Testing cans by flicking them

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by AnotherWeasley, Aug 25, 2019.

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  1. AnotherWeasley

    AnotherWeasley Initiate (0) Aug 4, 2011 Illinois

    Back in my early '20s in my heyday of partying, a friend showed me a trick to see if a beer was good, bad, or going bad. Basically you hold the can with your thumb and forefinger and flick it. depending on the sound, he could tell if a beer was good, going bad, or outright bad.

    A good beer with have a bit of chime to it, a bad beer with have this kinda thud to it. and for the ones going bad, the ring of the chime would tell how close to bad it was.

    Am I the only one that knows/does this?
     
    #1 AnotherWeasley, Aug 25, 2019
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  2. Snowcrash000

    Snowcrash000 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,041) Oct 4, 2017 Germany
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Surely, you can't be serious?
     
    #2 Snowcrash000, Aug 25, 2019
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  3. lester619

    lester619 Initiate (0) Apr 17, 2009 Wisconsin

    Just like a watermelon. I've always flicked the top of the can before I popped it. I think the idea was to knock down some of the bubbles so they don't spill over. I know it doesn't actually accomplish anything, it's just a habit and it kind of looks cool. I'm sure the melon test is no different.
     
    #3 lester619, Aug 25, 2019
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2019
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  4. AnotherWeasley

    AnotherWeasley Initiate (0) Aug 4, 2011 Illinois

    Mostly. But seriously, try it. The friend of mine tested it one night and handed me two beers. One with the thud. one with a chime to it. The one with the thud was skunked. I use to do it at parties.
     
    #4 AnotherWeasley, Aug 25, 2019
  5. AnotherWeasley

    AnotherWeasley Initiate (0) Aug 4, 2011 Illinois

    Kinda the same deal. the idea of holding between your thumb and forefinger was to hear the ping. You can also hold it by the top rim and do it.
     
    #5 AnotherWeasley, Aug 25, 2019
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  6. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    Going mad, no but there are problems with that idea of ticking.

    What does Bad, or going bad mean?

    Beer doesn’t spoil, it just ages. Ticking won’t tell you how old the contents are.

    Cans can get punctures. So beer can drain out unnoticed, but an empty can doesn’t mean bad beer..
     
    #6 drtth, Aug 25, 2019
  7. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    Actually, he might well be.... word of mouth only can lead to...
     
    #7 drtth, Aug 25, 2019
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  8. AnotherWeasley

    AnotherWeasley Initiate (0) Aug 4, 2011 Illinois

    You're right, it doesn't spoil and does go bad. and that what this tests. when you flick the can while holding it by the top and bottom rim, you hear a resonance ring out. a fresh/good beer with sound like a higher pitched chime. the beer going bad will have a lower tone in the chime. The beer that's gone bad/skunked won't chime and have a thud.

    Sounds ridiculous but it works.
     
    #8 AnotherWeasley, Aug 25, 2019
  9. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    Canned beer does not skunk though.
     
    #9 drtth, Aug 25, 2019
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  10. AnotherWeasley

    AnotherWeasley Initiate (0) Aug 4, 2011 Illinois

    No, but you can definitely tell if it's off with cheaper beer though. Small batch, craft stuff, and "premium" doesn't really apply.
     
    #10 AnotherWeasley, Aug 25, 2019
  11. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    Well, your gonna need a bit more data to convince this crowd...:slight_smile:

    So, clarify what does “bad” mean.
     
    #11 drtth, Aug 25, 2019
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  12. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    Ahh, but you first said it was skunked... but it can’t be skunked, soooo....

    Strike one.. :slight_smile:
     
    #12 drtth, Aug 25, 2019
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  13. AnotherWeasley

    AnotherWeasley Initiate (0) Aug 4, 2011 Illinois

    "Bad" means that it doesn't taste fresh and has some funk on it, in a similar way a skunked beer tastes. It can vary from can to can in a pack. I don't really know how else to explain it. I can grab a few cans and record the sounds I get if that would be considered data?
     
    #13 AnotherWeasley, Aug 25, 2019
  14. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    Have you retested this blind, I.e., without knowing whether the beer was less expensive or higher priced? And then done it with many different beer and cans, and been consistently right many more times than not?

    If not... strike two. :slight_smile:
     
    #14 drtth, Aug 25, 2019
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  15. AnotherWeasley

    AnotherWeasley Initiate (0) Aug 4, 2011 Illinois

    I've done it with Keystone Ice to Heineken. So not quite blind, but moreso being at a party or hanging with friends and grabbing whatever was in the fridge.
     
    #15 AnotherWeasley, Aug 25, 2019
  16. lester619

    lester619 Initiate (0) Apr 17, 2009 Wisconsin

    I say if you're happy flicking, by all means flick away.
     
    #16 lester619, Aug 25, 2019
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  17. dcotom

    dcotom Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,637) Aug 4, 2014 Iowa
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Skunking occurs as a result of a reaction between certain compounds in beer and ultraviolet light (TL;DR version). This cannot happen with canned beer unless the cans are transparent, in which case all bets are off.
     
    #17 dcotom, Aug 25, 2019
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  18. AnotherWeasley

    AnotherWeasley Initiate (0) Aug 4, 2011 Illinois

    Okay, so I'm in the wrong for saying cans can skunk. I'll accept that. I don't have another word for it aside from it tasting "bad".
     
    #18 AnotherWeasley, Aug 25, 2019
  19. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,145) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    When I was a bouncer at bars in a college town in the 80s and 90s we used to use that same "flicking" technique to determine who was old enough to drink. Then the women starting using tons of hair spray and later the guys took to using lots of hair gel and it didn't work, so we checked ID's after that. Not nearly as much fun but, on the plus side, we didn't have to wash our hands as often, which used to piss the boss off.

    "Where you going now, Kidden?"
    (Showing my outstretched hands, palms out).
    "Just another manual, sanitary break, boss."
     
    #19 jesskidden, Aug 25, 2019
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  20. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    In a group, not quite blind,... with other folks there as well...

    Not in the right ball park for blind..
     
    #20 drtth, Aug 25, 2019
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