Flat 12 beer has too much head

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by goodbeer4cheap, Oct 18, 2015.

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  1. goodbeer4cheap

    goodbeer4cheap Devotee (375) Nov 28, 2012 Indiana

    I have only bought two kinds of flat 12 packaged 6pk bottle or 4oz 16 ounce cans of flat 12 packaged beer. All 6 of last year's pumpkin ale and this year's half cycle IPA have been way too heady. I have other lots of the same brewery packs but all have incredible amount of head. The pumpkin ale from last year was all head and one ounce of beer. The half cycle IPA can is half head. I want to hear from anyone else who has had this problem with flat 12 packaged beer bought from grocery stores warm.
     
  2. Sturgeon83

    Sturgeon83 Initiate (0) Mar 11, 2015 Kentucky
    Trader

    I've never had that issue that I can remember, and there's plenty of it kicking around warm in Kroger's around here, but I've only probably bought Half Cycle and Walkabout.
     
  3. Theniz

    Theniz Initiate (0) Nov 13, 2012 Indiana

    This is a common problem with Flat 12 beers and I have no idea why it hasn't been addressed. The brewery cold crashes the beer when they think its done fermenting, and as soon as it hits warm shelves (because our laws are so awesome here) whatever yeast is left reactivates and starts making more CO2, making the bottles foam everywhere. Best bet is to buy it from a liquor store cold.
     
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  4. boilermakerbrew

    boilermakerbrew Initiate (0) Aug 13, 2010 Indiana

    Never had the problem before with them (lived in Indiana prior to Missouri). Maybe just make sure you cool them down? Judging on the grammar of OP, this smells like it is a Saturday night post after one too many.
     
  5. Relik

    Relik Zealot (579) Apr 20, 2011 Canada (NS)

    Adjust your pour.
    increase duration of time in the fridge.
    crack it open and let excess CO2 escape before it hits the glass.
     
  6. Tsar_Riga

    Tsar_Riga Pooh-Bah (2,965) Sep 9, 2013 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Not my experience. Half Cycle had a big, full head, but was not exceptional in this. Other Flat 12s were also pretty typical of style.
     
  7. mayorQuimby

    mayorQuimby Zealot (633) Jun 5, 2009 Tennessee
    Trader

    This issue has been going on for years. I moved away from IN about 1 week after they initially bottled beers (in summer 2012). I bought some of their Half Cycle and Pogue's Run to take with (probably a case in total), and almost every bottle was ruined (I gave them the benefit of the doubt since it was the first bottling run). Many times the bottles would burst all over the kitchen. The beer tasted off too, just super carbonated, lacking in flavor, etc, some were even showing further signs of infection.

    Returned that winter in the car, bought some more of their beer to take home as I had been a big fan of the brewery in their first 1-2 years of existence prior to bottling and figured they would have solved the issues I'd experienced. I was WRONG. Basically threw away almost a case of their beer. In spring 2013 I tweeted pictures to Flat 12 of their beers exploding all over my kitchen. At that point I was contacted and sent a $35 gift card to reimburse me.

    Unfortunately, they still haven't rectified the issue. Through the ensuing years, I've heard tons of stories from friends and family who will no longer buy bottles from Flat 12 due to these recurring issues. Last year my brother-in-law bought a 6pk of the pumpkin ale while we were visiting and it was overcarbonated garbage. On draft it was always a wonderful beer.

    I'm sad to say, on the whole, Flat 12 seems to have fallen off. I moved to Indiana, for the second time, earlier this year, and was excited to get back to Flat 12. Even with the bottle issues, this place always made great beers and had a lot to offer at the taproom. We went when they released Van Pogue (BA vanilla porter) in the spring and it was undrinkable, nothing like the beer I'd had years before. My wife and I snuck out the back door and threw our half consumed pints in the trash. I haven't been back since. Over the summer they did a BA stout bottle release, where you had to buy tickets and then could buy the beer. They tweeted or somehow publicly stated they had left over bottles for sale. A friend went based on that info and was denied purchase because he wasn't one of the loyal ones to purchase an event ticket. This same friend has had several issues with their bottles, he told me he won't be going back. He and I used to go to F12 1-2 times per week years ago. Took visiting friends and family, bought growlers all the time...now I've been once in 6 months.

    With so many new breweries popping up in Indy in the past few years, it would really behoove F12 to take care of this. Years ago I felt like the top Indy-based breweries (popularity wise) were Sun King and F12 a close second. Now you have high quality like Black Acre and Taxman, an outrageous newcomer in Deviate, to name just a few, and F12 falling off the map selling an inferior product that shouldn't ever hit the shelves to begin with.
     
