The Smart Cap is a rugged polymer cap that forms a vapour tight seal encapsulating the head of a vertically stored spirits barrel.
This sealed cap both contains spirits that would normally evaporate through the head of the barrel and maintains a high humidity environment above the head preserving the natural sealing properties of the head staves and bung. The proprietary seal locks on to the exterior of the barrel just below the head hoop. The revolutionary seal technology actually expands with exposure to ethanol ensuring a positive seal on virtually any barrel.
Product Preservation and Quality
- Live testing showed an impressive 33% reduction in maturing losses*
- Smart Cap design enables a tight seal just below the head hoop creating a vapour tight enclosure above the head on virtually every 53-gallon (200l) barrel
- Cap constructed of organoleptically inert materials
- Testing shows no organoleptic impact on product
- Polymer cap protects barrel head from dust and foreign material improving GMP’s
- No direct contact with product
- *Use of a wooden bung in the barrel head recommended to ensure maximum evaporation savings.
Quality Construction
- Heavy duty polymer construction suitable for virtually any maturing environment including wide variations in both temperature and humidity
- Proprietary seal on exterior of barrel expands with exposure to alcohol forming a vapour tight seal on virtually any barrel
- Three different seal depths allow the Smart Cap to conform to a broad range of variations in barrel dimensions
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Advanced Material Handling
- Scored upper surface ensures stability in handling and storage
- Flexible polymer resists cracking, impact damage and conforms to irregularities in barrel construction
- Smart Cap designed to facilitate automation on barrel drain and fill lines
- Bung hole access closure designed for easy manual or mechanical removal and replacement
- Facilitates tagging for RFID or manual identification
Smart Business
- Dramatically increase product yields
- Improved yields reduce required barrel inventory, reduce barrel handling and warehousing requirements
- Reduced cooperage costs – protects the very significant investment in barrels through recovery and use of barrels with poor heads or poorly formed bung holes
- Extends life of empty barrels stored by preserving moisture in head and protecting from the elements
- Smart Cap will pay for itself quickly and pay substantial dividends for many years to come
Environmental Sustainability
- Reduces VOC emissions by 33%*
- Extends life of barrel and reduces CO2 emissions associated with barrel disposal
- Reduces CO2 emissions associated with spirit production by 3.3% through reduction in total maturing barrel inventory with greater product yields per barrel
- Product is 100% reusable and recyclable
- Reduces energy consumption associated with barrel handling and transportation through reduction in barrels handled
* See test data
European Business Magazine
Interview with Mark McKale, President of Innovative Distilling Technologies
After my early retirement I set out to develop a product that would significantly reduce evaporation without affecting the spirit maturation. After years of development with mold makers, spirits consultants and partnering distilleries the Smart Cap was born.
Contact
Mark McKale
President | Owner
J. Dan Demarco, P.Eng.
Technical Director
