Applied Bottling

[cobrewer]

What are your experiences with Applied Bottling?

[fatty_matty]

VERY mixed.

In theory their machine fitted the bill for what we wanted,the price was reasonable etc etc.

In practice, LONG in fact HUGE delays, equipment not up to specs, no manuals, needed to buy extras and Applied Bottling very hard to get hold of. Almost felt I was being avoided.

In conclusion after alot of playing around and modification our bottler is working as it should have originally.

On reflection I would be more tempted to buy a 2nd hand machine from another brewer as it should be working (they'll hopefully educate you in how to run it properly) or if it's crap you can always chase them up. Good luck trying to chase up Applied Bottling!!!


There where threads on the probrewer.com forums discussing applied bottling in detail ( with not much positivity I may add ) that seemed to have, "disappeared". I suspect they might even be reading this as they have a probrewer.com account.....

Good Luck.

[Sulfur]

Stand by

Hi! We just received a new tabletop semi-auto double filler from them last week. Finally. Was delayed in getting here, but am just glad it got here. Will be testing it all week and will definitely report here. I don't understand why those other threads disappeared. That would be a clear case of censorship abuse if they were taken off. One other thing, we also ordered a bottle rinser but that was only half delivered, basically only the block with no heads etc. Am hoping to get the rest of the parts soon! They have not answered my email, they only sometimes do. As was said above, if the machine does what is promised, then I will be happy. But man, why the all the headache?!

[NJBeer]

Complete Garbage

Do not purchase their products. We ordered one in February, it was due by the end of March, it got here July 7th or so. At best, it works for 2 hours, then craps out for two hours at about half the advertised speed. We've already had 2 sensors short out and spent about $1500 on additional equipment to make it work (huge air compressor, beverage pump to feed it, etc). We had to CUT a brand-new fill tube to get it to the right size for our 12 oz longnecks. We waste a ton of beer on partially filled bottles that we can't sell. They are difficult to get hold of and like to blame everything on you.

[cobrewer]

Still waiting

Almost 2 years of waiting for a machine that has been paid for. Applied bottling can not be trusted, and should not be allowed to advertise on this site.

[Sulfur]

asi es

We have yet to go into bottle production....having to retool one of the fill heads. Issues so far:

-machine came late
-machine had welds broken on fill bowl, we had to re-weld back to frame!
-software for PLC was out of date, had to download and install new version. As it was, the machine did not cycle through on the continuous mode. One then asks oneself if the machine was even checked before it was shipped.
-one of main bolts for filler head was missing, had to go and hunt down here at local shop.
-2 of the sensor wires were in backwards, leading to missfill. Was this not checked?? Found out after talking to their technician who keyed me in on how to resolve. At least I can talk to the technician.
-solenoid valve burnt out in water trials. They have sent us a new one.
-very little documentation in "manual".
-the bottle rinser is grossly overpriced for what it does
-of the two fill heads, one works, the other has a piston that will not retract smoothly. We are reboring the block and installing our own piston that retracts pneumatically instead of spring actuated (the installed piston was pneumatic in and spring back).

You can judge for yourselves. To be fair, they have been taking our calls now and did send us replacement parts. But that shouldn't have to be the case for a "new" filler...Also, another brewery bought the same model we did and they are using it successfully. So it is possible to get this going. I assume we will be filling by end of this week or next week. Finally.

[PRFBrewer]

Applied Bottling

I am at my wits end with Applied. Ordered unit in April - still no unit.

I am discouraged - I have even talked a lawyer from their neck of the woods. They promise - then don't deliver.

What other alternatives are out there for a single head filler to do low volume 22 oz bottling?

I am using a Blichmann - which sucks beyond belief...

If the unit does arrive - I am wondering how much $$$ on my part will it take to get operational.

Very disturbed

Scott

[PRFBrewer]

Applied - Update

So, I called today after I posted and I was told the unit was crated and that my broker and shipping company were picking up on Thursday
We will see...

