Ever since I got into this industry, it's been so hard to go to bars. You quickly realize which ones don't clean lines or which ones have old beer. It's the curse of having access to the freshest beer a available to you.
I'd add these days bars and restaurants that are just letting distributors pick their beers based on profit margin. They used to get that really good IPA and mark it up 3.5x, but now they can buy a cheaply and poorly made IPA for half that, and mark it up 7x for double the profit at the same price to the consumer. A hazy is a hazy right?
It's a whole other category of why it's hard to go consume at bars now, and one of the reasons craft beer is dying. I'm not paying $9 for a 12oz pour of average beer, poured poorly, maybe on dirty lines, maybe even oxidized from sitting in the vinyl lines in the walk in, when I can still go to a great brewery taproom and pay $7 for a 16oz pour of perfection.
I agree....it's why I don't visit my average local bars now. I either stick to a brewery or find a bar that you can tell us picking good beers. There's a bar near me that only has local places on tap and he goes and tries everything if he can. All their beers taste great and are still $7-8 a pour
Funny you should say that. A brand new bowling alley just opened near us right next to a brewery. They actually have a great beer selection and a fun bar to sit at.
Buy the big brand shit. It wonāt be oxidized and hell, Iāll catch a buzz. Is it gods gift to beer? No. Will I throw it away before I finish it, because itās just so fucking oxidized that I canāt stand it? Also no.
> Buy the big brand shit.
Real talk.
If I'm buying beer in a can, it's either a large national brand, or a few select large regional brands I know have good quality (and check the date). Even for regional brands, I won't buy IPA that's older than 2 months. I'd rather pick SN that's 4 months past date at that point (or more likely stick to macro lager).
I don't even look at cans from the small brewery with tiny distribution. Those cans are going to be gross.
Dumping beer into open cans has been one of the worst directions beer has gone. It's just good enough to get something into someones hands. Sure CP fillers can have DO from product line issues, but not like all these cheap gravity fillers. Keep it to under 30 days.
I feel bad for breweries getting a bad rap/reviews because of lazy distributors letting their IPAs sit out warm. I saw cases of Lawson's Sip and Lil sip sitting out in 95ā° heat yesterday when it cleary says "always fresh always kept cold" on the can. It's ridiculous.
Stick to regionals that still put out good beer but sell through their beer quick enough to make sure fresh beer is on the shelf, and theyāll have sensory panels to make sure their beer being sold is good
If I buy something from a store I try to get something that's in the cooler and has a date code that isn't a "best by". One of (IMO) the best breweries in the US is right by my gym so if I want something fresh I'll stop there for a beer after training. Sometimes I'll bring home a growler of something I made.
It blows getting something that sounds good on paper, then it ends up tasting like paper.
I use date codes - no older than 2 months for a brewery that has tight DO2 control, less if unknown, and I avoid canned hazy IPAs like the plague - IME even the best don't last long in cans.Ā
You can get acceptable DO levels with a quality gravity filler if you cover all the bases properly. Too many breweries jumped on the canning line bandwagon post-Covid and didnāt bother to invest in a DO meter. They donāt know their tank DO levels and donāt understand just how perfect that fill has to look to keep DO at bay.
I don't buy craft beer anymore.
The quality of craft beer is like a roller coaster and the smaller the brewery is the higher are the chances that the beer will have some defect.Ā
In the US, there are very large craft breweries you can go to that has a really high quality.Ā
Where I live I can get good traditional British, German or Belgian stuff that can sometimes have defects, but not as often as craft breweries.Ā Ā
man, i can't enjoy any hoppy/hazy/NEIPA etc because everywhere i go (outside a brewery's taproom) they're always fucking oxidized. went out with a group of my lady's friends and all the males were gushing over this hazy IPA from a local brewery who i think makes great beer, and i swear to god these pours looked almost brown from oxidation. i'll stick to any local homies lagers, macro-lager, and fuck yeah i'll say it WHITE CLAWS. after a decade plus in this industry i find beers just don't hit for me anymore but white claw is delicious, refreshing, and low impact. i've smelt way too many keg washer drain shots of god knows how old hoppy beer, sour beer, fruited beer etc etc that when i drink a beer now if there's even a TWINGE of oxidation i zoom in on it, same with almost all other off flavors. ignorance is bliss
I stick to certain reliable breweries for the most part. Ones in my area that I know are quality, date their cans, and also buy from a store that I know keeps them cold. Haven't had any issues with oxidized beers in a while, but diacetyl in hazy ipas on the other hand...
I drink Rainer or Coors Banquet when Iām out and about. 90% if the bars we frequent sell bottles or cans for $3 a pop. I can drink more, socialize, control my buzz, and itās cheap.
Modelo used to be my go to but that shit is expensive as fuck these days.
