dating a beer?/born on date?

A stupid question. Is it the day you brew the wort and pitch the yeast or is it the day you bottle condition or keg the beer?

BPD said:

A stupid question.

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I say interesting question...

i put the born on date when i bottle but thats just me...

I put "Bottle Date" on my beers.

I am presently 45 min into boiling MWS Liberty Cream ale, my 6th brew, and was musing over the process dates etc and thunk up the question. I was using the bottling date as the date previously but which is appropriate as this was "born on today" but once in the bottle it is finished and waiting for me and could be considered done and "born on" hat upcoming date.

Just do what I do and put both. Solves your problem

If you want to date a beer, it must have been born on or before this date in 1990. That would make it 18 years old.

eh... am I misunderstanding the question?

In biology we have the conception date, the gestation period, and birth date.

Isn't this just like brewing beer?

So...put me down for bottling day as the 'Born On...' date.

Pogo

Pogo said:

In biology we have the conception date, the gestation period, and birth date.

Isn't this just like brewing beer?

So...put me down for bottling day as the 'Born On...' date.

Pogo

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+1 I was just thinking along the same lines while reading this thread. To say that the "born on day" is when the yeast is added is analogous to the baby being born when the egg is fertilized. I'd say that the beer is "born" when its packaged in bottles or keg. I can't say for sure if this is the rationale that BMC uses though.

I put brew day on my labels for kegs and bottles, because I gauge when I can drink (tap) based on the 6 weeks for 5% ABV plus a month for every 1%.

Bottled date.

Pogo said:

In biology we have the conception date, the gestation period, and birth date.

Isn't this just like brewing beer?

So...put me down for bottling day as the 'Born On...' date.

Pogo

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Bopper359 said:

+1 I was just thinking along the same lines while reading this thread. To say that the "born on day" is when the yeast is added is analogous to the baby being born when the egg is fertilized. I'd say that the beer is "born" when its packaged in bottles or keg. I can't say for sure if this is the rationale that BMC uses though.

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As a physician this is what I was thinking. I have been viewing the bottling date as the "born on date" and "aged" from there. thought it would make interesting commentary or as I said in the Original Post it could just be a stupid question.

The bottle or kegged date tells you nothing. The only important dates are when the yeast was pitched and when FG was reached. Born on dates are not relevant to beer, just a publicity gimmick. Conditioning can be done in bulk before bottling or after in the bottle.

Edit:
When I head to the basement to see how the fermentation is going in the carboys, my wife always says I checking on my babies.

Edit Two:
Forgot the most important date . . . . when you drink it!

Ya. It was done more as a gimmick.
"Our beers are not old. Well even prove it to you by posting the exact date it was made. Bring it competition!"

AnOldUR said:

The bottle or kegged date tells you nothing. The only important dates are when the yeast was pitched and when FG was reached. Born on dates are not relevant to beer, just a publicity gimmick. Conditioning can be done in bulk before bottling or after in the bottle.

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That's my thought too - if you want to know how old a beer is and determine its drinkability from that date then you need to go by brew date.

Beer 1 - Did 2 weeks in primary and went to bottles on 1/1
Beer 2 - Did 2 weeks in primary and 6 months in bulk aging, bottled on 1/1

on 1/15 you decide you want to drink a beer, which one should you grab?

Jonnio said:

That's my thought too - if you want to know how old a beer is and determine its drinkability from that date then you need to go by brew date.

Beer 1 - Did 2 weeks in primary and went to bottles on 1/1
Beer 2 - Did 2 weeks in primary and 6 months in bulk aging, bottled on 1/1

on 1/15 you decide you want to drink a beer, which one should you grab?

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that is a good point, but for me, beer #1 wouldn't be in the fridge yet so there wouldn't be a problem. However, I guess the problem then becomes "which beer to put in the fridge"

To each their own I guess... for me it's "bottling date" on the little label.

But, as was mentioned above, one really needs to have both dates.

When is a baby considered born...when it pops on out right..not when its created.

BuffaloSabresBrewer said:

When is a baby considered born...when it pops on out right..not when its created.

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Yes, but I don't need to know if my baby is drinkable

Jonnio said:

Yes, but I don't need to know if my baby is drinkable

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Id let it age.

My kegs have a strip of duct tape with all pertinent info...og..fg...brew date...keg date...tap date...so on.

Bottles get the Bottled date.