New Beer Sunday (Week 703)

I am MUCH too late to begin, but CAN I end this thing?
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22150/226833/?ba=woodychandler#review

 

Hey all, understand some of the questions and concerns on can'd on dates in the thread so I will provide insights on our approach to proper shelf-life. Just providing our view.

First, managing can'd on dates and market freshness as a brewery
We are very confident in our canning operation and we consistently are hitting world class DO (in the range of 20 ppb or lower - for those not aware of what this means it is good and up there with the macro breweries for quality control) so kept cold our cans have a very stable shelf life. We also do sensory testing on them as they age to make sure they are staying in spec. Stored cold they are going to be good for 150 to 180 days no problem. IPAs we would prefer be drank fresh in 30-60 days. Usually on those dates are not an issue since they sell out very quickly. It's pretty common to find 7-14 day can'd on dates of our IPAs in our home distribution market. Also, anyone that ever has an issue with beer purchased from the brewery can return it no questions asked if they have a concern. That happens about once a year.

We will make something like 15 lagers this year. We can them all too. Most see distribution and are sold at the brewery. Some sell quickly - Pils, Kolsch, and Dunkel for example are made regularly year round. Our seasonal releases sell at different speeds from fast to taking a few months to clear because there is only so much demand. Why do we can them all if we know some are slower sellers? Well some releases are smaller, but it is a labor of love and being dedicated to spreading the awareness of lager styles that is very important to us as a brewery. I mean you don't see many Rauchbiers in a can for example.

Second, general concerns about can'd on dates & beer freshness in market.
Unfortunately not all breweries are able to can beer at the same level of quality. There are a lot of breweries that are canning beer poorly (high DO is just one issue) and of course a lot of beer is stored warm which is another issue. The result of these two issues lead a lot bad beer and fo the people shying away from any and all beer once it is over a certain age. That age depends on the style a bit. It also should depend on the brewery is you are aware of their track record and abilities. I use this approach myself at times when I don't know a brewery well or have questions about how it was stored. Leading breweries with a proper QC lab and process can make very shelf stable beers.

Anyway, that is how we look at things knowing our own capabilities and past performance. I did trade message with the OP as I think he found me after this post and I provided a shorter version of this response including I just enjoyed one of the Spring release Marzen's myself last week.