Unit 6 Bottle Washing & Inspection Flashcards
What are the pre-filling checks that should be carried out?
Spirit supply in specification
Spirit temperature correct
Filling level under control
For bottling, filling tubes are set correctly
On line fill checks calibrated and operating
Heads filling evenly
Steady supply of containers to fill
Continuous operation
Consistent filling performance
Clean filler
What are the rules of filler installations?
Ensure filler is properly rinsed. (once a week minimum)
Purge all pipework and filler with cold water form the tank which is providing the spirit.
Isolate the filler
Change to spirit & displace all water with spirit up to the valve isolating the filler.
Blow out all water from the filler with the gas being used for filling. (usually air or CO2) Allow pressure to build up three to four times to ensure filler is emptied of water.
Bring spirit gently into the filler against the filling pressure - pump now required.
Having set the filler up in preparation for filling, it is then normal to remove at least the first two rounds off the filler to ensure that there will be no diluted spirit going to market.
What is the purpose of empty bottle inspection?
that it meets the requirements of:
Clean inside & out
Contain no foreign objects
Are undamaged
Features of empty bottle inspection.
Can be done either by eye or by shining a light beam through the bottle to see if there is a display of shadows.
What is the procedure for empty inspections (bottles)
Ensure that empty bottle inspection and that the reject system is effective and that the relevant records are kept.
Ensure bottle washing/rinsing and plant hygiene procedures are effective
Maintain a system of handling customer complaints
What is the purpose of full bottle inpection?
To check that the full bottles from the filler/crowners meet the requirements of:
Filled with the right volume
Are undamaged.
This can be done manually by eye or electronically. By beam light.
What are the key parameters for brown/white spirits?
ABV, Colour (where applicable) haze, pH and nose
What are key areas to monitor?
Filling volume
Teardown checks, monitor appearance and integrity of secondary packaging
- Brand, volume and ABV
Product code for traceability
Labels in alignment and unscuffed, closures not rusty or scratched.
Organisational design
What is quality management a continuous cycle of?
Monitoring
Evaluate trends and non conformances
Implement corrective and improvement actions, to achieve continuous improvement.
