Brewed by date vs. Best by date

Makes me wonder about all the Oktoberfest beer sitting on cargo ships halfway across the Atlantic right about now. I had a HP today and it’s new on the floor and it’s already 4 months old.

 

I think this question is best answered by asking “How much do you trust the brewery?” Personally, I think a best by date is superior IF the brewery is honest and bases their best by date on scientific testing. The attitude of “I’ll be the judge of when the beer is best” is actually a little strange to me because if the brewery is operating with integrity in this regard, they’ve already done the work for you. I might be jaded on this as my experience in the commercial setting has been extremely frustrating...

When we were about to can our first batches in Tombstone, I had done several tests on our beers using mostly forced aging tests. That meant keeping beers in excess of 100°F and rattled constantly (I put them in the bed of my truck and on paint shakers) and assuming that 3 days in those conditions was the equivalent of 3 months in the refrigerator. Those results were compared to beers aged in ideal conditions (refrigerated and still) and I determined that our beers were best if consumed in less than 8 weeks. So we put both a canned on date and a best by date on our cans. Best by was actually 6 weeks even though I tested our beers as being good for 8 weeks after packaging. Wet hop beers got a 4 week best by date. Our Total Packaged Oxygen is impeccable due to our method of canning directly from unitanks and our canning line’s ability to introduce less than 25 ppb of oxygen. Back then we also delivered our beer to all our accounts on the same day it was packaged. Now it gets delivered 2 days after canning unless accounts pick up their allocation at the brewery, but it stays refrigerated the entire time.

Our printer ran into issues and we stopped dating for a while with the thought that it would be a temporary situation until we sorted out the printer. But we started noticing that we had people drinking 6 month old beer (which they purchased on the day of canning) and raving about it and other people that complained saying our quality control must suck if our best by dates were so soon after the packaging date. We unwittingly planted into people’s minds that we were bad at brewing by being honest about our dates and then other people simply didn’t care how old the beer was. The whole experience was maddening and I started thinking it was best to not date the beers since the ones that need to be drank fresh sell out so fast anyways.

 

But you guys are back together right?

 

I made my comments on this topic earlier and felt no nead to restate them and did not.

My real concern is when folks make assertions that I don't understand. Thus my post was simply to ask a question so as to learn from you how the packaged on date was a better source of information about handling of the beer than the best by date. What I do personally is very similar to what you have stated for yourself. Sorry to have bothered you by asking a question.

 

We have not resumed dating. I just got the supplies to fix the printer, but I’m not sure it’s worth doing it to be honest.

 

I'd suggest that may be fine while selling only to people local and who already trust you or will vouch for the quality of the product. If there are plans of future expansion of distribution footprint, i'd suggest reconsidering the idea of dating just on general principles.

 

With the way things seem to be going, I think she's worth it in the long run.

 

I think that is 100% accurate. Right now, it’s easy for the people that follow us to figure out when we package. It’s also highly predictable... 125 cases of 3 different beers every other Saturday. If we were to expand, it would be necessary to give more info.

 

If you were to expand consider Philly for a few kegs.

We do manage to get RR in some carefully selected bars and some of us would love the opportunity to try your beers on tap. @JackHorzempa and others on here could give you the name of a few places that really do know how to care for their beer.

 

I'm seriously considering opening a daily thread similar to WBAYDN now called "Old Beer Shaming" where you take a pic and call out the venue.

 

It is very easy to know, you always post up when you canning so knowing when it was made is easy. Plus we all pretty much know your canning schedule lol so were spoiled. I totally agree with the trust factor. I know without a doubt you don't put out bad products and are as concerned with how your beer is stored and transported as the rest of us are. That goes a long way with me and I am sure a lot of folks because we know the beer is going to be fresh and enjoyable. I just wish every brewer thought the same way you do. I know a lot are just saying it would be sweet if it was the norm for everyone.
Cheers

 

I wondered what happened with the dates, now I know lol. Like you mentioned I just go online to see when you canned and that works.

 

Beat ya do it the other day, when someone complained about a revived "old beer" thread (well, the suggestion anyway - made sarcastically):

 

While both dates are nice, at least give me the package date. And make the damn thing legible. If in a box I better see the date(s) on the outside of the box or else

 

So, seems like a lot of legitimate problems brought up in this thread, but I have solutions!

Every package should come with a packaged on date.

Every package should come with a TPO number.

There should be a blank space where, every step of the way the amount of time spent in refrigeration after leaving the brewery and amount of time spent at room temp can be added to the package so we know this info.

The problem of a beer put for sale too soon can easily be solved simply by daily sampling at the brewery by a panel of tasters who will give the thumbs up when the beer is no longer "green" and ready for distro.

Of course consumers won't know what TPO means, or how to judge it, so a pamphlet that explains it can be attached to each package.

Of course distributors may lie about whether a beer is in fridge or at room temp in their storage, and delivery truck drivers and beer stores can do the same thing, and no one would know, so new technology can be invented easily, and put in use to accurately record these temperatures as a small device attached to each package.

Of course, the tasting panel would give the thumbs up that it is no longer green, but by the time it reaches retail it might be too old, so a time machine can be used to go back in time the exact amount of time it will take the beer to reach retail.

Easy peasy.

Personally I am okay with just a packaged on date, but I guess I am guilty of the charge of being too easily satisfied. YMMV

 

Nicely said in many ways. I too can live with a packaged on date for a beer, but I am not the least knowledgeable purchaser of most of the beers I buy when grocery shopping. Then, one day, I ask myself, “Which is the most common date on the products meant for human consumption (eg food but notBrillo Pads) when shopping at the grocery store?” So I look, record, and then compare how many packaged on dates, how many are undated, how many have best by dates and how many have both? There was a clear winner. Then, if I were a brewer, I ask myself, “will most of my sales that keep the lights on be in grocery stores or in specialty bottle shops? Then I wonder which date seems best....?