can count the number of users who got that option on one hand. Most everyone preferred the simplicity of the standard nozzle. I'd have to ask Mori if they're still able to manufacture the micro-tune nozzle.

At what proof of spirit would you recommend the air pump?

This is a tough question because the factors that go into it are not just dictated by the proof of the alcohol, but by things like local regulations, policies and procedures at your facility, personal tolerance for risk, etc. Most distilled spirits start to become flammable at around 80 proof, but there's more to it than that. Rather than recommending the pneumatic filler at a particular proof, I present the option to the customer and let them determine whether they feel comfortable and are compliant using the electric level control or if they need the air-driven level control. Is that evasive enough for you?

How do you recommend cleaning the unit (reservoir in particular) after bottling a product with strong flavors? Is there a drain on the bottom of the reservoir?

One of the things people like about the Mori is that all the wetted parts are stainless, with the exception of some EPDM & Nitrile seals, so anything you'd normally use on stainless is fair game: citric, hot proxy soak, Star-san, PBW, etc.

There is a drain at the bottom of the reservoir. The inlet to the reservoir is a ball valve. It can be opened for draining, or removed entirely. Additionally, all the nozzles come out of the bottom of the reservoir, and they are completely removable as well. So for cleaning you can leave the nozzles on, or remove the nozzles and break them down for a soak.