Engineer Uses Ingenuity To Bring Cherished Aspect Of Civilization To The Unplugged World Of Nature
Summer camping is full of traditions. Often times, campers go to their favorite spot, with their favorite people, to enjoy their favorite outdoor activities during their favorite time of the year. For ManCan inventor Kevin Lehman, time spent in the great outdoors required another type of favorite countless others are sure to find relatable: high quality craft beer. Like many other outdoorsmen, Kevin would traditionally pack a cooler of his favorite carbonated beverage, load up his vehicle and set off for a long weekend in the woods. But as Kevin began to dabble in home brewing, concocting a few tasty options of his own, he found himself lacking a way to enjoy his favorite brews outdoors without the burden of glass bottles and additional waste resulting from buying a case of beer.
“My wife and I are outdoors people, [and] my favorite way to enjoy a craft beer is by a campfire [so] that’s exactly why I created ManCan,” explained Kevin. “I wanted something we could reuse to take hiking, fishing, camping, boating, or wherever we were going and not have to worry about [anything] breaking.”
When Kevin first started engineering ManCan, he envisioned a product that was virtually “indestructible and that protected the craft beer.” So, with a 15-year background in civil engineering and an inventor’s heart, Kevin spent a year putting pencil to paper. The result was a miniature style 64-ounce stainless steel personal keg system now known as ManCan. For three years, Kevin ran the business while continuing his day job as a civil engineer, but eventually decided he, “had to do one or the other, but not both.” At the end of 2014, Kevin focused in on growing ManCan and formed a partnership with Chris Mueller, a serial entrepreneur himself who also has a culinary background in beer brewing. “Kevin is the genius, and I’m the mouth,” joked Chris of their partnership.
ManCan is designed using high-quality parts, customized fittings, brewery grade tap systems and aircraft quality metals as well as a patented Co2 system. After the container is filled with a chosen beverage, the dispensing tab is secured into place and immediately connected to a non-threaded, 16 gram Co2 cartridge in order to purge any existing air still left inside ManCan. By removing the oxygen and replacing it with Co2, the beer is preserved and is no longer exposed to any additional outside factors. Unopened, Kevin and Chris say that ManCan will never lose carbonation, and it’s content have virtually no expiration date.
“When you’re at a brewery, they’re filling your glass from the tap, and that beer has not been exposed to any elements,” compared Kevin. “ManCan is designed to do that exact same thing so you can always enjoy a beer as if you’re at the brewery.”
The Perfect Pour Regulator, ManCan’s highly engineered tap system, takes a pressurized cylinder and reduces the Co2 cartridge to the proper psi (pounds per square inch) level needed to achieve a smooth pour without an overload of foam. “It’s a two phase system: it takes the Co2 from about 600 pounds of pressure down to 70-40 pounds of pressure down to about 9.5-8.5 pounds of pressure, which delivers a perfect pour with the keg system without spraying foam everywhere.”
The two sizing options for ManCan are 64-ounces and 128-ounces, both with a 5.25” diameter designed to fit comfortably inside a refrigerator door. It also has two interchangeable dispensing options: the Machismo Tap, a system comparable to what’s used in most breweries, and the Flex Hose Tap, a bendable hosing dispensing option ideal for on-the-go usage.
Although ManCan is predominately used for beer, it’s also able to accommodate many other beverages like coffee, kombucha, wine and soda. To keep the contents cool, it can be stored in an ice filled cooler or secured to a rope and allowed to drift in a river or lake. In essence, Chris says, “ManCan is a truly open system, so it’s waiting for you to express how you would use it. It’s for people who want delicious, fresh [beverages] served right, wherever they want. We’ve seen people using it anywhere from rafting the Grand Canyon to taking it on fishing trips.”
ManCan’s strong, durable structure and unique preservation qualities are attractive features to any beer loving outdoors person and is an acceptable option for multi-day camping trips or any other off-grid activities. Now, with kudos to the ManCan Tribe, craft beer can be enjoyed in the great outdoors with the same quality taste one would experience at a local brewery.
Jannie Schaffer
A graduate of the Fashion Institute Of Technology in New York City with a degree in Interactive Marketing, Jannie has worked both for FOX and ASA Electronics. She enjoys traveling and whitewater rafting.
Make Sure To Check Out:
ManCan, the personal keg system that keeps your beverage fresh, carbonated, and delicious -- the way it should be. Available in indestructible, 128oz (one-gallon) or 64oz (half-gallon) stainless steel.