The Bar Towel

Some of my favourite beers come in cans.

http://www.7x7.com/eat-drink/why-canned ... brew-scene


site from article
http://craftcans.com/

Cans would probably make packing it in your luggage easier/lighter when coming back from vacation.

While we're on the subject, does anybody know what the current scientific consensus is regarding BPA levels in beer cans and whether or not they pose a risk if you drink canned beer on a regular basis? Not trying to be a Debbie Downer, just curious since I buy cans pretty often.

ErkLR wrote:Cans would probably make packing it in your luggage easier/lighter when coming back from vacation.

Not to mention breakage when flying or doing US to Canada trades.

Only Colorado (Oksar, New Belgium) boasts more breweries canning beer than California. According to craftcans.com, California has 44 craft brews in cans, most of them from Northern California.

I find this interesting because I did quick rundown of the OCB site and at least 14 Ontario breweries offer some of their product line in canned formats. Ontario has to be close to this number, despite having a much smaller craft brewing presence

cratez wrote:While we're on the subject, does anybody know what the current scientific consensus is regarding BPA levels in beer cans and whether or not they pose a risk if you drink canned beer on a regular basis? Not trying to be a Debbie Downer, just curious since I buy cans pretty often.

I think the major issue in regards to BPA was due to heating plastic vessels (thus the baby bottle issue a few years back, that got bundled up in the "Great Nalgene Hysteria" of 2010 or so). You are likely safe with canned beer but I wouldn't be so eager to make any beer can chicken.

Bonus - a statement from Ball regarding their cans and BPA

The main advantage IMO and it is a significant one is that light cannot enter a can. A potential disadvantage is that cans warm faster than glass - for the same reason cans chill faster - so with unpasteurised beer, there is a risk that degradation perhaps proceeds at a faster rate than glass. The answer simply is to buy very fresh stock.

Gary

G.M. Gillman wrote:The main advantage IMO and it is a significant one is that light cannot enter a can. A potential disadvantage is that cans warm faster than glass - for the same reason cans chill faster - so with unpasteurised beer, there is a risk that degradation perhaps proceeds at a faster rate than glass. The answer simply is to buy very fresh stock.

...and to keep that stock as cool or cold as possible.

Good point, even with pasteurized beer.

Gary

G.M. Gillman wrote:Good point, even with pasteurized beer.

Gary

I'm having trouble fitting the 10BY that I got this week in the fridge, so I'm keeping it in the furnace room with the A/C, and stashing the bottles where ever I can find space in the fridge - vegetable drawers, cheese and meat trays...

Heady Topper comes in cans and is phenominal.

That is all.

cratez wrote:While we're on the subject, does anybody know what the current scientific consensus is regarding BPA levels in beer cans and whether or not they pose a risk if you drink canned beer on a regular basis? Not trying to be a Debbie Downer, just curious since I buy cans pretty often.

I can't tell you what the scientific consensus is, but as a cell biologist who quickly went over what was available a year or so ago, I'll give you my opinion. Short version: It's largely bunk and media scare.

Longer version: The doses of BPA they had to give cells was hundreds to thousands of times more concentrated than you could possibly accumulate in your blood even if you ate fried plastic every day. Not to mention you're an adult and the worst case scenario for you is probably the same as if you took estrogen pills: you'd get boobs, and maybe your balls would shrink. There is a VERY small but not totally out of the question risk for infants/children, so it made sense in a "let's just be REALLY REALLY sure" kind of way to ban it in baby bottles. This is despite the fact that there is, to my knowledge, no direct evidence that it has caused harm to children.

I still keep and reheat my leftovers in plastic and will not give up my Lexan water bottle for sports/camping. Besides the most BPA leeching occurred in hot and/or acidic liquids; beer is cold and probably alkaline (bitter).

Beer is definitely acidic, pH from about 4.3 down to 3.5 for certain Sour styles

ErkLR wrote:

cratez wrote:While we're on the subject, does anybody know what the current scientific consensus is regarding BPA levels in beer cans and whether or not they pose a risk if you drink canned beer on a regular basis? Not trying to be a Debbie Downer, just curious since I buy cans pretty often.

I can't tell you what the scientific consensus is, but as a cell biologist who quickly went over what was available a year or so ago, I'll give you my opinion. Short version: It's largely bunk and media scare.

Longer version: The doses of BPA they had to give cells was hundreds to thousands of times more concentrated than you could possibly accumulate in your blood even if you ate fried plastic every day. Not to mention you're an adult and the worst case scenario for you is probably the same as if you took estrogen pills: you'd get boobs, and maybe your balls would shrink. There is a VERY small but not totally out of the question risk for infants/children, so it made sense in a "let's just be REALLY REALLY sure" kind of way to ban it in baby bottles. This is despite the fact that there is, to my knowledge, no direct evidence that it has caused harm to children.

I still keep and reheat my leftovers in plastic and will not give up my Lexan water bottle for sports/camping. Besides the most BPA leeching occurred in hot and/or acidic liquids; beer is cold and probably alkaline (bitter).

Slight correction. Beer is acidic as is the carbonic acid formed by dissolved CO2.