Braggot in a can?

[Summersolstice]

Our local brewery, Thunderhead Brewing, just started canning a braggot this week. Their GoldenFrau Honey Wheat (7.5%) took silver and gold medals in the commercial competition at the International Mead Festival two years in a row and is their best selling beer on tap. The owner just bought the canner and had to commit to a 53' semi trailer full of cans on pallets for a minimum order. That's a big committment for a small brewery! The process, including lining up art and getting federal approval for the can design, took months. This is way cool and I wonder if anyone knows of another example of braggot in a can anywhere else?

[osluder]

Originally Posted by Summersolstice

Our local brewery, Thunderhead Brewing, just started canning a braggot this week.

Any idea what their rationale is for canning it? Maybe this is one of those things that I need to subject to a blind taste test, but I've never really cared for the taste of canned alcoholic beverages (nor canned sodas for that matter). I used to be something of a river rat years ago and glass is strictly verboten in that situation, so I will drink canned stuff when I have to. -- Olen

[Summersolstice]

The owner is convinced that canning preserves and keeps beer fresher than bottles. Then there's the fact that, unlike bottles, cans are completely impervious to light. Other than that, I'm sure one of the primary reasons for canning is that it's more cost effective for a small brewery.

As for the taste, I'd agree with you if we were talking about drinking from the container. I don't unless there are no glasses, or even plastic cups, available.

[wildaho]

Olen,

I'm not sure if you can get any of Oscar Blue's beers down your way but I think they'll change your opinion in a hurry. The Old Chub Scottish Ale and the Ten Fiddy Impy Stout are my favorites although there is absolutely nothing wrong with their Dale's Pale Ale or the Gordon Imperial IPA either. Rumor has it that they are doing a hop-heavy Pilsner soon as well.

Surly and several other brewers are also doing cans now. Heck, New Belgium is even trying it on their Fat Tire.

While I can't do the same age comparisons that I do with other beers (I have some 12-15 year old barleywines in bottles), I have tasted a 2 year old Old Chub vs a fresh can. If I didn't know which one I was drinking, I couldn't tell the difference. I think a blind tasting is in order here! Unfortunately, I don't have anymore two year old cans...

Cans have the potential to be superior to bottles. They allow for less oxidation and virtually eliminate any chance of light strike skunkiness. I've never picked up any metallic taste from any of OB's beers. They are almost identical on draft and in the can. Of course, I never drink straight from the can either. Even on a camping trip I have my selection of plastic goblets that allow me to enjoy the aromas.

Can you guess that I'm a proponent of cans?


Wade

[wayneb]

Olen,

Let me add to what Wade says about the quality of Oskar Blue's brews in a can. They are absolutely indistinguishable from beers in glass -- and they're really good brews, too! I'm partial to really heavyweight stouts, and their Tenfidy is exactly what I look for in a super-weight brew. It pours like oil that's seen about 7,000 miles in my jeep's crankcase!

The secret of their success is that they use the same canning process as Coors (Yeah, I know -- but don't condemn the process just 'cause the inventors don't know how to brew the beer that they put in there! ) The cans are lined with a thin layer of non-reactive material and you get absolutely no metallic taste whatsoever from the cans.

And, also as Wade says, the lack of any light exposure and the relative ease of maintaining temperature on beers stored in cans makes the can potentially superior to glass for long-term storage.

[Oskaar]

I can also say that it is indistinguishable from their beers on tap. I frequent a place here in the City of Orange and they had Oskar Blue's Ten Fidy Stout on tap. Let me tell you it is stellar stuff both in and out of the can. I haven't blind tested it either, but I didn't pick up any off flavors and I'm fairly fastidious about things like that.

I've also had their Old Chub, and the Dale's Pale Ale (on tap and out of the can) no difference that I was able to discern, and, I like to tool on canned beer whenever the occasion permits.

Cheers, Oskaar

BTW, Oskaar was my nickname well before Oskar Blues opened up!

[wildaho]

Pete and Wayne,

Have you had a chance to try the Oak Aged Tenfiddy and Oak Aged Gordon on cask? The oak did more for the Gordon but they were both damned fine beers. I asked them about canning the oak versions and they gave me a definite "maybe".

