After a mobile-canning run: buy a line, or host one the canner owns?

After a mobile-canning run: keep truck-in (Freshie Mobile line $0.20-0.40/can; Untappd between $3 and $5 a case), host canner-owned Dedicated Canning Asset Installations (Iron Heart) and skip CapEx ($150,000 – $1,000,000 or more) (Mobile West), or buy (Equipped only about $50,000; starts at $85,000; starts at $165,000) with BeerCPA ~267 BBL packaged per month break-even.

Last updated: September 7, 2026

Three options after a mobile-canning run

Factor	Truck-in mobile	Host canner-owned	Buy your own line
CapEx / fees	Freshie Mobile line $0.20-0.40/can (Freshie); Untappd Hiring a mobile canning company will cost between $3 and $5 a case (Untappd); Equipped Using our service will range from 15 cents to 68 cents per can (Equipped Brewer)	Iron Heart Dedicated Canning Asset Installations (Iron Heart mobile); Mobile West CapEx avoided: No need to lay out capital ($150,000 – $1,000,000 or more) for a canning line (Mobile West services).	Equipped only about $50,000; WGC 250 starts at $85,000; WGC 600 starts at $165,000 (Equipped Brewer). Masstechx Tier 1 · Craft $25K-$95K; $95K-$220K; $220K-$400K+ (Masstechx)
Per-can after CapEx	BeerCPA Mobile/Contract Canning Cost: ~$0.35–$0.50 per 16oz can (BeerCPA); Masstechx 0.35$-0.50$ per 16 oz can		BeerCPA In-House Cost (After CapEx): ~$0.10–$0.18 per 16oz can; Masstechx In-House After CapEx
Throughput	Mobile West 40 cans per minute; Freshie canning rate: 30-60 cans per minute; Equipped cans about 40 cans per minute	Iron Heart accommodate small batch runs as well as high capacity filling	Equipped cans 95 cans per minute (WGC 250); PSA run at speeds of 15 to 100 CPM (Craft Brewing Business); Wild Goose 18 cans per minute (Wild Goose)
Ownership / crew	Iron Heart Mobile Canning Services are a Turnkey Solution; Seam Integrity is 100% guaranteed	Canner owns Dedicated Canning Asset Installations; eliminating the necessity for customers to invest in their own in-house canning systems	Brewery owns; BeerCPA Full control of quality and schedule; Iron Heart Hidden Costs of Owning Your Own Line; Fully Refurbished Canning Lines (Iron Heart in-house)
Floor / schedule	Mobile West No dedicated floor space for the canning line or packaging; Flexible scheduling; Realize profits day one	Permanent footprint at brewery; dedicated access without truck-in route limits	Permanent footprint; BeerCPA Scheduling conflicts, minimum batch sizes, less control over quality, costs can balloon as volume grows (mobile cons)
Break-even signal	Freshie typically 15-30 barrels per session; order quantities as low as 3,000 cans (Equipped)	OpEx path — CapEx avoided per Mobile West / Iron Heart claims above	BeerCPA ~267 BBL packaged per month; ~833,000 cans (about 3,200 BBL) to breakeven; Masstechx Break-even occurs near 267 BBL/month; Equipped 60,000 to 100,000 cans per month

How to choose among truck-in, host, or buy

Keep truck-in when Path 1 mobile ranges fit: Freshie Mobile line $0.20-0.40/can and Untappd between $3 and $5 a case, with Flexible scheduling and No dedicated floor space for the canning line or packaging (Mobile West).

Host canner-owned equipment when you want Dedicated Canning Asset Installations without buying — Iron Heart frames Mobile Canning Services are a Turnkey Solution while eliminating the necessity for customers to invest in their own in-house canning systems.

Buy when CapEx and volume fit Equipped only about $50,000 / starts at $85,000 / starts at $165,000 or Masstechx Tier 1 · Craft $25K-$95K ranges, and utilization approaches BeerCPA ~267 BBL packaged per month or Equipped 60,000 to 100,000 cans per month. Finance framing (GBP): Lendus Compare £10k–£1M Business Finance from 200+ UK Lenders (Lendus); Spread the cost of equipment, vehicles, and machinery (Lendus asset finance).

Brewbound frames the fork as Mobile Canning vs In-house Canning Lines: A Classic Example of an Insource versus Outsource Decision (Brewbound).

