Deceptive Volume - Misleading For Consumers

This one is a 9.6 oz nitro can too, but it's only 4.7%: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16315/218090/

Guessing there's some reason these similar style cans are 9.6 oz; not 12 oz, 11.2 oz, etc. and I don't think it has to do with ABV.

 

I've been railing against all the oddball size formats for years. Welcome to the battles!

 

https://www.stbcbeer.com/beer/chocolate-milkshake/

"Note: 12oz cans contain 9.6 oz of liquid due to the integrated nitro technology in each can."

 

So. Are they selling a 9.6oz can as a 12oz can? When the consumer reads the package, what are they lead to expect: 12 ounces of beer or 9.6 ounces?

 

The packaging Clearly states "4x9.6 FL oz cans"....

 

Then shame on the consumer. If we don't buy 'em, they'll stop making them.

 

I for one have no problem at all with this for larger ABV beers, the package clearly states it is 9.6 oz, even though the can maybe the same size. They should hook up with Guiness, it only took them .8 oz for their widget in their Nitro IPA, but man that was a bad beer

 

"Nitro" "Chocolate" and "Vanilla" on the label would have been enough to dissuade me from buying it before I even got to the fine print on the side of the can that reads "VOLUME - 9.6 FL. OZ.".

Gotta laugh at that ST webpage for the beer "...with notes of milk chocolate, vanilla...". Well, yeah, I guess so - if you add actual chocolate, vanilla bean and chocolate and vanilla flavors* to the brew, I'd expect those flavor "notes" to be evident.

*As the TTB COLA label reads, unlike the one pictured on the website.

Well, the Southern Tier logo alone would have been all I needed to not even pick it up off the shelf.

(Yes, many years ago I bought a bottle of their Crème Brûlée. "I don't know what's going on with these flavored malt liquors from so-called craft brewers..." I might have said to myself, as I literally drain-poured it. But, sadly, it has become a frequent refrain - but wisely, now only when reading about them or seeing them on the shelf. No money is ever exchanged.)

 

Should the brewery be labeling the cans as 9.6 oz 'plus' foam? It sounds like the filling process might create a foam head inside the can to keep the void area from filling with destructive air (oxygen).

 

So, is the can the physical size of a standard 12oz can, but contains only 9.6oz of beer? That's as deceptive as potato chip bags.

 

I imagine that a "Nitro" beer is going to be canned in such a manner that the can is both purged with nitrogen (common in all sorts of packaging these days for lots of different products) and sealed under pressure with nitrogen - that's if they don't also use some sort of widget that would also take up space in the can. Would be interesting to shake a can of the stuff - a true "short fill" is definitely easy to hear.

Plus, is there any true carbonation in a "nitro" packaged beer? Without it, I don't think they'd get much foam in the first place.

 

This is not deceptive - it's a technological limitation.

I've heard many gripe about Southern Tier's S'More's Nitro beer, but the problem is not with the producer but within the technology. It's a standard 12oz can that loses a little over 2oz of capacity to fit the nitrogen ball or 'widget' according to this HowStuffWorks article. Consumers purchasing cans of Guinness encounter the same scenario - a larger can size (16.9oz) with less beer (14.9oz); however, in all cases the packaged amount of beer is labeled.

In regards to labeling, I would be more in favor of a larger font size requirement when it comes to ABV and volume.

 

You clearly noticed that it was "Nitro" so how did you think it could be a Nitro beer without the nitro device taking up some of the 12 oz in the can? I think this one is on you not the labeling.

 

It's only partly a technological limitation. If they wanted to use the 12 oz size as a benchmark, they could have easily gone with a 14.4 oz can that contains 12 oz of beer. They decided to opt for reducing the amount of beer instead.

I'm not saying it's deceptive, but it's not like the brewery didn't have the option of continuing to sell 12 oz of beer.

 

Does anyone produce a 14.4 oz. can?

 

There is nothing easy about buying and filling cans.

The brewery is not buying a pallet of cans like they could with bottles. They are buying a huge order and it is unlikely any small to mid size brewery would be willing to load up on an odd size can just for one production run.

Then when they do have this unique product they have to get everything associated with it to fit as well.

So for practicality sake I think ST is making a valid business decision sticking with one can format.
And to be fair, the label does clearly state the volume in ounces.
Cheers

 

Southern Tier uses BALL cans (logo bottom right, in leftside image) and they don't list one for the North American market.

 

Plus this would have to be some kind of custom run for the can manufacturer since it's not a commonly produced size. If it's even possible, it would be outrageously expensive.

 

Use a 16.9 oz can, put a 2nd widget in it and call it 'Double Nitro'.