At Payette Brewing, there are over sixty pieces of hefty equipment in the brewery that are used daily. Since our brewers, production and cellarmen are always up close and personal with these pieces of equipment, they have formed a special bond with many of them. Especially when they serve a very important purpose in our facility. That being said, many things have adopted names and not just because we need to identify the different pieces for different purposes, but there have been significant instances that have given these guys their very specific titles.
Canning Line: Evil
How did I get my name? Once upon a time, Evil was named Kevin. Kevin was once upon a time our stellar machine that busted out 40 cans a minute and over 1,000 cases a day. Of course things don’t always work as well as you hope, and a little more maintenance is needed than anticipated. Once the maintenance became more frequent, our head brewer Ian (pictured with Evil), and the rest of the canning line folks got angry. Kevin can sometimes be a little more of a hassle than we would like, hence re-naming it to something a little more appropriate: Evil. There was no need to get a new nametag, Ian just simply re-arranged the letters and he will now forever be known as Evil… Even on his good days.
12 and 24 Packer: Willy
How did I get my name? You know how some names just come to you? Like you don’t know why you named your car Delores and you don’t know why you named your child Blue Ivy but the name just fits? That’s how we feel about Willy. His name just suits him and has since the day he entered our doors. Willy is our trusty machine that can crank out 12 and 24 packs all day.
Pallet Wrapper: Weezy
How did I get my name? We really like Lil Wayne around here. Often can be the soundtrack to a brew day. Lil Wayne goes by Weezy. Payette’s Weezy is a Pallet “Rapper.” Get it? Got it? Good.
Keg Washer: Consuela
How did I get my name? Named after Consuela from Family Guy, Consuela is the best cleaning lady that we’ve ever had. She always keeps our kegs nice and clean.
Fork Lift: Road Runner
How did I get my name? Did you remember watching cartoons at grandma’s house on Saturday mornings? Did you watch Looney Tunes? Ever heard Road Runner honk as he was running? Our Road Runner sounds identical to Looney Tunes’ adored character. To signal people around when approaching a corner or loading a pallet of beer in a truck, you will never hear someone in the brewery honk Road Runner’s horn just once; it’s always twice to mimic that distinctive honk we all know and love.
Centrifuge: Johnny Five
How did I get my name? Ever watch Short Circuit or Short Circuit 2? Well, if you have, you’ll probably understand this one for yourself. Our centrifuge has an uncanny resemblance to Johnny Five, especially when beer is getting cycled through his system, so we named this piece of equipment in his honor. Notice his bright eyes that show us the clarity in our beer. If you’re ever in the brewery, you will also notice he is quite talkative!
Pallet Jack: Sparkles 2.0
How did I get my name? Considering we are moving kegs, cans, equipment and more throughout the brewery, it’s easy for a pallet jack to get some wear and tear. Once we moved to the new facility, we were very excited to get a new Pallet Jack and introduce her to her new home. She was shiny and new, which in our minds equates to sparkly. Hence, the name Sparkles was born. She is the second generation Sparkles, giving her the distinguished 2.0.
Canning Line Gamma Ray: Bruce Banner
How did I get my name? This piece of machinery shoots gamma rays through the cans once they have run through the line to check the fill level of every single can. Sound like someone else you know? Bruce Banner AKA the Hulk? The only difference between Bruce Banner and this machine is that once the cans are shot with a gamma bomb, they don’t turn into the Hulk.
Canning Line Bumper: Bruce Lee
How did I get my name? This little (but powerful) piece of equipment knows some serious martial arts. If the cans don’t fit the conditions as stated by Bruce Banner, then Bruce Lee makes sure they are kicked out of the lineup and not a candidate for an upcoming six-pack or twelve-pack.
Clean-in-Place [CIP]: R2-D2
How did I get my name? We hope that if you haven’t seen Star Wars, you will at least recognize the name R2-D2. This little guy rolls around the brewery to help clean all of our equipment. And he sure looks a little bit like our favorite Star Wars character.
Not pictured: Evil’s rotary heads. Although there’s a story behind each of these little guys, we’re just going to list them and you can create a story for them yourself. Evil’s trusty sidekicks are Papa Smurf, Zach Morris, Mariota, Florida, Flanders, Paula Dean, Kirk, George J, Martha Stewart and Fergalicious.