Pale Ale Best Before Dates

[AnnM]

Paul, if you're around: I went to 3 different Supermarkets yesterday (Coles & Woolies) trying to get the freshest Pale Ale kit. Interesting (worrying?) that at all 3 the freshest available was dated BB April 2011. Odd that all the other flavours had BBs of 2012! You'd think the PA would be the fastest selling! [pouty] Ann

[Muddy Waters]

Just for comparison Ann, I got a tin of Pale Ale from Kmart last week which is best before 26/2/12. That was the youngest I could find.

 

EDIT: Right after I made this post a delivery turned up with my prize from the SMOTY ale comp (thanks Paul!) and the Pale Ale straight from the brewery also had the BB 26/2/12. Looking forward to putting the SMOTY down this weekend.

[Bud]

I'm having a real tough time getting kits in the states that have really fresh dates. I have to use a middleman distribution company that probably has a huge warehouse full of reluctantly aging brewcans. [crying] Oh well, it's a good thing I'm new at this whole brewing thing and enjoy the process![surprised Sorry, I couldn't help trying out these new smileys.[biggrin]

[Muddy Waters]

I always try and get the freshest can of what I want off the shelf but I've never had a problem with the end result even if they weren't as young as I'd like.[sideways]

[AnnM]

That's good to know Muddy. It's just that Paul thought my problems with too-sweet PA might be the result of old extract (but I wouldn't have thought BB April 2011 was old anyway...)

[PB2]

That's a year old, Ann! Too old for my liking. I'm sensitive to the aged extract characters and I'm guessing that you may be too. Assuming this is the crux of your problem...

 

There might be customers going through the cans on the supermarket shelves and picking out the fresher ones??

 

Have said that, many people are happy to make beer with extract beer kits right up to and beyond their BB date.

[Martyn]

I never check the dates on the can just pick the one I want and away I go.

How much time is there on a can from when it is sealed at Cooper's to the BB date?

Why are some cans that have 12 months till BB and some that have 18 months deemed fresher than others? They are both still within the BB date so both are technically fresh, right, not gone off/spoiled?

I didn't think the dates on the cans would be an issue when brewing unless they were after the BB date. Part 2 of Paul's beer triangle-Fresh(est) Ingredients.

 

Martyn.

 

P.S. Don't know how this will help solve your problem Ann, sorry.[crying]. They're everywhere these dam smiley things!

[Muddy Waters]

For myself, I just try to get the freshest cans for the yeast. Not knowing how well and at what temps the cans have been stored I get a warm fuzzy feeling if I think the cans may not have been sitting there too long.

[AnnM]

That's a year old' date=' Ann! Too old for my liking. I'm sensitive to the aged extract characters and I'm guessing that you may be too. [i']Assuming this is the crux of your problem...[/i]

 

There might be customers going through the cans on the supermarket shelves and picking out the fresher ones??

 

Have said that, many people are happy to make beer with extract beer kits right up to and beyond their BB date.

 

Does that mean that Coopers give them a 2 year ahead date when they make them? What am I going to do with the PA I've just bought with April 2011 on it? [crying] Do you think Coopers would replace it with a fresh one? (I must be a sight in the supermarket, sitting on the floor pulling all the cans out to check the dates....)

 

Ann

 

[Muddy Waters]

What am I going to do with the PA I've just bought with April 2011 on it? [crying]

 

You can send it to me Ann. I'll brew it up and let you know how it tastes [tongue]

 

If it is no good you can send me another can and I'll try again.

 

[biggrin]

 

 

[PB2]

Yes, a Coopers can with a BB of Apr 2011 was packaged in Apr 2009.

 

I can't imagine that any company would have a policy of replacing product that is half way toward BB date...

 

Besides, we are yet to confirm that aged extract is the cause of your problem, yeah??

 

 

[AnnM]

Oh well! Worth a try! [biggrin]

 

Muddy: hahah! [roll]

[Bud]

My Sparkling just came in the mail today with a yeast packing date of 34508, that's unfortunate! [pinched] I guess I shouldn't order from shmakebeer.net anymore.

[Bud]

I guess p a c k is the newest four letter word, at least in this forum.[lol]

[PB2]

Bud, if you have any doubts about dry yeast, have a smell (looking for bready or fruity aromas) then re-hydrate it in tepid water for 15 to 30 mins and check to see that it shows some foaming. You might also like to make a 500ml to 1 litre starter but going to this effort is more complicated than simply having anohter sachet of dry yeast (or vial of wet yeast) on hand...