Are 16oz cans the future?

I’ve lived on the east coast the majority of my life. Same thing out there. Craft beer doesn’t really live in grocery stores so those are the last to shift anyway.

 

I also buy almost all 12 ounce cans, they are the right amount of beer for me, I can enjoy more then one at a setting. I do purchase 16 oz cans when I visit local brewery's. I am also a fan of 12 and 15 packs, wish there were more of them.

 

16 Oz cans preferred now but who knows what the future will be. Is it possible that beer could be sold by the gallon in Malyar bags inside a cardboard box? If the price was right I would but it.

 

Or without the box?

 

I know everyone likes bottles, but it doesn't make sense for the brewer. Breakage alone, it doesn't make sense. Its like wine producers moving to screw tops to prevent wine from being corked. Plus packaging. Cans stack much easier than bottles. Bottles need a 6 pack holder, and a case box to be distributed. Too much!!! And the bottling line is very large!

 

I've heard a couple people mention this issue. Is a canning line somehow significantly smaller than a bottling line? In my complete ignorance of that topic I just assumed they would be substantially similar devices.

 

I'm not so sure that is still the case... maybe in the 1970-2000's...

Huh? Cans need some sort of cardboard or (evil, hard to recycle) plastic unit and are packed in cardboard "trays" (granted, less cardboard than a full carton).

 

I’ve been told that a canning line is less expensive to both buy and operate.

 

Interesting, honestly I would have guessed (if pressed) that a canning line would be more expensive and/or more delicate due to the more delicate nature of the can vs the bottle.

 

Whether to choose a beer canning line vs. bottling line has a number of considerations:

Initial Capital costs

Since bottling lines have been around a lot longer they are available at lower cost than canning lines.

Staffing/Operation costs

Canning lines are beneficial here since they require less personnel (i.e., you save in labor costs).

Space considerations

There are canning lines which have a small footprint so this could be a benefit for smaller breweries (which may not have the space to install a bottling line).

There are more considerations than then the above in terms of a brewery making a decision. I would suspect that customer demand (e.g., craft beer drinkers demanding 16 ounce cans) would be a major driver here.

Cheers!

P.S. You can read more here: https://www.semcor.net/blog/canning-or-bottling-which-is-better-for-your-brewerys-bottom-line/

 

It's my favorite beer container.

 

I'm down with 16oz. 6-packs. It's the damn 4-pack that I don't like. As consumers we all understand that we pay less per unit when we buy in quantity. But when the cans hold more, but there's less of them in the package.. then what's the deal ?

 

The 4 packs are a way to hide price hikes,

 

Yup, the four-pack/16 ounce can format is for the breweries to make 'extra' profit.

I am glad that at my local beer retailers there is still plenty of beer brands in the six-pack/12 ounce can (or bottle) format.

Cheers!

 

I like 1-2 beers per day depending on ABV. 1 16oz can of 8%-10% ABV Im very content. Or 2 12oz or 16oz <8% brews per day and Im good. Keep me under $30 a week and Im happy in my wallet/budget as well.

 

There are still some breweries packaging in both cans and bottles.
I tried to e-mail Justin Kennedy, the producer of the Steal This Beer podcast (weekly on Monday afternoon) to test John Holl & Augie Carton by sending them the same beer in both can and bottle. But he probably never received my e-mail. (I am not on gmail or hotmail. I am not letting them expose me to spammers and scammers.)
New Belgium and Great Lakes still use both 12-oz. cans & bottles. Leinenkugel's cans and bottles (in different plants, interesting).
Was it under a year ago when Avery{?} Brwg. in Colorado announced due to the aluminum can shortage, it was restarting its bottling line?