[wayneb]

No, I haven't yet. I need to get up to Lyons to taste them "in situ" sometime soon. That's about 40 miles from where I live, and not convenient to anywhere I'm usually going, so this might be a thing that we can do as part of the MCI weekend. That way I'd be more than 2/3 of the way there, and I'd have a place to crash (the Outlook hotel) that wouldn't take me over an hour to reach.

Whaddaya think, Pete? Up for a run to Oskar Blue's when you're out here??

[osluder]

Originally Posted by wildaho

I'm not sure if you can get any of Oscar Blue's beers down your way but I think they'll change your opinion in a hurry.

Originally Posted by wayneb

Let me add to what Wade says about the quality of Oskar Blue's brews in a can.

Originally Posted by PBakulic

Let me tell you it is stellar stuff both in and out of the can ... [and] I like to tool on canned beer whenever the occasion permits.

OK, so it's clear y'all agree Oskar Blue's is the "bees' knees"! Oskaar, you do seem to generally agree with me though, but it sounds like the technology is adapting to make it great packaging. -- Olen

[dogglebe]

Originally Posted by wildaho

I've never picked up any metallic taste from any of OB's beers.

Nowadays, if you can taste metal, then you're biting into the cans. They're lined with plastic to protect the beer.

More breweries are leaning toward canning than bottling. A canning system costs a fraction of what a bottling line costs. And cans can be sold/served at places where bottles are not (ie: sports arenas, airplanes).


Phil

[wildaho]

Originally Posted by dogglebe

Nowadays, if you can taste metal, then you're biting into the cans. They're lined with plastic to protect the beer.

Phil

Exactly! There are over 40 craft brewers doing cans now. It's getting to be more and more common. I applaud Thunderhead for taking the steps to insure the integrity of their braggot.

Olen, check out this article on chow.com. It doesn't give a lot of depth (for that just explore the Oskar Blue's website, they were the first) but I think you'll find that you might have to open your mind a little. And by the way, there is a distributor in Fort Worth that handles the OB beers!


Wade

[osluder]

Originally Posted by wildaho

... I think you'll find that you might have to open your mind a little.

Not really a matter of closed mindedness per se, more old habits: faced with a choice between a six pack of a given brew in cans versus bottles, I've always grabbed bottles unless I was going on the river where cans are required by law. In any case, I don't buy very much commercial beer as I largely make my own.

Originally Posted by wildaho

And by the way, there is a distributor in Fort Worth that handles the OB beers!

Unfortunately, I am 250 miles to the southwest in San Antonio. I'll keep an eye (and my mind ) open for it locally. -- Olen

[osluder]

Originally Posted by osluder

I'll keep an eye ... open for [Oskar Blues beer] locally.

So I go to the store yesterday and lo and behold! what do I find but Dale's Pale Ale. I'll have to admit I'm eatin' a bit of crow, but I do get to wash it down with a very tasty canned brew (poured into an appropriate pint glass of course). -- Olen

[wayneb]

Hey, Olen -- I'm with you! I do drink, and really like, the canned brews from Oskar Blues' but never straight from the can!!

[wildaho]

@Olen: Now just wait for (or demand) the Old Chub, Ten Fidy and Gordon! I'm glad to see the Pale made it your way.

@Summersolstice: Any word on Thunderhead's distribution plans? I'd love to try this braggot.

[Oskaar]

Heh heh heh. It's been a good week. One of the watering holes I frequent had the Ten-Fidy on tap this week, man is that stuff great! I shot a couple of pics with my phone so I'll synch it up and post up the pics when I can. There was also Alesmith's Wee Heavy, Avery's Salvation, The Bruery's Humulus Amber, Allagash's Curieaux, and several other pretty stellar beers as well.

Last week another brewpub had a Russian River theme with Pliny the Elder, Pliny the Younger, Blind Pig and the Russian River IPA. They also had Bigfoot Barleywine, Alesmith's My Bloody Valentine and some other really awesome brews too. Pliny the Younger was outstanding and went very quickly.

Cheers, Oskaar

[TAKeyser]

For those that also Brew Beer the March-April 2012 issue of Brew Your Own has a clone recipe of Oskar Blues "Old Chub"