Tool for Checking / Deciphering Date Codes?

That's not good enough? A packaging date is the "bottled/canned on" date (unless it's a mixed pack of some sort). Pretty standard location for a date code - brewers, wholesalers and retailers don't want to tear open a case to see how old the beer is, after all. And usually it's a lot easier to read that the ones stamped on the glass. I know its the first place I look.

 

I have the Fresh Beer App on my phone but don't know if it is updated at all. Probably not now that the website is dead anyways.
You should still be able to download the app. though. Has anyone tried since the website went away?

 

Last time I deciphered the code on a bottle of Lagunitas Sucks, it translated to "Be Sure to Drink Your Ovaltine". I was so mad, I went home and accidently shot my eye out with a Red Ryder BB gun!

 

It certainly does me no good as a customer if I never get to see it. Once the beer is unpackaged and shelved those cartons are taken away. I just happened to be there when the shipment arrived.

 

if it's a Julian date code, Excel has a deciphering equation. Factory I interned at had julian dates so we used the excel functionality to decipher quickly

 

If it's a Julian code you should be able to get it down to +_ a week or so in your head. If you don't need precision you could just remember that June 1 is 152 and decide from there.

 

I estimate what the number on the bottle would be divided by 30. That gives me an idea of what month I'm looking at

 

A quick search on your phone wtih the term 'Julian calander' or something like that easily gets you a table with the exact date. I do that all the time for Ballast Point which is unfortunately rarely fresh in these parts.

That being said the 'best buy' dates (example: Six Point) drive me crazy to determine freshness without a good tool which I definitely lack. So typically I don't buy them because half the time I get home to find out I have a six month old IPA.

 

I'm of the opinion that any date is better than none on a beer. But everyone hates Julian dating for some reason, and I don't understand it.

As a preface, I can do the math in my head (I majored in the subject, so it's probably a prerequisite) and I've contracted with the Navy a lot over a couple decades, and they use Julian dating quite a bit.

In my opinion, I can see why breweries might prefer it. It uses less ink and is a friendly date format across the world.

Curious what other opinions are... Perhaps I should have set this up as a poll for some real fun.

 

I honestly thought it was some sort of gibberish until a few months ago.

 

I'd add in that Julian dating also seems to be the dating system of choice used in computerized inventory tracking software.

 

I've also seen some hate for the almost universal system (outside the US) of using DD/MM/YY (rather than MM/DD/YY which is still the norm in the US, except of course for the millions of folks in miltary service).

So I'd suggest it's a combination of "rarely encountered" with "lack of knowledge" that generates most of the hate.

 

I don't understand why criticism of {pick your subject, any subject} is called "hate"? There is a vast distance between annoyance and hate.

That said, all the rationalization in the world does not address the fact that the Julian dating system in manufacturing is for the convenience of the manufacturer in issues like batch identification, inventory control, tracking, etc. It is not and never was intended for consumer information.

The fact that some people have the magic decoder ring in their head for all of the variations on the system does not change the criticism... brewers need to put clearly read critical consumer information on their bottles / cans, including the date of bottling.

We have a local brewer who puts the date code on the case box only. So, we're supposed to be grateful for the opportunity to rummage through the store's back room to find the date?

In the big picture, this is a small issue, but it is an annoyance for me.

 

I would rather there be a Julian code than nothing, but putting a Julian code on the bottle puts the burden on the customer to decipher it. Even if it isn't difficult to figure out (which it isn't), it's in the company's best interest to make it as easy as possible for the customer to make an informed decision. Julian dates just add a step for the consumer.

 

Why do some folks today talk about "go to beer" or say "My bad?"

 

The IPA drinker in a confused spiral in the liquor store in early July: Should I buy a beer labeled 010716 or pass?

 

I have no problem with Julian dating and wouldn't mind if all Breweries used it. My irritation comes from having to use a flashlight and magnifying glass to find the damn thing.

 

Well, speaking of "my bad"... that one I DO hate!

 

How does it use less ink?