I’ve always found it ironic that all the small players ran away from cans. The can is actually a much better storage device than a brown bottle. I suppose the psychological barrier if looking like BMC was too much for microbrewers and they were likely correct about their customers expectations.
It nice to think that good beer can now go with us to state parks and lakes where glass is not allowed.
sometimes I like to drink a beer out of the bottle. I don’t like to drink out of a can. Plus I love the SN bottles for re-use. I am all good as long as they don’t stop selling bottles as well.
Cans are a win-win for both the consumer and the brewery. The only downsides are the stigma associated with cans, and the expense of either replacing a bottling line, or installing a supplementary canning line. Most established craft breweries have already invested in bottling, but if I were opening a brewery today and had to choose one or the other, I’d be canning.
ETA: This is probably a regional thing too. Here in CO I’d estimate that non-canning breweries are in the minority. We even have a couple of can-only beer festivals. Sierra Nevada is behind the curve, although I’m happy to think about how much attention a brewery of their size will bring to cans.
They were testing different cans at SM while we were there for Beer Camp. The issue is that since the beer is at least partially carbed in the container, cans wouldn’t have their full strength when they were stacked pallet upon pallet. They needed to find cans that could withstand the weight of pallets of cans on top of them.
True, didn’t the can of craftbrew start in Colorado? Pack it in Pack it out.
The tallboy is a nice addition. I always thought an oilcan like Fosters would be cool.
I love the crush, and the size of the recycle box.
Cheers to packable good beer.
are you saying that they can condition? or are you talking about empty cans? I can see how the cans require preasure inside to contribute to the structure though. makes sense.
The water doesn’t compress, but the headspace does. But more importantly, the pressure can still increase without the water compressing, and the pressure bursts the cans.
I’m with Ron on this issue…the container doesn’t matter, I drink beer from a glass. Cans are a much better packaging options on multiple levels. The local brewery in Indy made a decision at its inception to go with cans as their retail packaging. They haven’t looked back. Its great beer and that’s the only thing that matters.
I recently tried the canned PU and was amazed at how much better it was than the skunky bottles I was used to getting. It makes a huge difference in long hauled imports. And my girlfriend likes it in the can too… oh lord I apologize.
Even if the cans are weak because of the time it takes to can condition, wouldn’t they make some sort of strengthener in each level of can pallets that would prevent the cans from being crushed by the weight? Three pieces of vertical plastic the same height as a can in each level, maybe?
I was going to mention the skunking of hops by light exposure in the bottle…this is another element to consider. The other concern for some is taste difference. :-\
I do know that cans are lined with a water-epoxy ensuring that aluminum and beer never touch each other.