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  8. chewymangos

    chewymangos Initiate (0) Jun 12, 2014 Indiana

    Same issue has happened to me at least 3 different times. Different beers bought from different locations. A couple times the beer foamed out of the bottle as soon as it was opened. I pretty much avoid all of their stuff from now on.
     
  9. KSOZE

    KSOZE Initiate (0) Feb 10, 2015 Ohio

    I've had two Flat 12 beers given to me as gifts. Both were WAY overcarbonated drain pours. I will not be revisiting their beer.
     
  10. mayorQuimby

    mayorQuimby Zealot (633) Jun 5, 2009 Tennessee
    Trader

    Has anyone posting here or reading this relayed these issues to the brewery at any point recently? As I noted in my post above, I did contact the brewery once and received reimbursement for my purchase, and on that occasion I did note to them that it was a recurring issue and that I knew of others who had the same experiences.

    Not being local at the time, I assumed they would have fixed this but then as mentioned, had more bad beer from them last year (over a year after I complained). Rather than bother following up again I decided if they don't care to put out a quality product in stores, I don't care to purchase it any longer...
     
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  11. Trizzly

    Trizzly Initiate (0) Sep 23, 2010 Indiana

    I have stopped buying their beers specifically because of over carbonation.
     
  12. aasher

    aasher Grand Pooh-Bah (4,471) Jan 27, 2010 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    They've had QC issues for a few years now including a few recalls. They stopped bottling Upside Down Blonde because it was always a diacetyl bomb. An entire batch of their pumpkin was overcarbed and tasted like bandaids, an entire batch, yet it all made it to market. Pogue's Run has had this issue. Walkabout...Moustache Ride....
     
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  13. mayorQuimby

    mayorQuimby Zealot (633) Jun 5, 2009 Tennessee
    Trader

    Any idea why they haven't been able to figure this out. You'd think they could find a quality QC person rather easily to mitigate these issues since they clearly have no clue what they're doing.

    Oh, and pumpkin ale that tastes like bandaids? Of course they let that all into market, it sounds delicious!
     
  14. aasher

    aasher Grand Pooh-Bah (4,471) Jan 27, 2010 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    They've had a lot of employee turnover. Very few of the people that were there in the first year still remain.
     
  15. AstronautMikeDexter

    AstronautMikeDexter Initiate (0) Feb 14, 2013 Indiana
    Deactivated

    Their Half Cycle is one of the worst beers I've ever had. Could barely get through the bottle.
     
  16. jmarsh123

    jmarsh123 Initiate (0) Mar 31, 2010 Indiana
    Trader

    Their original brewer/owner left this spring. Don't know the new guys brewing, but it seems to have gone downhill from my most recent experiences. I very rarely go there anymore.
     
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  17. TheodorHerzl

    TheodorHerzl Initiate (0) Mar 30, 2007 Indiana

    When they first opened I really enjoyed their beers. I really liked their 12 Beers of Christmas and their porter was fantastic. I don't go there anymore. They embody the idea of "just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should." You get burned on a few $12 "local" six packs and it doesn't take long to get that way.
     
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  18. mayorQuimby

    mayorQuimby Zealot (633) Jun 5, 2009 Tennessee
    Trader

    This is all too bad. I actually took the initiative to forward info on this thread to the brewery yesterday. No response... You'd think if they cared someone from their leadership team would've posted here right away with apologies and an explanation as to how they are addressing and working to remedy their issues.

    If you look at the Bruery RS/HS thread, for instance, whenever an issue is raised, a member of their team responds within a couple hours and they tackle the issue immediately. It's unfortunate Flat 12 has deteriorated to the point their original team seems to have jumped ship; it must be pretty bad over there.
     
  19. biggred1

    biggred1 Savant (1,115) Mar 27, 2008 Indiana

    I don't know many people who still buy Flat 12 beer. Unfortunately since day one they have sold such a high percentage of undrinkable, compromised beer that I think most local consumers have been burned time after time with their bottles and cans. It's a problem with several local Indy breweries though.
     
  20. darktronica

    darktronica Grand Pooh-Bah (3,138) Aug 29, 2014 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I moved to Indiana about three months ago and have been getting to know the local craft scene. I have enjoyed a few Flat 12 beers on draft (Pogue's Run, primarily), but I hadn't been impressed enough, relative to other breweries, to buy any from my local bottle shops. I can say that this thread is not encouraging me to do so any time soon. :astonished:
     
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