In Australia and New Zealand, we share the same (with a few country-specific differences) Food Standards Code of Practice. This is where the problem in the craft beer world begins. It does not – and they are not aware that beer, and in particular craft beer, is fragile and very, very perishable. They also think that beer is as tough as nails and can undergo the harshest of conditions. Unwittingly, many new craft beer drinkers are like this too. Macro lager is essentially the UHT milk of the beer world….sure, it lasts ages, but it’s effectively dead inside.īecause of this, many macro-lager drinkers rightfully assume that ALL beer has a long shelf life of at least 12 months but usually longer. Macro brewers have very talented lab and quality teams as well as very expensive equipment to ensure good shelf life.
Heck, you don’t even need to refrigerate macro-lager and it will stay mostly good for a very long period of time! It is microbially stable (to prevent gushing) and extremely low in dissolved oxygen (to prevent ageing/staling). Macro-lager has been processed, filtered and pasteurised to ensure maximum shelf life in the harshest of conditions. However, many new craft beer consumers don’t know that beer – and especially craft beer – is a perishable product. More often than not, those new consumers have left their old world of macro-lager behind and are seeking new and interesting beer experiences. Savvy consumers know that they should check for a date code on a product to best determine the age and therefore the freshness of the beer they are drinking.īut what is the best information regarding the date code on your product to give your consumer the best possible experience?Īnd how can we as brewers end the black magic fuckery that is misinforming our consumers? New Craft Beer Consumers Lack Knowledge About Beer’s Shelf LifeĪs craft brewers, we always welcome new drinkers into the craft beer scene. Often, this is the result of a consumer purchasing old and not-so-fresh product. There’s often much internet discussion about beers not presenting well and a consumer having a poor experience.
You should conduct your own research to see what works best for your product and ensure you comply with relevant food standards in your part of the world. This article is intended to give Australian and New Zealand brewers advice to adequately date code their beer.
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