655632 Mon Sep 28 17:58:45 -0700 2009 35 35 Beer 0 5065379 I've noticed that some craft breweries are now putting their beer in cans because it seems to travel better than bottles and might be easier to dispose of and perhaps better for the environment. Still, there seems to be a stigma attached to can beer compared with bottles. Have you tried good beer in a can? Is there a difference? Do you think cans will ever catch on in a big way among craft brewers? Is can phobia real or irrational? Mon Sep 28 17:58:45 -0700 2009 74192 chuckl 1 5065465 Surly Brewing in Minneapolis sells their beer in four packs of pint cans. From what I've heard they do occasionally do bottles for limited releases, but I had a their Furious in a can and it was one of the best beers I've ever had. I wouldn't drink it from the can, but I didn't mind it coming in one. While I haven't tried any of their beers yet, I've heard that Oskar Blues puts out some very good beers, and they use cans as well. Mon Sep 28 18:36:04 -0700 2009 5065379 323691 writergeek313 2 5065522 While i cant say that there has always been a glass around into which to pour my delicious canned surlys, that is most certainly the idea, if the statement "beer from a can, for a glass" on the side didnt tip you off. drinking from cans is definitely a second-rate experience, but unless youre out at an event its a problem that is decidedly easy to solve. the can doesn't ruin the beer, it ruins drinking the beer. distributors are more likely to lead the push as they dont have to worry about bottles breaking in transport, if you ask me. Mon Sep 28 18:55:59 -0700 2009 5065465 108056 tex.s.toast 3 5065612 I pour my beer into a glass, can or bottle. Why does a can ruin drinking the beer? I've had lots of Oskar Blues and Sly Fox cans and I think they are very good. I don't think these are the same cans our dads used to drink their schlitz out of. Mon Sep 28 19:42:38 -0700 2009 5065522 225944 Paulomet 4 5066993 Don't forget Dales. Recently in Spain I had a most definite impression that store bought cans were fresher than bottles when drinking Voll Damm, Estrella, Mahou etc. Not always, but often enough... Tue Sep 29 10:28:04 -0700 2009 5065612 73175 Flaco 5 5067047 Certainly cans would seem to eliminate the problem of skunking that happens in bottles, but there seems to be a stigma attached to cans, at least by some people, that you simply can't get good beer in a can. I don't think that's true, but then again, you don't see breweries all of a sudden ditching their bottles en masse and replacing them with cans Tue Sep 29 10:45:48 -0700 2009 5066993 74192 chuckl 6 5067195 if more cans become available, and I'm sure this will be the case, people might get past the stigma as they get used to the idea. I don't think it's much of an issue except at nicer restaurants, say. In addition to the skunking issue, cans have less air, which means fresher beer. And I believe it's cheaper to can, which would encourage breweries to do it. Tue Sep 29 11:25:17 -0700 2009 5067047 10998 Jim Dorsch 7 5068251 As I understand it canning is cheaper than bottling. Moreover shipping is cheaper as well. However the change over costs are the prohibitive factor keeping breweries from switching from bottles to cans. Also consumers are creatures of habit. I'm sure some would be reluctant to drink their favorite bottled beer in a can. Having said that I buy pilsner in cans only. Been burnt too many times. Thanks Tue Sep 29 19:33:43 -0700 2009 5067195 26180 Chinon00 8 5088407 What Pilsners are you getting in cans ? Thu Oct 08 09:38:26 -0700 2009 5068251 180133 Saddleoflamb 9 5088632 You didn't ask me, but I have seen Bitburger and Pilsner Urquell in cans, and of course Mama's Little Yellow Pils from Oskar Blues. Thu Oct 08 10:46:22 -0700 2009 5088407 10998 Jim Dorsch 10 5088664 I'm quite impressed with Oskar Blues in cans, they make awesome beers and I don't thing the cans detract from the quality whatsoever Thu Oct 08 10:54:35 -0700 2009 5088632 74192 chuckl 9 5089315 Sly Fox Pikeland is top notch bone dry German pils in cans as well. Thu Oct 08 14:40:23 -0700 2009 5088407 26180 Chinon00 10 5106447 As of yet have not seen the Urquel.....have tried the Mama's and had mixed feelings....and have heard great things about Sly Fox, but as of today can't get in NC......I enjoyed the Dales Pale Ale......the first beer in forever that so very much suprised me straight from a can...... I personally think that if Sierra Nevada.......Stone......et al......put any of their beers in cans they would create a Tsunami of micro appreciation........ Thu Oct 15 15:37:27 -0700 2009 5089315 180133 Saddleoflamb 11 5130085 I agree that there would be an apprciation for more fine beers in cam. I wonder though how Sierra's flavor would be affected in canned form. Most of their beers are bottle conditioned...I wonder if that's even possible in a canned beer? Sun Oct 25 16:52:31 -0700 2009 5106447 116047 The Professor 12 5134469 Forgot about the bottle conditioning......and if similar results could be achieved in a can..... Tue Oct 27 09:23:26 -0700 2009 5130085 180133 Saddleoflamb 13 5134817 Southern Star in Texas cans their beers with yeast in the can. Not sure whether the process they use qualifies as can conditioning, however. Tue Oct 27 11:01:44 -0700 2009 5134469 10395 brentk 14 5160952 Wonder why else they would place yeast in the can, other than for further fermintation....krausening (is it)? Was just drinking a Bell's two hearted and was thinking it would be amazing to taste something like it out of a can on a hot summer day. Fri Nov 06 09:06:35 -0800 2009 5134817 180133 Saddleoflamb 15 5163318 I'm not sure if you're in their distribution area, but Ska Brewing's Modus Hoperandi comes in cans, and it's a very good IPA. Ironically, I just brought six-packs of that and Bell's Two Hearted back from a trip to Chicago, since I can't get either of them in upstate NY. Sat Nov 07 09:44:47 -0800 2009 5160952 323691 writergeek313 16 5163747 Haven't seen it yet in the bay area, but I'll look for it. Maybe with more craft beers available in cans, more breweries will expand their shipping radius. Wishful thinking, maybe. Sat Nov 07 13:53:24 -0800 2009 5163318 74192 chuckl 5 5072256 Dale's Pale Ale *is* an Oskar Blues brew - and it's probably my favorite APA to boot. Thu Oct 01 09:37:13 -0700 2009 5066993 90936 Kenji 1 5067166 At the beach, on a boat, and by the pool - times when I am very grateful for Oskar and SlyFox! Tue Sep 29 11:16:56 -0700 2009 5065379 141889 MGZ 1 5071994 Not sure about beer, but I do know that it is more economical for soda co to use cans/plastic than glass; plus many indoor and outdoor venues have outlawed glass. Thu Oct 01 08:15:54 -0700 2009 5065379 1081531 drlee_susquespine 1 5073406 If the economics are favorable and the taste is comparable, then why aren't more craft beermakers canning their beer? I understand the conversion dilemma of re-tooling for cans, but I would think that over time, that would even out. Thu Oct 01 17:37:05 -0700 2009 5065379 74192 chuckl 2 5073573 More craft brewers *are* canning, many more than even a year ago. Thu Oct 01 18:56:48 -0700 2009 5073406 10998 Jim Dorsch 2 5074034 I think the "problem" with *current* bottling craft brewers switching to or adding canning is two-fold. First, the equipment and the cans are still an added initial investment cost that will take a long time to pay off through shipping savings. Some of the smaller systems are REALLY small (two cans at a time, manually). Cans have to be pre-purchased in much larger quantities than bottles (so, adding to the cost AND the need for extra space since they need to be warehoused) and they lack the "flexibility" of "blank" bottles that will be labeled, since cans come "pre-labeled" as it were. The second reason, and it may be the the most important, is that the can still has negative connotations to much of the craft beer or "better beer" (a term that even Jim Koch has taken to using) market. While a large segment of the "beer geekery" is on board with canning, that is still a small percentage of the craft beer buying market in general. And, from what I've seen, retailers and distributors, too, aren't necessarily on the canned craft beer bandwagon. When Pilsner Urquell first hit NJ in their 500ml cans, I asked a large discount liquor store manager (who sells a LOT of P/U judging from the how quick the pallet empties) if he was going to carry