When I graduated from university and moved into my own place, the only house I could afford was right near a manufacturing plant. At first, I thought living in the industrial part of the city would be a nightmare, but it actually turned out to be fascinating. I quickly developed an interest in industrial equipment and supplies, and spent many evenings walking around the factories to get a better look at what was going on inside. Since then, I've moved to a quiet part of the city, but my interest in industry never waned. Since I don't have the luxury of being able to visit the industrial district anymore, I thought I'd do the next best thing--start a blog about it!
Craft beers, once the preserve of wealthy hipsters and the occasional monastery, have exploded in popularity in the 21st century, and running a craft brewery can be a very lucrative business. However, demand for unique craft ales is so high that many breweries find themselves creating more beer than they can safely store, and creating new cold-storage spaces is a constant headache for many expanding breweries.
Constructing a dedicated cold storage room for your beers can be hideously expensive, and may not be possible at all if you can't get permission from the requisite planning authorities. Hiring refrigerated shipping containers (commonly known as 'reefer' containers) as temporary cold storage spaces is often a much better option. Here are five reasons why reefer containers can be the perfect solution to your beer storage problems:
1. Inexpensive to hire
Hiring a refrigerated shipping container from a shipping container hire service can be considerably cheaper than constructing a new cold storage room, even if you need to hire your containers for extended periods. Most container hire services offer discounts for long-term hire periods, and hiring several shipping containers for months or even years at a time can still be more cost-effective than constructing a permanent cool room.
2. Various sizes available
Reefer containers come in a variety of sizes, from small, cube-shaped containers to robust, extended containers designed to protect large amounts of cargo on long sea voyages. This allows you to hire a reefer container that will fit into whatever limited space you have available in and around your brewery. If you only need a relatively small amount of storage space, hiring a smaller container allows you to keep your beer cool without wasting money refrigerating empty, unused storage space.
3. Highly durable
Reefer containers are far more robust and durable than other temporary storage options -- after all, they were designed to put up with the driving rains and lashing winds of the open ocean. A reefer container can be safely placed in an exposed area without worrying about leaks or damage, and it will shrug off mild accidental collisions with vehicles such as forklifts.
4. Minimal construction work required
Building a cold storage room is a complicated and time-consuming process, and it can be many months before the extra cold storage space you need comes online. Reefer containers come pre-assembled and generally require minimal ground preparation before they can be situated at your brewery. You may need to build some concrete foundations if the ground your brewery is built on is particularly soft or water-logged, but in many cases, a container can be placed directly on bare earth as long as it is firm and level.
5. Highly secure
Reefer containers are also highly secure, with their thick steel walls and heavy door locks designed to resist the attentions of dedicated cargo thieves at large commercial docks. Even the most well-equipped beer thieves will have a lot of trouble breaking into your container to steal your products.