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  • Expiration dating

    Hi, all. We're making the leap into canning, and our distributor has asked us for expiration dating on our cans. Since we've never done this before, I really don't have any idea. Standard expiration dating seems to be either 120 or 180 days. Without running a stability study (since we don't have anything in cans yet), what are the justifications for or against either of those?

    Cheers!

  • #2
    Why not just a "made on" date? Let the consumer decide.
    Timm Turrentine

    Brewerywright,
    Terminal Gravity Brewing,
    Enterprise. Oregon.

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    • #3
      I'd like to, but my distributor wants the expiration dating.

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      • #4
        I'm still in the planning phase,

        But I can't think of a beer that has an expiration date on it, only a Brewed one/packaged on date.
        I assume you are already signed with the distributor?

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        • #5
          I mean... Stone? Not that most of us have the marketing heft of Stone to throw around. Oh well, we can dream...

          Who's on the hook for beer that expires? If you've gotta buy it back, that should factor into your decision. I'd make sure to have a really good understanding of what happens in this case, if it were me – seems funny for the distributer to come to you, suggesting something that might stick them with beer they've already paid for and can't sell?

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          • #6
            Originally posted by feinbera View Post
            I mean... Stone? Not that most of us have the marketing heft of Stone to throw around. Oh well, we can dream...

            Who's on the hook for beer that expires? If you've gotta buy it back, that should factor into your decision. I'd make sure to have a really good understanding of what happens in this case, if it were me – seems funny for the distributer to come to you, suggesting something that might stick them with beer they've already paid for and can't sell?
            Bingo. I'd love it if my distributors would yank out of date product off the shelves. Instead I get emails and 1 star UNTAPPD reviews from waaaaaaay out there where some minimart is perfecting the art of solar aging innocent beer.
            Russell Everett
            Co-Founder / Head Brewer
            Bainbridge Island Brewing
            Bainbridge Island, WA

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            • #7
              I had a customer at the pub complain about a case of undrinkable beer. He was from out of town, but had brought the case with him. I tasted from one bottle and spit it out. Utterly stale--worse than the test beer we keep for a year at room temp. I looked at the date stamp on the case--2 years, 4 months old! Bought at a major chain grocery store.
              Timm Turrentine

              Brewerywright,
              Terminal Gravity Brewing,
              Enterprise. Oregon.

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              • #8
                Packaged on date..

                We use a packaged on date and our distributors know our shelf life time frame. If you want to figure a "Best by date" you could, but our printer is set to just print the date canned.

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                • #9
                  If you need an expiration date you can try hot/cold cycling your cans to get a good estimate for your shelf life. I don't have the book I got the cycles from in front of me so look it up and double check, but if I remember correctly 12 hours in the fridge followed by 12 hours at 80+ then back in the fridge is the equivalent of about a week at room temp. Its not exact but it should give you a decent baseline.
                  Manuel

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                  • #10
                    I suppose I could run a rough-and-ready stability protocol using bottles. We're about 4-5 weeks out from starting to package in cans, so that might give me a ballpark estimate before we start.

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