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How adjustable is an old Meheen?

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  • How adjustable is an old Meheen?

    Hey all, we're contemplating a purchase of an older, 2006 -6 head Meheen. However there is a slight (relative term) difference in the size of longnecks that it was set up for and the size that we are going to use. From what I understand, and correct me if I'm wrong, that the height difference (2.39mm +/-) isn't and issue in terms of adjustment, but rather it's the width that I'm concerned with. Our longneck is 1.09 mm wider than what the machine is set up for. So if the bottles are touching as they pass under the filler heads, the outermost bottles will be spread out 2.725mm than what the machine is currently set for. Is there some type of screw or other adjustment mechanism for the filler heads for slight variability on a machine like this? Also, the manufacturers tolerance on the width of the bottle is (+1.57mm/-1.19mm). So in fact the difference could be a bit less or a bit more. Any comments would be appreciated.
    Tom N

  • #2
    Really no adjustments can be made. I might run smoothly on occasion but my guess is that you would be dealing with a lot of row shifts, bent fill tubes and capper bar bottle kicks and crushes.

    You really need to change your bottle to what Meheen originally built it for.

    Comment


    • #3
      Meheen adjustability

      Originally posted by Sauce View Post
      Really no adjustments can be made. I might run smoothly on occasion but my guess is that you would be dealing with a lot of row shifts, bent fill tubes and capper bar bottle kicks and crushes.

      You really need to change your bottle to what Meheen originally built it for.
      Thanks, I was afraid of that. I'm surprised that there is absolutely no adjustability to the machine, as all of the bottle manufacturers depict their bottle sizes with +/- tolerances. You would think that lot by lot, there might be some variability, thus causing filling issues if you're unable to adjust the machine?
      Tom

      Comment


      • #4
        By the way in inches...

        Just to be a bit more clear, the 2 outermost bottles would be 7/64 " off center, outwardly. The second bottles nearly 1/16 " off center (outwardly), and the innermost 2 bottles would be approximately 1/64 " off center.

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        • #5
          The railing on the sides are highly adjustable. The fill head holes and specially the crowner bar (which is one solid piece of SS) are made for exactly the bottle mold the machine was bought for. Have the company that is selling it run ten cases thru it if possible. If not it is a big gamble. It is a very picky machine. Cheers.
          Joel Halbleib
          Partner / Zymurgist
          Hive and Barrel Meadery
          6302 Old La Grange Rd
          Crestwood, KY
          www.hiveandbarrel.com

          Comment


          • #6
            You could also purchase a fill head and crowner that perfectly fits your bottle from Meheen. The rest of the machine stay's pretty much the same.

            mtn

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by BrewinLou View Post
              The railing on the sides are highly adjustable. The fill head holes and specially the crowner bar (which is one solid piece of SS) are made for exactly the bottle mold the machine was bought for. Have the company that is selling it run ten cases thru it if possible. If not it is a big gamble. It is a very picky machine. Cheers.
              Thanks so much!

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Mtnmann View Post
                You could also purchase a fill head and crowner that perfectly fits your bottle from Meheen. The rest of the machine stay's pretty much the same.

                mtn
                Thanks! However I don't think mahanes supports a machine that is this old. It is a 2006. There does seem to be more and more Meheens available right now that are newer though.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by stltom View Post
                  Thanks! However I don't think mahanes supports a machine that is this old. It is a 2006. There does seem to be more and more Meheens available right now that are newer though.

                  Have you talked to them? I'd bet money they would sell you what you need to convert any vintage to your bottle style. I've got a '99 and they've been very helpful with parts.

                  mtn

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Mtnmann View Post
                    Have you talked to them? I'd bet money they would sell you what you need to convert any vintage to your bottle style. I've got a '99 and they've been very helpful with parts.

                    mtn
                    Wow, when I called a couple of weeks ago, they said they don't support them that old.???

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Things may have changed at Meheen since the company was sold. Dave Meheen would answer the phone personally when he was still there. Now they are owned by the same company that owns Wild Goose. Not in any way a knock but just saying things have probably changed. Dave sent me change over parts for our line many years ago, but it was with hesitation, if he felt like you knew enough about the line he might, but he did not want to send parts to a customer that would cause them to hate his company b/c they did not know enough about the machine to perform the upgrade properly.
                      Joel Halbleib
                      Partner / Zymurgist
                      Hive and Barrel Meadery
                      6302 Old La Grange Rd
                      Crestwood, KY
                      www.hiveandbarrel.com

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by BrewinLou View Post
                        Things may have changed at Meheen since the company was sold. Dave Meheen would answer the phone personally when he was still there. Now they are owned by the same company that owns Wild Goose. Not in any way a knock but just saying things have probably changed. Dave sent me change over parts for our line many years ago, but it was with hesitation, if he felt like you knew enough about the line he might, but he did not want to send parts to a customer that would cause them to hate his company b/c they did not know enough about the machine to perform the upgrade properly.
                        Interesting. I do see both sides of the argument for supporting/not supporting re-sold product. On the one hand, you're in business to sell product that you make, and can't put food on the table if people are taking all of your time asking questions about product that technically they are not buying from you. On the other hand, I would think one of the strongest selling points for Meheens is that they maintain a lot of their value because of the strong aftermarket, and buyers can be comforted a bit by knowing that if they want to move up in equipment, they can recoup much of their cost for their first machine. Maybe it was just because of the age, (2006) and they've set a time limit on the support of older machines, which I could understand as well.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by stltom View Post
                          Hey all, we're contemplating a purchase of an older, 2006 -6 head Meheen. However there is a slight (relative term) difference in the size of longnecks that it was set up for and the size that we are going to use. From what I understand, and correct me if I'm wrong, that the height difference (2.39mm +/-) isn't and issue in terms of adjustment, but rather it's the width that I'm concerned with. Our longneck is 1.09 mm wider than what the machine is set up for. So if the bottles are touching as they pass under the filler heads, the outermost bottles will be spread out 2.725mm than what the machine is currently set for. Is there some type of screw or other adjustment mechanism for the filler heads for slight variability on a machine like this? Also, the manufacturers tolerance on the width of the bottle is (+1.57mm/-1.19mm). So in fact the difference could be a bit less or a bit more. Any comments would be appreciated.
                          Tom N
                          Hi Tom,

                          Thanks for your question. This machine was custom built for the specific bottle the original owner used, and that difference would exceed the tolerance of a change in diameter. We recommend using the same bottle as the original owner, but we understand this may not be feasible. Given the information you provided, it seems likely that this will require you to purchase change parts to accommodate the bottle you intend to use. Do you have the serial number of the unit in question and the drawings of your current bottle? If so, please give us a call and we will see how we can assist you. We can be reached at 720-406-7442.

                          Thank you!
                          Wild Goose-Meheen

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