Liquid Nitrogen Dosing and Inerting
- What is Nitrogen Dosing?
- The method of pressurizing low or non carbonated beverages and liquids is often refereed to as nitrogen dosing. However, some other manufacturers may refer to their products as LN2 (Liquid Nitrogen) drippers, droppers, or injectors. Each machine will perform basically the same function, placing a small amount of liquid nitrogen into the headspace of the container between the filling and capping points.
- How Does it Work?
- Liquid Nitrogen will expand to its gas form when released into the atmosphere. The actual volume of the gas will be in the order of 700 times the volume in its liquid state. Therefore, if we place a small amount of liquid in the headspace of a container just before the capping point the liquid will still be expanding once the lid is sealed. As the liquid changes to gas its volume will increase thereby giving the container a pressure.
- Why should I consider it?
- allows you to lightweight your bottles.
- Improve long term flavor as expanding nitrogen displaces headspace oxygen.
- Enables double stacking of pallets.
- Enable reliable vending machine delivery of non carbonates.
- Improves labeling and multi packing operations as bottles are hard.
- What is Inerting?
- Inerting is a way of displacing oxygen in your container and replacing it with nitrogen gas. This is achieved by dosing a pre determined amount of liquid nitrogen into either your empty container prior to filling or into the headspace post filler.
- How Does Inerting Work?
- Liquid Nitrogen will expand to its gas form when released into the atmosphere. The actual volume of the gas will be in the order of 700 times the volume in its liquid state. Therefore, if we place a small amount of liquid in the empty container or headspace it will expand. As it does so it pushes the atmosphere out of the container leaving an inert space. As nitrogen gas is heavier than air it will stay inside the container.
- Why should I consider Inerting?
- Maintains taste over longer periods.
- Can enable shelf life to be extended.
- Can reduce TIPO for brewers.
- Should I Inert my empty container, headspace or both?
- This is really dependant on your product. Products that may perish if dosed with liquid nitrogen would require the empty container to be interted. brewers often achieve improved TIPO results if both the empty container is interted and the headspace of the filled container is also dosed (this also gives a pressure for low or non carbonated beers). Other products such as fruit juices can often just be dosed post fill to inert the headspace. Contact Us to discuss your application.
