So I recieved a package in the mail today from someone who unfortunately didn't get his share of a trade out in time last week and as a result was in the hands of FedEx over the weekend. Anyway, upon opening it, I know right away there is a problem. As I dig through the mess, I find this: I also found this: (the bottom of the can is bowing out and the can is ready to explode) My question to you all is, was this caused by heat? My assumption is yes but I'm not sure. There must have been an incredible amount of pressure to cause the whole top of the can to explode off. Fortunately, these cans were extras. However, what I'm concerned about is, if heat was the cause (if it was it must have been pretty damn hot in there to make a can explode), should I be worried about the other beers (most importantly the ones that were the basis of the trade) beeing ruined due to the heat.
My guess is yes. I've left soda cans in the car on accident during the summer -- that's exactly what they looked like. As for the rest of your beers...I think they'll be fine. I'd still drink them sooner rather than later though just to be safe. This is one of the downsides to the great canning movement. I like my beer just fine in bottles.
Question, please, if I am not off topic. I see what happened to the poor soul on his shipped beer, but I am about to make my first buy of SNPA in cans, bring it home, and drink it pretty quickly. Is there any downside to the can experience at all? I promise not to ship it to the Sahara.
Yeah, I'm guessing the inside of whatever trucks carry these packages must get way hotter than 100 degrees depending on region. Also, don't forget that the U.S. recently had its hottest week ever recorded!
Yes, definitely heat. I'm stopping my trades for the rest of the summer. It's just been way too hot out and worrying about irreplaceable beer isn't worth the hassle. Or ruining the quality of it.
I would have to say that your bottled beers from the trade should be fine. Did the heat potentially degrade the beer's overall quality? Maybe. Did it degrade it to the point where you would notice a difference side-by-side with a non-heated bottle? Probably not. But like Mavajo said- drink sooner rather than later, UNLESS they're cellar-able beers, in which case they should be fine to put away. I'm interested to see what others think, but this is my understanding.
Drink them, only one way to find out. In my humble opinion this is the risk you run with trading. As long as the beer landed seemingly fine, I would not ask my trading partner for any replacement. Nor would I entertain anyone who asks me.
Oh, I'm not planning on asking for any replacement. I was just curious/worried about whether the quality of the main beers might be affected. Just to clarify to everyone, the two beers I'm concerned about are a BA Boris and a BBp5th. Sounds to me from what everyone is saying is that they should be fine. That being said, I'll probably not sit on them for too long before I drink them just to be safe.
I have shipped coconut porter in worse heat (last summer in TX with 110 degree days) with no explosions but I always shipped at the beginning of the week to avoid the beer sitting in heat over the weekend.
I had a box go out last week, on a two day schedule shipment ... had a few cans in it...2 Westbrook arrive in similar shape...1 exploded, the other was very close to popping ...
I shipped 4 plastic jugs of Good People, Cigar City and local stuff from Huntsville to Tacoma last summer along with some cans. Oh boy what a mess that was... I recently had a glass growler of FW Pils sent to me from my BA buddy in Paso R, CA(FW brewery) and it was vacuumed sealed, taped and sealed like a champ but two days in heat made the growler expand loosening the seals, then it shrinks when it chills and then we had a mess. I have learned not to trade in Summer time unless I am sending it to the North Pole.
