How old is too old

[gizmofish]

I would like to get some opinions on a freshness question. For the past 6 or so months I have been running Amstel Light (My wife wanted a light beer). According to the distributor, the date stamps on the kegs are the fill date. Okay, I can accept that, but, they are running 5 to 8 months old. The distributor says they're good for a year past that date.

The question is: Really? A year?

Neil

[Acmemfg]

Find another distributor!!'

60 days-MAYBE a week past that MAXIMUM is the acceptable shelf life of a keg.

[cubby_swans]

Amstel Light is an import, though. I don't think you're going to find too many REALLY fresh kegs of that. Try a domestic light beer. Sam Adams Light is great for a light beer, in my opinion.

[gizmofish]

Thanks for the input Acmemfg; That's more inline to what I was thinking only I had thought 90 days. But I do feel 7 months is too old.

Neil

[gizmofish]

Yea, it's imported from Toronto, CA. (Brewed buy Molson Breweries...under supervision of Amstel Breweries, B.V. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.) Hardly across the pond!

I would like to have a domestic, but, in Oklahoma that means 3.2 ABW beer. No domestics at true alchohol level. Yuck!

Neil

[Acmemfg]

About a 2 hour drive to Joplin, MO if I remember correctly........HAS to be worth it for a decent keg of beer.

[psychodad]

An hour drive from Caney Kansas. Call Jo's Liquor and he can order a wide variety of beers.

[gizmofish]

I appreciate the suggestion guys. It really is impractical as a regular solution though. My wife and I blow a keg every two weeks. So, add $20 for gas, two hours of travel time etc it become less "worth it". If I had the refrigeration to store more than one keg, and could do the beer run once a month, I might do it. Then again, If I had a two tapper, I could get local Coors light (my wife doesn't care about the ABV) and some real beer for myself, I would be in heaven. But, Alas.....

To get this thread back on topic:

I'm trying to get some info to counter the claims of the local distributor that I should be happy with beer as much as a year old. A Google search on Amstel doesn't get me any useful hits. All I get are commercials, what is the song in the commercials, a "drink responsibly" quiz, nothing about the beer, it's proper dispensing, quality assurance, you know, anything useful. Right now, Amstel is the ONLY light beer available to me that isn't doubly water down.

Neil

[psychodad]

some real beer for myself, I would be in heaven.

Well the next best advice, or even better advice, would be to brew your own. You would find everything you need at 71st and Memorial and there is a large home brew club in the area. Dave or Deserie Knott at High Gravity Brew can help you with anything regarding brewing or joining F.O.A.M, the local home brew club. I'd join F.O.A.M myself but I can't find time to get to Tulsa enough to attend meetings or events.

As far as where you are getting your Amstel kegs... Where are you getting them? Have you been satisfied thus far with the taste and freshness? If everything has been to your liking thus far, I don't know that I would worry too much about it myself.

[gizmofish]

Thanks for your input Psychodad.
I know Dave, Desiree and Pipin. I get my CO2 bottles filled there. Alas I have neither the space or the inclination to brew my own. By the time I layed out the cash to build a garage or outbuilding to house the operation and then the mash tun, brew kettle, soda tanks, refrigeration, etc, I could buy that sweet three keg Micro Matic kegerator I've been drooling over.

Where I get my kegs is from a local liquor store. Reguardless of where I buy, I have to order and pay for the keg and wait 24hrs to pick it up. They do have a walk in and put the keg in there as soon as it arrives (as long as it is already paid for). They are more than happy to hold it in their cooler until I need it. For Oktoberfest I ordered three kegs and they held them for me as I cycled through them. Great people who are happy to work with me. We're just getting push back from the distributor.

Neil

[rtracer]

Thats why I love my Kegs of Drakes IPA(local brewery). Picked up a keg on the 22nd, fill date was the 19th
I also get a keg of Fosters for my light offering. Fosters stamps a best by date which seems to be about 2 months from the date I buy.

[psychodad]

I didn't even think of that, can you pick up kegs at Marshall's?

[Sketch]

Marshalls kegs are ridiculously overpriced, in my opinion. At least according to my local purchasing options, I'm not in Tulsa, but close enough that price shouldn't vary too much.

[gizmofish]

Thanks, guys, for responding.

To the best of my knowledge: Local brewers cannot sell directly to the public in this state. They must go through a licensed distributor first. That is to protect the interests of the distributors. It's not a good state to set up a brewery for that reason. It is also one reason why made in Oklahoma beers cost as much as imports. The large megabrewers have special status for producing the 3.2 beers and why their full bodied beers are not available here.

Alas: only one poster (Acmemfg) has address the question at hand. So...unless you have an opinion as to how old is too old, please start a new thread.

Thanks
Neil

[gizmofish]

Thanks everyone but I found the answer I needed. Keg Draft Beer Freshness Life

Neil