Serious Beer Question

[Knowazark]

At the risk of starting a debate the likes of Rocna v Delta, Mono v Multi, solar v wind, etc I have a serious question relating to beer on board.

While I much prefer to drink beer from a bottle (it keeps, tastes and pours better from glass), I would hate to have bottles broken and beer lost and for this reason (and for the compact storage of cans afterward) the aluminium can would appear to be the best way to store (ha!) and transport beer on board a yacht.

So what's the preference, bottle or can?

[nautical62]

Guinness draft in a can - poor it into a glass.

I generally also prefer bottles, but in addition to breakage, I like that cans be crushed for substantially less waste storage space. Many of the islands I visit also have limited waste disposal and so I feel better about creating less volume and broken glass there as well.

Another option is to brew your own and use either 2.5 or 3 gallon ss mini kegs.

[GeoPowers]

Jameson in a bottle and Powers wine in a box!

[Wotname]

Al cans don't travel well, they will wear through if subject to vibration etc but it is not a problem if you consume often and replace them frequently with new ones .

[mesquaukee]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Al cans don't travel well, they will wear through if subject to vibration etc but it is not a problem if you consume often and replace them frequently with new ones .

And we must not forget the saltwater corroding the cans.

Consume and replenish often, don't forget to rotate your stock.

[Portobello]

It's rare that my cans actually make it into storage!!

[fstbttms]

Cans are actually a better packaging technolgy for beer than glass. Glass allows UV light to react with the isohumulones in beer (responsible for the "skunkiness" that Heineken is infamous for in the U.S., for instance) and are more likely to allow the beer to oxidize. Not to mention the weight and breakage issues (especially important aboard). Unfortunately, most good beer is not yet available in cans, althought that is beginning to change in the craft beer industry.

[unbusted67]

On a side note, could you put a keg in a propane locker? Sometimes it is more important to have beer than hot food.

[captain58sailin]

I kind of like skunky beer. I am going to search out those small kegs, when I start brewing on the boat, I'll want to minimize the amount of monkeying around, it would be so much easier just to put it into a nice keg. Which means I will have to engineer a cooler for the keg, who needs a refrigerator for food anyway?

[john540]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

On a side note, could you put a keg in a propane locker? Sometimes it is more important to have beer than hot food.

AMEN! I have heard that beer contains all the amino acids necessary to sustain life. It's the oldest recipe known to man, it was a big part of the "Code of Hammurabi" that was found on the Rosetta Stone. It will last much longer than bread without going moldy.

Benjamin Franklin is reputed to have said, "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to have fun!"

[MarkJ]

Cans and plastic beer bottle (for the home brew) cant have glass at sea rolling round the fridge

[Talbot]

Bottles break

Aluminium cans can wear through due to vibration damage

steel tins can affect the compass


What a quandary! better drink them up quickly

[Dockhead]

Cans are more practical, obviously. Easier to dispose of (garbage is always a problem on a cruising boat). Much lighter, so much easier to carry to the boat. Don't break (broken glass a big PITA on board -- I'll never forget a cockpit floor covered in blood from the interaction between my bare feet and shards from a broken beer bottle, when sailing in a heavy Meltemi wind in Turkey when I just couldn't leave the helm to put on shoes).

But in many locales, you can't get the local beer in anything but bottles. In the Caribbean, sometimes tiny little bottles which are a PITA (one gulp each). So you take what you can get.

[sailorboy1]

Glass bottles are best!!!!

But have to settle for cans or plastic for the boat.

[mike d.]

can don't last(rot thru/corrosion)(salt air) on a boat maybe a couple three weeks so you best best drink fast so you don't loose the nectar, but then you can't go far from shore to get more "WHAT A QUANDARY"