Claim	URL	Listed
Mobile West CapEx avoided	mobilewestcanning.com/our-services/	No need to lay out capital ($150,000 – $1,000,000 or more) for a canning line
Mobile West throughput	mobilewestcanning.com/our-services/	40 cans per minute
Mobile West automated throughput	mobilewestcanning.com/our-services/	automated canning line at 40 cans per minute
Mobile West floor space	mobilewestcanning.com/our-services/	No dedicated floor space for the canning line or packaging
Mobile West scheduling	mobilewestcanning.com/our-services/	Flexible scheduling
Mobile West day-one profits	mobilewestcanning.com/our-services/	Realize profits day one
Mobile West can sizes	mobilewestcanning.com/our-services/	8, 10, 12 and 16 oz cans
Iron Heart turnkey mobile	ironheartcanning.com/mobile-canning-services/	Mobile Canning Services are a Turnkey Solution
Iron Heart hosted/resident installs	ironheartcanning.com/mobile-canning-services/	Dedicated Canning Asset Installations
Iron Heart batch flexibility	ironheartcanning.com/mobile-canning-services/	accommodate small batch runs as well as high capacity filling
Iron Heart CapEx avoided framing	ironheartcanning.com/mobile-canning-services/	eliminating the necessity for customers to invest in their own in-house canning systems
Iron Heart buy-path	ironheartcanning.com/mobile-canning-services/	Still thinking about buying your own canning line?
Iron Heart ownership cost warning	ironheartcanning.com/mobile-canning-services/	Hidden Costs of Owning Your Own Line
Iron Heart seam guarantee	ironheartcanning.com/mobile-canning-services/	Seam Integrity is 100% guaranteed
Iron Heart refurbished buy path	ironheartcanning.com/in-house-solutions/	Fully Refurbished Canning Lines
Iron Heart warranty	ironheartcanning.com/in-house-solutions/	90 day or 250,000 seam warranty on all major functional components
Masstechx break-even	masstechx.com/can-filling-machine/	Break-even occurs near 267 BBL/month
Masstechx mobile lock-in	masstechx.com/can-filling-machine/	0.35$-0.50$ per 16 oz can
Masstechx filler speed range	masstechx.com/can-filling-machine/	2,000-20,000 BPH
Masstechx in-house after CapEx label	masstechx.com/can-filling-machine/	In-House After CapEx
Masstechx Tier 1 Craft	masstechx.com/can-filling-machine/	Tier 1 · Craft
Masstechx Tier 1 CapEx	masstechx.com/can-filling-machine/	$25K-$95K
Masstechx Tier 2 CapEx	masstechx.com/can-filling-machine/	$95K-$220K
Masstechx Tier 3 CapEx	masstechx.com/can-filling-machine/	$220K-$400K+
Masstechx ~267 BBL	masstechx.com/can-filling-machine/	~267 BBL
Masstechx cumulative cans	masstechx.com/can-filling-machine/	833K cans cumulative
Equipped mobile service range	equippedbrewer…mobile-or-purchase-a-system	Using our service will range from 15 cents to 68 cents per can
Equipped Cask SAMS entry	equippedbrewer…mobile-or-purchase-a-system	only about $50,000
Equipped WGC 250 price	equippedbrewer…mobile-or-purchase-a-system	starts at $85,000
Equipped WGC 600 price	equippedbrewer…mobile-or-purchase-a-system	starts at $165,000
Equipped WGC 250 name	equippedbrewer…mobile-or-purchase-a-system	WGC 250
Equipped WGC 600 name	equippedbrewer…mobile-or-purchase-a-system	WGC 600
Equipped WGC 50 name	equippedbrewer…mobile-or-purchase-a-system	WGC 50
Equipped WGC 50 price	equippedbrewer…mobile-or-purchase-a-system	starts at $30,000
Equipped mobile ~40 cpm	equippedbrewer…mobile-or-purchase-a-system	cans about 40 cans per minute
Equipped WGC 250 throughput	equippedbrewer…mobile-or-purchase-a-system	cans 95 cans per minute
Equipped utilization crossover	equippedbrewer…mobile-or-purchase-a-system	60,000 to 100,000 cans per month
Equipped low order qty	equippedbrewer…mobile-or-purchase-a-system	order quantities as low as 3,000 cans
Untappd case fee	lounge.untappd.com/…mobile-canning…	Hiring a mobile canning company will cost between $3 and $5 a case
Untappd machinery floor	lounge.untappd.com/…mobile-canning…	Even the least expensive ones cost over $20,000 for the machinery alone
BeerCPA mobile/contract cost	beercpa.com/canning-line-roi-breweries/	Mobile/Contract Canning Cost: ~$0.35–$0.50 per 16oz can
BeerCPA in-house after CapEx	beercpa.com/canning-line-roi-breweries/	In-House Cost (After CapEx): ~$0.10–$0.18 per 16oz can
BeerCPA example mobile rate	beercpa.com/canning-line-roi-breweries/	If a mobile canner charges $0.45/can
BeerCPA breakeven cans	beercpa.com/canning-line-roi-breweries/	~833,000 cans (about 3,200 BBL) to breakeven
BeerCPA monthly volume	beercpa.com/canning-line-roi-breweries/	~267 BBL packaged per month
BeerCPA mobile cons	beercpa.com/canning-line-roi-breweries/	Scheduling conflicts, minimum batch sizes, less control over quality, costs can balloon as volume grows
BeerCPA ownership pros	beercpa.com/canning-line-roi-breweries/	Full control of quality and schedule
Freshie mobile line range	freshiebeer.com/…/packaging-options/	Mobile line $0.20-0.40/can
Freshie 16oz packaged range	freshiebeer.com/…/packaging-options/	$0.20-0.40 per 16oz can packaged (varies by region and run size)
Freshie session size	freshiebeer.com/…/packaging-options/	typically 15-30 barrels per session
Freshie canning rate	freshiebeer.com/…/packaging-options/	canning rate: 30-60 cans per minute
Freshie Path 1 definition	freshiebeer.com/…/packaging-options/	A mobile canning company brings a portable canning line to your brewery for a day
Brewbound frame	brewbound.com/…mobile-canning-vs-in-house…	Mobile Canning vs In-house Canning Lines: A Classic Example of an Insource versus Outsource Decision
PSA craft speed range	craftbrewingbusiness.com/…tips-from-psa/	run at speeds of 15 to 100 CPM
Wild Goose home throughput	wildgoosefilling.com/	18 cans per minute
Lendus home finance range (GBP)	lendus.co.uk/	Compare £10k–£1M Business Finance from 200+ UK Lenders
Lendus asset finance framing	lendus.co.uk/asset-finance/	Spread the cost of equipment, vehicles, and machinery

