BRENDA
BRENDA JOINS US WITH TIPS ON HOW YOU CAN BUDGET FOR YOUR HOLIDAY SPENDING .
>> FIRST AND I, MAINE HAS A
WELL-EARNED REPUTATION AS A
CRAFT 4@BREWING MECCA FOR BEER
AND HARD CIDER FANS,4@ 4@THE
OPPORTUNITIES SEEM ENDLESS .
>>4@ BUT FOR SMALLER BREWERS,
GETTING PRODUCTS TO THE
CUSTOMERS CAN PRESENT
CHALLENGES,4@ THAT'S WHERE
COMPANY LIKE IRON HEART CANNING
COMES IN, BRING IN TECHNOLOGY
AND MACHINERY RIGHT TO THEIR
DOOR .
>> IT'S KIND OF LOUD4@ BUT WE
WILL RUN THROUGH IT4@.
>> Reporter: A ONE-MAN BAND
WHEN IT COMES TO HIS BUSINESS
IN NEW GLOUCESTER.
>> HE IS THE FOUNDER, THE
OWNER, THE JACK OF ALL TRADES4@
>> HE'S BEEN MAKING HARD CIDER
FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS.4@
4@ >> STARTED OUT REAL MODEST
DOING ALL HIS OWN PRESSING4@ AN
BOTTLING IN LARGER FORMAT
BOTTLES, BOTTLING BY HAND IS
DEFINITELY A LABOR INTENSIVE
PROCESS. ONCE WE SIGNED UP WITH
BOTTLES, BOTTLING BY HAND IS DEFINITELY A LABOR INTENSIVE PROCESS. ONCE WE SIGNED UP WITH@
THE DISTRIBUTOR, WE REALLY
STARTED GROWING OUR VOLUME AND
A COUPLE YEARS AGO WE
TRANSITIONED, JUST LIKE
EVERYBODY ELSE4@4@ .
>> THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AT THE
MOMENT IS WAY OUT OF HIS
WHEELHOUSE.4@
THAT'S WHERE IRON HEART CANNING
SHOWED UP, THEY SHOULD UP WITH
THE TECHNOLOGY, MACHINERY AND
EFFI4@CIENCY OF A MOBILE CANNIN
LINE .
>> IT REALLY TAKES A LOT OF 4@T
BURDEN4@ OF EXPERTISE AND
EQUIPMENT OFF OF ME4@4@ AND, IT
REALLY ALLOWS ME TO FOCUS ON
WHAT I DO AND WHAT I STARTED
DOING, ACTUALLY MAKING CIDER4@
>> THAT'S A BIG DEAL FOR THIS
OPERATION.4@4@ NOR IN VEGAS CID
HAS BEEN4@ ROLLING OFF THE
ASSEMBLY LINE ONCE A MONTH OR
SO FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
>> AND, THE PRODUCT IS NOW
AVAILABLE ACROSS THE MOST OF
MAINE.
THE WORK BEGINS WELL BEFORE
IRON HEART SHOWS UP4@4@ CANS,
HOLDERS, CASE TRAYS AND LIDS
ARE ALL SHIPPED AHEAD OF TIME
TO THE LOCATION.4@
>> BUT, CANNING A PRODUCT, EVEN
ON A SMALL SCALE REQUIRES A LOT
OF EQUIPMENT.4@
SOMETHING MOST SMALL BREWERS
COULDN'T POSSIBLY AFFORD OR
OPERATE4@ .
>> THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING
PARTS TO MAKE THIS GO WELL4@ .
>> MOVING PARTS INDEED,4@ WHAT
PULLS OUT OF THIS TRUCK SEEMS
TO MAGICALLY FIT INTO A SMALL
SPACE, IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING
OUT OF A SCIENCE LAB .
>> EACH PART OF THE LINE4@ IS
ROLLED INTO PLACE, SECURED AND
CONNECTED THIS TEAM IS A WELL
4@ OILED MACHINE4@ .
>> PULLING CANS IN A SINGLE
FILE, DOWN TO A DOUBLE HELIX,
AND THERE IT GETS SANITIZED
UPSIDE DOWN AND GETS PUT BACK U@
AND READY FOR CANNING ON THE
CANNING LINES.
WE HAVE A CO2 PURGE THAT BLOWS
OUT OXYGEN THEN THE FILLER HAS
COME DOWN AND FILLS THE CANS UP
TO THE LEVEL THAT WE SPECIFIED,
AND THEN4@ WE HAVE THE LABELER4
>> DON'T TELL MY BOSS.
I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO CUT THESE.4
>> Reporter: ANTHONY CARUSO
JOINED IRON HEART, BRING TO THE
JOB OF BACKGROUND IN BOTH
ENGINEERING AND BREWING4@4@4@4@
THE PRODUCT AS BEST WE CAN, SO,
JUST TRYING TO PACKAGE IT AS
BEST WE CAN TO MAKE IT TASTE
GOOD A MONTH FROM NOW.
YOU KNOW, YOU'VE OPENED UP4@
THREE MONTHS LATER AND IT STILL
TASTES GOOD.
THERE IS SOME SATISFACTION THAT
THIS WAS CAN PROPERLY .
>> ONCE THE PROCESS IS
UNDERWAY, THE TEAM KEEPS TRACK
OF MACHINERY,4@ MONITORS SPILL
LEVELS, KEEPS AN EYE AND EVERY
PART OF THE PROCESS TO MAKE
SURE IT IS SEAMLESS.
ONCE OFF THE LINE, THE CANS ARE
PACKED,4@ AND STACKED.
TODAY'S WORK YIELD4@S 160 CASES
EACH OF TWO FLAVORS OF CIDER,
READY FOR DISTRIBUTION4@ .
>>4@4@ SEEING THE RESULT, FATHE
SON, HUSBAND WIFE, FAMILY OWNED.
THIS IS LIFE THE LIFE IN THE
FACILITY, AND, THEY WANT TO GET
IT RIGHT AND WE WANT TO GET IT
RIGHT FOR THEM.4@
IT'S REALLY A WHOLE PACKAGE
THAT ALLOWS YOU AS A SMALL
PRODUCER TO REALLY SWING WELL
ABOVE YOUR WEIGHT4@ AND, LOOK
LIKE YOU ARE A LOT BIGGER THAN
YOU ARE4@ .
>> IRON HEART CANNING BASED IN
MANCHESTER NEW HAMPSHIRE
STARTED OFF WITH 12 PEOPLE, NOW
THEY RUN MOBILE CANNING LINES
ACROSS THE EAST COAST, AND AS
FAR INLAND AS CHICAGO.4@
THEY WILL OFTEN ALSO WORK WITH
LARGE WELL-KNOWN BREWERS,
PERHAPS RUNNING A SMALL BATCH
OF NEW PRODUCT THAT THE BREWER
MIGHT WANT TO TRY