On a more positive note - Jeff Gunn at IDD - easy transaction for my new keg washer!!

Scott

[Rosie]

Just like to weigh in on this one. I must say that I am also disappointed that constructive posts seem to keep disappearing on ProBrewer.

We bought a singled head filler off of Applied about 3 years ago. It was apparent that it too had never been tested and that it was pretty much a prototype machine. In the end, we had to re-plumb and add a couple things to actually fill bottles of beer with it.

I will say that when we did have the issues, the guys there did answer our phone calls that we even got them to do a couple page manual for the thing. I will also say that when we went with an additional size bottle, we were able to get the guides cut and sent on relatively painlessly.

In the end it was probably good that the machine didn't work out of the box, cause it forced us to learn it inside out and have since made further improvements to it. Doesn't sound like we are alone there. YMMV...

[BeerIan]

Applied Bottling are thieves and liars.
Nearly 3 years after full payment and there is still no working machine .. only a vague promise of "loan us some money to help the company out and we will get your machine running".... ?????????
gear was very late and is still only half complete, terrrible build quality, they avoid calls for months at a time.
Applied Bottling are thieves and liars.

[DXY_JW]

Frustration with Applied Bottling Machine

We've had pretty much all of the problems that everyone has mentioned with the machine we bought from Applied Bottling:
Late Delivery
Machine was not fully assembled and with insufficient documentation to complete the assembly.
Parts were damaged
We haven't been able to get our machine to function and have experienced more than a lack of cooperation from Applied Bottling.
We are at a point now where we are willing offer a consulting fee to anyone who believes they have the knowledge and/or experience to help us get this thing running. The model is an AFDC-1-2 V1.

If you think you can help, please post accordingly and we will figure out a suitable contact method. We are willing to make it worth your while.

[gdanlee]

Applied ranks below Bubonic Plague in my book

Hello folks,

I put a more detailed description of my recent dealings with Applied Bottling on the other thread on this topic, but I wanted to make sure folks didn't miss out on learning from my misery. I have worked for small companies and very large companies during my almost 20 year professional career...not all of it in the beer industry. I can say without hesitation, that dealing with Applied Bottling has been the worst experience I've ever had with any supplier, partner, vendor etc...

The ownership of Applied has consistently avoided our calls and also outright lied on several occasions. I am very careful to write the last statement, because I understand the implications, but I have email proof of multiples lies over the course of the past 7 months.

Please read the details in the other thread.

Dan Lee
Owner - Odin Brewing Company
Seattle WA

[The Ciderman]

Mutual struggle

Hello, i'm having many probs with Applied bottling, they have take all of my money and fail to deliver as per contract, additionally they made no reply to my attorneys letter. I have even requested my money back since nothing is done and I have nothing. If anyone has or has been in a similar predictiment with regard to this company please contact me, we could all help eachother out. Thanks

[liammckenna]

Wow.

What a thread. Sad and frustrating to say the least.

Anyone started legal proceedings with them? Not just letters from lawyers but lawsuits (small claims or otherwise)?

Anyone contacted the regional municipality in which they operate? Contacted local authorities?

Anyone called inspectors of various sorts to their facilities? Better Business bureau, fraud squad, tax department, TTB, etc. etc.

I have never dealt with these obvious fools, but I've dealt with similar over the years. Harass them. They're screwing you. Screw them in return.

Call them everyday. Call the mayor of their town everyday. Find out the names of the principals. Find out where they live. Send mail to their houses. Constantly. Registered letters require a signature of receipt. Show up on their doorstep at 7 o'clock at night.

Anger can be a great source of inspiration if you harness it well.

I hope someone other than me finds some vindictive pleasure by f*#king them where they live.

Don't they advertise on this forum?

It sounds like they should not be in this business.

Obviously.

Liam

[froptus]

I just found out that Applied Bottling will be closing it's doors by the end of the month and the product line is being sold to another company.