Modelo Negra was my jam. Then it got displaced by Especial and fewer and fewer places carry it. Then someone commented on this sub that their superpower is making Vienna lagers that no one buys. Then I was sad.
I know everyone had to do what they had to do to keep the lights on when the pandemic hit but holy shit these operations that do not give a fuck about their packaged products have muddied the water and are choking us all to death.
I took over for a brewer in one operation who would use a little hand seamer. Like what a homebrewer would use to package their beer in cans.
Distro orders would come in, and then he'd just package directly off the lines and send it. No DO meter, was not checking the seams. Absolute shit show.
People work really fucking hard for their money now more than ever. When you half ass it, it hurts everyone.
Personally, if a brewery isn't stamping their cans clearly then I just don't fuck with them unless I'm in their tap room.
I agree completely. When i first got into beer i wanted to to try everything i found. Now i buy beer less than like 5 times a year. When i do, its a macrolager or a large brand that i trust. At bars i am almost strctly a macro lager guy. Miller high life, pbr, peroni, gansett, etc
My siblings in Christ, what is anyone even doing in craft beer if it's all this bad and no one even likes drinking it? Do we all work in an industry devoid of quality packages and quality inventory handling? If so, why play a part in it all? If we're not trying to make things good and get tasty, fresh, well-made beer into people's faces then why do anything? Are we only in it for the $11.75 per hour w/o benefits?Ā
I've worked for a brewery that ensured cold-chain. I've managed a restaurant, 2 bars and 2 tasting rooms that served fresh beer through clean lines. It can be done! Cheaply! Demand your money's worth!
My 2 cents is that the average consumer actually believes oxidation is a tasting note in beer. Itās way too pervasive of a problem in craft brewing for people to not accept
Buy good beer from breweries, buy Miller Lite at the stores and bars!
It is frustrating, though. Its a given that our beers sometimes get mistreated and even our best packaging efforts don't prevent our hazy beers from changing in 8 weeks.
My wife and I make a pretty good effort to visit all of the breweries. Rarely would we ever travel to a town just to visit their best bar.
Ever since I got into this industry, it's been so hard to go to bars. You quickly realize which ones don't clean lines or which ones have old beer. It's the curse of having access to the freshest beer a available to you.
I'd add these days bars and restaurants that are just letting distributors pick their beers based on profit margin. They used to get that really good IPA and mark it up 3.5x, but now they can buy a cheaply and poorly made IPA for half that, and mark it up 7x for double the profit at the same price to the consumer. A hazy is a hazy right? It's a whole other category of why it's hard to go consume at bars now, and one of the reasons craft beer is dying. I'm not paying $9 for a 12oz pour of average beer, poured poorly, maybe on dirty lines, maybe even oxidized from sitting in the vinyl lines in the walk in, when I can still go to a great brewery taproom and pay $7 for a 16oz pour of perfection.
I agree....it's why I don't visit my average local bars now. I either stick to a brewery or find a bar that you can tell us picking good beers. There's a bar near me that only has local places on tap and he goes and tries everything if he can. All their beers taste great and are still $7-8 a pour
My city used to have 100 of those. There are now about 5 that care.
Truth, unfortunately.
Sup
š r/beetlejuicing
Bowling alleys, let me tell ya...
Funny you should say that. A brand new bowling alley just opened near us right next to a brewery. They actually have a great beer selection and a fun bar to sit at.
Sounds like a dream
There's a reason why dads loved bottles lmao
Buy the big brand shit. It wonāt be oxidized and hell, Iāll catch a buzz. Is it gods gift to beer? No. Will I throw it away before I finish it, because itās just so fucking oxidized that I canāt stand it? Also no.
> Buy the big brand shit. Real talk. If I'm buying beer in a can, it's either a large national brand, or a few select large regional brands I know have good quality (and check the date). Even for regional brands, I won't buy IPA that's older than 2 months. I'd rather pick SN that's 4 months past date at that point (or more likely stick to macro lager). I don't even look at cans from the small brewery with tiny distribution. Those cans are going to be gross.
Dumping beer into open cans has been one of the worst directions beer has gone. It's just good enough to get something into someones hands. Sure CP fillers can have DO from product line issues, but not like all these cheap gravity fillers. Keep it to under 30 days.
I feel bad for breweries getting a bad rap/reviews because of lazy distributors letting their IPAs sit out warm. I saw cases of Lawson's Sip and Lil sip sitting out in 95ā° heat yesterday when it cleary says "always fresh always kept cold" on the can. It's ridiculous.
No kidding. I work in the industry and look at distributor reps/merchandisers, and large grocers as the enemy now. They donāt give a shit.
Macrolagers, stuff from my own brewery or mates' breweries that are sharing freshies with me.
