Can Inventory Running Low Nationwide

I haven't heard about any shortages with the 12 and 16 ounce cans, but I know some of the breweries in my area have switched back and forth between the 32 and 25.4 ounce crowler cans due to their availability over the past few months.

 

As soon as all this started and breweries started canning everything I wondered if this was going to happen. This is the first I’ve read it officially. I wonder if smaller breweries will start having to look for other options. I’m guessing the bigger orders:breweries get filled first but I’m not sure how these things work.

 

not cans but a local that puts everything in 16 oz cans is using the date stamp section to specify beers right now. Not sure whether they can't get more labels for the correct brand or what

 

Yes I have been wanting to drag out my growlers, but if the brewery charges me $20 for 4x16 packaging, I don't expect the pay $20 for a growler fill. I just get stubborn on this sometimes, it just doesn't make sense to me. And yes the smaller breweries are having a can shortage from what I am seeing here in Houston, mainly the twist tops.

 

Yeah I got got by that the other day. I thought I was buying The Booth’s west coast style IPA Kukmin, but when I poured the beer it was their hazy citra hop ale. That was not what I wanted. They should at least put a sticker on the can so we know what we’re buying.

 

It's all my fault...

 

Yes, Major shortages have been going on for months. Metal Container Corp, Ball Corp, Crown Cork and Seal, and Ardagah are all stretched to meet demand. You cant simply produce enough cans and lids to meet the demand. When you lose 50 million draft servings a day due to Corona Virus and that volume moves to cans. You see the problem, cans are being brought in from Mexico and even Europe into the United States. Even Pepsi and Coke are not producing off brands to concentrate on core offerings. Costco in my town hasn't had Diet Coke stocked for 4 weeks.

 

Great, yet another reason to be upset about the rise of White Claw and other hard seltzers. First they commandeered all the shelf space, now they’re hoarding all the cans? When will it end???

 

Maybe we'll start to see a return to growler and squealer fills. I have so many unused that I hate to just throw in the recycling bin.

 

I honestly hope the result is more beer in bottles. I know cans are cooler and if you can get the liquid in the can effectively it’s a more stable package but a lot of smaller breweries beer would probably benefit from going into a bottle as it’s easier to get lower TPO levels initially on bottling lines that cost even less than canning lines.

Definitely seen some breweries that can putting beer in 12oz bottles agin. Burial and Fonta Flora to name a few. (Clear and green 12oz bottles at that) Casey is packaging fresh IPA in 750s (I’d imagine they have a glut of them). Love the 500ml bottles Ferment in Hood River uses.

 

The can shortage is Obama's fault!!

 

Problem is how many months will it be before breweries start filling old growlers, due to Covid? And I'm sure some are using it as a crutch to charge for more new growler glass, but fortunately it appears most of the locals are charging cost if anything to move their new growlers. Not like the ridiculous +$5 upcharge (or worse for the flip top style growlers like my old Hill Farmstead glass)

 

It does seem odd that the article didn't say one lick about bottles...

 

Too soon bro...

 

"YES WE CAN! (but not if we run out of 'em)"

 

Craft breweries don't seem to care about bottles. I can't remember the last time I heard that a brewery installed a bottling line. They are a number of mobile canning lines in NJ. Don't know of a single mobile bottling line.