Beer in Cans

Whether or not Jim Koch has any evidence to this and can or cannot perceive any difference to cans and bottles, I seriously doubt this is a marketing gimmick. I say doubt meaning I could be wrong, but the amount of marketing conspiracy theories on BA is simply amazing.

 

I can taste a very small difference between fresh bottles and fresh cans of SNPA, and I like the cans better. It's a tiny difference though: just a hint of maltiness at the back end, but it's there.

 

Yeah, as I noted, it's a subscription website and at $300/year = way too rich for my blood.

But maybe somebody around here gets it through work or the Bros. can get permission to reprint or quote the applicable section.

 

We've discussed the effects of glass aging several times so I'll refer you to one of my past posts:

 

It's just as nonsensical now as it was then.

 

If there's a SodaAdvocate website out there, I'm certain they've already beaten the can vs. bottle thing to death. I'm going to try to find it and perhaps shed some light on the beer can vs. bottle dilemma.

 

The glass to beer surface dynamic is fundamentally different than the can lining surface dynamic. This can be amplified depending on the terroir of the glass much like the differing qualities of oak sourced from various geographies.

Ultimately, as little as 2-weeks in a glass vessel results in a certain je ne sais quoi that simply cannot be replicated with any other material.

 

I'm really, really hoping you're not being serious.

 

Sarcasmometer twitching.

 

Jim Koch is simply saying that the plastic lining absorbs some of the flavor of the beer. I think it should be noted that while the guys at BA re-tweeted this, they also went on to say that they didn't agree with this opinion.

 

Torpedo in the can is exactly the same as Torpedo in the bottle. Occasionally from the same bright beer tank in packaging. There is no difference. The same is true for Pale Ale (draught Pale Ale is a different matter, that IS and always has been a different recipe.)

I respectfully disagree with Mr. Koch's (and Mr. Daniels who corroborated) statements about there being a flavor difference between our bottles and cans. We've done extensive (exhaustive?) sensory and analytical analysis that suggests otherwise. In hundreds of double-blind trials we've found no statistical or analytical difference in flavors.

The plastic argument also doesn't hold much water with our lab analysts. The plastic lining in cans can scalp flavor, but crown liners can scalp as much, or more, than can liners. The plastic under a crown is much denser than can liners and can have a far more detrimental effect on flavor, specifically hop flavor. Our research shows no to slight deviation in longevity and hop aroma trials over extended aging (in fact, gives a slight edge to can at 120 days.)

Hope this helps,

-Bill

 

Never knew the pale ale on draft was a different recipe. What's the difference?

 

I read an interview with someone high up in Sierra Nevada and they spent a lot of time and money testing the differences between bottles and cans. One major difference that they observed is that often when pouring from a can the beer "tumbles" over the lip of the can which agitates the beer more and therefore releases more CO2 when poured, which can alter the perceptions of aroma and mouthfeel. So though the beer might not technically be any different it can sometimes be perceived differently because of the vessel.

 

Draught is Slightly more malt forward, (higher % of crystal malt) and not keg conditioned, lower ABV as well. Draught Pale Ale is 5% ABV by volume and Bottle is 5.6% ABV by volume.

-B

 

This is an interesting read and perhaps where Jim Koch got his opinion about the lining absorbing flavors:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_...a_taste_different_in_a_bottle_than_a_can.html

 

when Koch starts putting brews out that can hang with ten fidy and deviant dales i may listen.