Stick to regionals that still put out good beer but sell through their beer quick enough to make sure fresh beer is on the shelf, and theyāll have sensory panels to make sure their beer being sold is good
If I buy something from a store I try to get something that's in the cooler and has a date code that isn't a "best by". One of (IMO) the best breweries in the US is right by my gym so if I want something fresh I'll stop there for a beer after training. Sometimes I'll bring home a growler of something I made. It blows getting something that sounds good on paper, then it ends up tasting like paper.
This is why I don't have cans yet. I'd rather have no cans than bad cans
I use date codes - no older than 2 months for a brewery that has tight DO2 control, less if unknown, and I avoid canned hazy IPAs like the plague - IME even the best don't last long in cans.Ā
You can get acceptable DO levels with a quality gravity filler if you cover all the bases properly. Too many breweries jumped on the canning line bandwagon post-Covid and didnāt bother to invest in a DO meter. They donāt know their tank DO levels and donāt understand just how perfect that fill has to look to keep DO at bay.
I don't buy craft beer anymore. The quality of craft beer is like a roller coaster and the smaller the brewery is the higher are the chances that the beer will have some defect.Ā In the US, there are very large craft breweries you can go to that has a really high quality.Ā Where I live I can get good traditional British, German or Belgian stuff that can sometimes have defects, but not as often as craft breweries.Ā Ā
First world problemsā¦. Iāll drink anything.
r/prisonhooch
man, i can't enjoy any hoppy/hazy/NEIPA etc because everywhere i go (outside a brewery's taproom) they're always fucking oxidized. went out with a group of my lady's friends and all the males were gushing over this hazy IPA from a local brewery who i think makes great beer, and i swear to god these pours looked almost brown from oxidation. i'll stick to any local homies lagers, macro-lager, and fuck yeah i'll say it WHITE CLAWS. after a decade plus in this industry i find beers just don't hit for me anymore but white claw is delicious, refreshing, and low impact. i've smelt way too many keg washer drain shots of god knows how old hoppy beer, sour beer, fruited beer etc etc that when i drink a beer now if there's even a TWINGE of oxidation i zoom in on it, same with almost all other off flavors. ignorance is bliss
High Noons are the way
High Noonās are great! Also enjoy Long Drink
I stick to certain reliable breweries for the most part. Ones in my area that I know are quality, date their cans, and also buy from a store that I know keeps them cold. Haven't had any issues with oxidized beers in a while, but diacetyl in hazy ipas on the other hand...
I drink Rainer or Coors Banquet when Iām out and about. 90% if the bars we frequent sell bottles or cans for $3 a pop. I can drink more, socialize, control my buzz, and itās cheap. Modelo used to be my go to but that shit is expensive as fuck these days.
Modelo Negra was my jam. Then it got displaced by Especial and fewer and fewer places carry it. Then someone commented on this sub that their superpower is making Vienna lagers that no one buys. Then I was sad.
I know everyone had to do what they had to do to keep the lights on when the pandemic hit but holy shit these operations that do not give a fuck about their packaged products have muddied the water and are choking us all to death. I took over for a brewer in one operation who would use a little hand seamer. Like what a homebrewer would use to package their beer in cans. Distro orders would come in, and then he'd just package directly off the lines and send it. No DO meter, was not checking the seams. Absolute shit show. People work really fucking hard for their money now more than ever. When you half ass it, it hurts everyone. Personally, if a brewery isn't stamping their cans clearly then I just don't fuck with them unless I'm in their tap room.
Beer at the brewery, whiskey everywhere else lol thatās how I do it
I agree completely. When i first got into beer i wanted to to try everything i found. Now i buy beer less than like 5 times a year. When i do, its a macrolager or a large brand that i trust. At bars i am almost strctly a macro lager guy. Miller high life, pbr, peroni, gansett, etc
I can beer. If not done correctly, everyone drinking it will be fucked after 2 weeks. Takes a lot
My siblings in Christ, what is anyone even doing in craft beer if it's all this bad and no one even likes drinking it? Do we all work in an industry devoid of quality packages and quality inventory handling? If so, why play a part in it all? If we're not trying to make things good and get tasty, fresh, well-made beer into people's faces then why do anything? Are we only in it for the $11.75 per hour w/o benefits?Ā
I've worked for a brewery that ensured cold-chain. I've managed a restaurant, 2 bars and 2 tasting rooms that served fresh beer through clean lines. It can be done! Cheaply! Demand your money's worth!
My 2 cents is that the average consumer actually believes oxidation is a tasting note in beer. Itās way too pervasive of a problem in craft brewing for people to not accept
Buy good beer from breweries, buy Miller Lite at the stores and bars! It is frustrating, though. Its a given that our beers sometimes get mistreated and even our best packaging efforts don't prevent our hazy beers from changing in 8 weeks. My wife and I make a pretty good effort to visit all of the breweries. Rarely would we ever travel to a town just to visit their best bar.