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens after a mobile-canning run: buy a line, or host one the canner owns?

After a mobile-canning run you keep truck-in mobile, host canner-owned Dedicated Canning Asset Installations (Iron Heart), or buy a line. Freshie lists Mobile line $0.20-0.40/can; Untappd Hiring a mobile canning company will cost between $3 and $5 a case; Mobile West No need to lay out capital ($150,000 – $1,000,000 or more) for a canning line; Equipped only about $50,000, starts at $85,000, starts at $165,000; BeerCPA ~267 BBL packaged per month.

What are the three canning options after using mobile service?

Truck-in mobile: Freshie A mobile canning company brings a portable canning line to your brewery for a day, with Mobile line $0.20-0.40/can and canning rate: 30-60 cans per minute. Host canner-owned: Iron Heart Dedicated Canning Asset Installations, eliminating the necessity for customers to invest in their own in-house canning systems. Buy: Equipped only about $50,000 / starts at $85,000 / starts at $165,000, or Iron Heart Fully Refurbished Canning Lines.

How does a hosted resident line differ from truck-in mobile service?

Truck-in is a day visit: Freshie typically 15-30 barrels per session; Mobile West Flexible scheduling, No dedicated floor space for the canning line or packaging, and 40 cans per minute. Hosted/resident uses Iron Heart Dedicated Canning Asset Installations — canner-owned equipment installed at the brewery — still eliminating the necessity for customers to invest in their own in-house canning systems.

Who owns the equipment and who provides the crew under each option?

Mobile and hosted: Iron Heart Mobile Canning Services are a Turnkey Solution with Seam Integrity is 100% guaranteed; the canner owns the line. Buy path: brewery owns CapEx (Equipped WGC 250 starts at $85,000; WGC 600 starts at $165,000; Masstechx Tier 1 · Craft $25K-$95K) and BeerCPA Full control of quality and schedule, with Hidden Costs of Owning Your Own Line on Iron Heart.

When do published break-even figures favor buying over mobile?

BeerCPA lists Mobile/Contract Canning Cost: ~$0.35–$0.50 per 16oz can versus In-House Cost (After CapEx): ~$0.10–$0.18 per 16oz can, ~833,000 cans (about 3,200 BBL) to breakeven, and ~267 BBL packaged per month. Masstechx says Break-even occurs near 267 BBL/month and 0.35$-0.50$ per 16 oz can. Equipped cites 60,000 to 100,000 cans per month utilization.