The day your shiny new equipment arrives can be exciting, almost like Christmas morning! But it can also be tricky. Plenty of logistics is involved, especially if you’ve taken on the challenge to do it all yourself.

We are rarely able to attend our client’s unloading days so, we decided to do the next best thing, create a checklist and process outline, to make sure our clients are prepared for their big day!

We hope this checklist and outline help make your unloading day as efficient as possible.

Unloading and Installing Brewery Equipment Checklist

The first step is getting organized. The checklist we provided below lists all of the equipment needed to unpack, relocate, and position your new equipment.

Time to unload!

Remember – take your time. Make sure you have a game plan that everyone is aligned with. Teamwork and communication are critical. Failure to do so could lead to injury or damaged equipment.

One of the biggest challenges of the day is getting the huge pieces of brewery equipment from the truck (which is ~5.5 feet high) onto the ground.

There are two options here.

1. Use two fork trucks to slowly pull the equipment out and lower it down. It’s important to have drivers who have a plan and understand their roles. While one person is pulling the equipment out, the other will need to support the back half of it, so that it doesn’t slip.
2. Use a side loader. This will lift the entire container off the truck and lower it onto the ground. This way the equipment is at ground level and there is less risk of dropping the equipment.

Once the tanks are in their proper position, you can move them using a standard pallet jack via the horizontal leg supports which are designed to hold the weight of the tanks. For smaller tanks, a narrow pallet jack is recommended as it will be able to fit between the legs.

**CBP Exclusive Pro-Tip** Containers come in lengths of 20′ and 40′. When dealing with tanks located deep inside the container, you will need longer straps and chains to remove them. Ensure that you have these ready, as you will need to pull the vessels to the front of the container to unload them. – John Gonzales, Designated Drive

Installing according to your brewery layout

Now you’ve got your checklist in one hand, and your brewery design and layout document in the other. We recommend unloading your equipment in order, starting at the furthest end of your brewery, and backfilling from there to avoid getting stuck.

Next, figure out the best way to move your equipment. We recommend fork trucks, but you may need fork extensions for the wider tanks, like the MLT.

Ideally, your utilities have been installed beforehand – but this isn’t always the case. Either way, it’s important to make sure everything matches your layout.

Find the Balance!

We cannot stress it enough – take your time with your unloading. You’ve paid a lot of money for this equipment, you don’t want to damage it – and you don’t want anyone to get hurt.

If you’d like more advice about how to ensure a smooth unloading/installation of your brewery equipment, check out the blog section of our website!