beer date question

The product is within the good range for the canning dates. But IPA and APA beers are best when less than 6 months old. Other styles remain fresh longer. I would find a vendor with fresher stock.

 

Stouts and Porters handle age much better than hoppier beers such as IPAs and Pale Ales. I don't even check dates on Stouts and Porters, but you do want the freshest IPAs and Pale Ales that you can find, even if it costs more.

 

Sierra Nevada says:

 

JK,

A few weeks ago I took a tour of the Sierra Nevada Mills River, NC brewery. The tour guide was very well educated. During the tour one person on the tour asked the guide how long their beers are 'good' for. The tour guide started out by saying that some of the beers would lost a long time (e.g., Narwhal) but for their core beers he quoted the 150 days value. He made zero mention of the storage conditions associated with this value. Maybe he just forgot to mention it? Or...?

Cheers!

 

I always use the 90 day rule for IPA and less for NEIPA. Other styles I am not so worried about but I like my IPA fresh. We all enjoy things differently so it really comes down to your taste buds. Honestly if I saw SN Pale or Torpedo from March of 2017 I would not buy it, there is no excuse for that being on shelf other than store owner peddling old stock to people. SN in AZ is always pretty fresh, they keep the stock rotating so never have much of this issue with them here.

 

I thought this was going to be about going on a beer drinking date.

Still could be as I have a real tough time reading the OP

Enjoy

 

Your post is a bit confusing, but I'll respond to what I think you're saying/asking. Ignore whatever "Google says." If you bought the beer already, and it tastes good to you, then it's good regardless of the date. Don't stress about it. Regarding future purchases, I (personally) would have no concerns buying SNPA/Torpedo from October, but I would not purchase any from March (regardless of packaging format or storage conditions in either case).

 

"...When stored under optimal conditions..." is just understood, isn't it?

Well, you know, it's "understood" --- except by most distributors, retailers and many beer drinkers and ignored by too many brewers.

Unless the brewer and distributor have a contract with industry standard language such as:

... and even without such a clause, any self-respecting brewery would have the beer pulled, just as any dairy or bakery would not allow retailers sell their stale, out-of-code products.

Granted, self-respecting retailers should also not keep the old stock on their shelves but they probably get tired of tripping over all the out-of-code beer if they keep it "in the back"...

 

Unfortunately, some retailers seem unwilling to pull old beer off the shelves and send it back to the distributor or - understandably - write it off. They correctly assume that eventually some unwitting sucker will buy it without checking and correctly interpreting dates. But - those customers may check the dates after they consume the crappy old beer, and will vote with their feet and wallet, and not come back.

When the retailer keeps the old beer, it is at the front of the shelf while the new stock ages behind it or in the storeroom - like grocery stores do with old produce. This just perpetuates the problem, ensuring that anything not selling hand over fist - like AB InBev - will be old. Really comes down to retailers not wanting to confront distributors and risk hurting the relationship. So they pass the beer on to unsuspecting customers who over time catch on and stop shopping there. Some stores turn into craft museums void of craft customers, but are kept alive by liquor, wine and macro sales.

 

So, you have a store(s) near you that doesn't have lots of old beer on their shelves that you can shop at instead? If so, lucky you!!

Cheers!

P.S. I wonder how that store(s) is able to consistently obtain a broad selection of fresh beer since it would seem that this retailer is confrontational with the wholesale distributors?

 

A little more clarification. I am not for sue if my definitions are the exact same as the industry.

Canning time is the time that ANY product is considered useable. That is the life cycle of the can, usually when the can has started leaking a nominal amount, the 6 month - 2 year range.

Freshness time is the range for optimal drinking. This is determined by the brewer. Most beer styles should be consumed within 6 months of the canning date. Not all manufacturers will reveal this info. Today's IPAs should be consumed in 3-4 months for optimal flavor.

 

So, you're saying it's normal for a can to start leaking in 6-24 months? I've never seen this, or is the leak so minuscule that it's not easily spotted, losing CO2?

 

Yeah, I have had Ten Fidys that were years old and there was zero signs of leakage and the carbonation was normal.

 

As an admitted Sierra Nevada devotee, I've never had any really off tasting SN until the other day. A September dated stray Pale Ale that I found in the beer pantry and threw in the fridge. Dumped it out after the first sip. I'm thinking I might have bought these cold initially and somehow it was put in the pantry by my girlfriend and sat there until I found it. No fault of SN or the retailer on this one. Never had SN more than a month old before. So no, it does not keep well.

 

Yeah, I've got a full steel can of Schlitz, circa 1955, and a full aluminum can of Miller Ale from the early '70s. No leaks.
(Don't know about the carbonation --- and not about to find out ).

You routinely get SNPA within 2 weeks or less of leaving the brewery, in Maine?
SNPA is bottle conditioned, and sits in the brewery for 2 weeks before it is even ready to ship.

 

[QUOTE="jesskidden, post: 5792584,



You routinely get SNPA within 2 weeks or less of leaving the brewery, in Maine?
SNPA is bottle conditioned, and sits in the brewery for 2 weeks before it is even ready to ship.[/QUOTE]

Yes we do believe it or not. At least within a month of the packages being dated.We
even have electricity and horseless carriages. The whole town gets together when the locomotive brings the mail once every six months. I'm sending this reply via telegraph, you should receive it sometime next year.

 

I think what he was implying is that due to distance it would take additional time to get to you there in South Canada.

 

Over two weeks from North Carolina to Maine? The interstate highway system has been around for 60-70 years.
I mean come on, Lewis and Clark aren't delivering it on a pack mule.
I like the South Canada comment by the way.
Maine: Sure it's cold, but it's a damp cold.

 

Practical experience leads me quickly away from most hoppy beers that are at two months old. I can honestly say HT ages beautifully, most don't. I can buy super fresh IPAs and such, to be honest if they're over 30 days I've no need to buy it. If it's not dated forget it. Yes I'm a date snob I admit it.