how long can you keep canned beer

[deemaitch]

I have been given 12 cans of John Smith extra smooth with a date on the bottom of 30/04/2010. Is it safe to drink, and will the taste have deteriated?
Thanks to all who can help.

[ummmm]

All I can suggest is open one and see. It's pot luck as to whether it would have deteriorated....but it won't do you any harm.

[ethandron]

we've drunk beer well over a year out of date and it tastes just fine. not huge beer drinkers in our house.

[society]

I have some which I've brought back from the Caribbean and been saving them. They are over 5 years, now you have me thinking....

[society]

I'm sure when they are cold they wouldn't taste bad.

Hey there Pinkilady, long time nor see / chat. Hope all is well. Happy New Year. x

[wolf63]

I always wondered why they put "eat before" dates on chocolate - I thought that it had to be consumed within 6 hours.

[Buenchico]

The beer will be perfectly to drink but it's possible that some secondary fermentation might have occurred. I once opened a can of lager which was several years out of date and two thirds of it immediately hit the ceiling!

Chris

[society]

That's what I'm afraid of... it hitting the ceiling and the clean-up. :-)

[boxtops]

Try it and see - I probably wouldn't drink it.

[Androcles]

It should be OK. The usual thing with out of date beer is that you can get a bit of a "tinny" taste with it. I would put a bit of kitchen tissue over the top when you open it, just in case it has got a bit lively, but more often than not the CO2 in the beer has subsided rather than increased.

"So taste and see how luscious the beer is"!