I have noticed a number of beers lately from new breweries with no canning date. However, at the bottom of can are numbers which stand out- and are difficult to read- only in the light. Is this a new method? For example, a can I drank tonight had the raised aluminum numbers 2 7 etched out on the bottom. It would seem to me that the older method may be less expensive and easier to read. Comments?
As far as I know, the embossed numbers have nothing to do with canning dates. I think they are there to help identify the certain type of can (shape, size, etc.) maybe to an inspector or some mechanism on the canning line itself to know which can you're calibrating the machine for. You can find the numbers on the bottoms of all types of bi-metal aluminum drink cans regardless of the contents.
You can kind of see an embossed number on this can of Yeti. Easier to see when there's no canning date but who the hell wants that!?!?
I notice that some brewers put a date on the lip near the bottom of the can. A few Wyoming brewers do that.
Oh yea there's different ways breweries date things that aren't all equal (some on the bottom corner, top corner, on the label, under the can, on top of the "can snap" carriers), but I was saying that if there's no date at all, it's problematic.
I remember reading that it’s not expensive to put the canning date on the can. So what’s the issue? The brewery doesn’t care? It’s crucial to know when an IPA was canned.
Is there any notion when it expires ('best before')? Over here I think that is mandatory, canning date optional.
In the US, it is optional for breweries to list either the packaging or a "best before" date (or, rarely, both). Those that do choose the latter method pick their own suggested shelf life period, sometimes differing it depending on beer style.
Those raised/embossed numbers on the can are most likely from the manufacturing facility to identify where/when that can was produced. I know glass bottles are manufactured with identifying numbers, so I'm assuming can producers would be doing the same.
That's the mold number of the cupper in the can making process. These are not can codes for beer dating. If you take a black light to the can you might be able to find other can manufacturing data that is on the bottom in UV coating.