it. His reply: "Pilsner Urquell doesn't come in cans (which I took to mean either his distributor wasn't carry it or, at least, didn't try to sell it to him- since I'd already bought some in NJ) and even if it did, I wouldn't carry it." Other retailers don't carry a large stock of canned craft beers (less cases ordered than for similar bottle brands, etc) and they often don't sell before the "best by" dates (including Oscar Blues and Sly Fox brands). Brooklyn Lager (a "local" beer), for instance, comes in can (via it's contract partner, F X Matt) but only one NJ distributor even carries the package, and the Brooklyn rep said that most of those cans go to on-premise venues that don't want glass bottles, rather than to the off-premise retailers. A local NJ brewer who was considering adding canning equipment told me that NJ distributors reported that they weren't selling well and had him re-considering the move. Fri Oct 02 04:41:59 -0700 2009 5073406 11059 JessKidden 3 5074090 If you take a look back, I think you'll find that Jim Koch has been using the term 'better beer' for many years, and might even have coined the term, or at least been one of the first to use it frequently. Fri Oct 02 05:43:24 -0700 2009 5074034 10998 Jim Dorsch 1 5074286 I think the can stigma is ancient history. There was a time when you would get a tinny taste from cans but the gurus of canning solved that. Another benefits of cans is that they take up less refrigerator space. The 21st Amendment Brew Free or Die IPA in cans has become a staple in my fridge. Fri Oct 02 07:14:04 -0700 2009 5065379 163246 tofuburrito 2 5074576 That's tasty stuff. Fri Oct 02 09:22:26 -0700 2009 5074286 141889 MGZ 1 5076736 I'd prefer a can if available, just like i prefer a screw top over a cork in a wine bottle. Hell I'd prefer wine in a box over wine in a bottle! Sat Oct 03 12:53:58 -0700 2009 5065379 187645 Td61 2 5088155 I like the screw tops, but my problem is that our vacuum wine keeper won't keep a seal with the larger necks. I also like Dale's and other OB beers in cans. Thu Oct 08 08:22:50 -0700 2009 5076736 12626 ted 3 5088385 And of course you can't vacuum seal a beer bottle with a vacuvin which sucks. I think that the effervesence has something to do with it because they don't work for champagne bottles either. Thu Oct 08 09:32:18 -0700 2009 5088155 26180 Chinon00 4 5091312 sounds like somebody (maybe someone on here) needs to develop a way of sealing beer bottles and maybe growlers. Fri Oct 09 10:40:59 -0700 2009 5088385 74192 chuckl 1 5087074 Thanks to a friend, I had some Maui coconut porter in a can over the weekend. That's a nice brew. We also had some Oskar Blues, also very tasty. Wed Oct 07 18:26:46 -0700 2009 5065379 74192 chuckl 1 5091393 I think its now becoming a trendy phenomenon because there is a bar in Washington DC called the Red Derby that opened a year or two ago that ONLY serves canned beer. Granted its a bit of a hipster shrine but they do have some interesting stuff beyond the requisite PBR and Schlitz including the Oskar Blues stuff the New England Brewing Company stuff (Sea Hag), Butter Nuts stuff, Brooklyn's Lager and a bunch of random English cans like New Castle and Old Chub and Old Speckled Hen. I had no idea Young's Double Chocolate Stout came in a can! Nor Red Stripe. They even have some ciders in cans. So when should we expect Chimay to start a line of Red, White and Blue cans... Can you actually "can condition" a beer? And why do I now have a strong urge to start singing Can you do the Can Can... Fri Oct 09 11:11:29 -0700 2009 5065379 238787 Insidious Rex 2 5092287 Cooper's Sparkling Ale used to be available in oil cans in the US. This beer is at least unfiltered if not conditioned in the can. I used to joke all the time with the owner of Bardo Rodeo in Arlington, VA that he should can-condition Dremo, which was one great beer. Fri Oct 09 16:29:52 -0700 2009 5091393 10998 Jim Dorsch 1 5162243 Maui Brewing does a lager, IPA, and a coconut porter in cans. The coconut porter is outstanding! I haven't tried the others. I'm in California, so I don't know how widely distributed it is but definitely worth it if you can find it. Fri Nov 06 16:04:46 -0800 2009 5065379 18558 fiddlr40