Best before end?

[johnnywgk]

Looking at a bottle of stella, the best before end says

L9 186 MK
JUL 10 22:53



ON the box it says

L9 186MK 23:07
JUL 10 083704



Is that best before end of: July 10th 2008?
They're in ithe fridge now, should be ice cold by lunchtime, but i will
wait for some replies first.

Thanks

[eccles]

July 2010?

[TurboMills]

Get 'em down ya!

[johnnywgk]

"July 2010" i hope so

"Get em down ya" Will happen, just curious, they cuold'nt just put the
firkin date could they, you know the thing.

Drink by July 2010. Simples

[War Pig]

I once drank a four year out of date bottle of Tiger beer. I was fine. Also desperate.

[eldar]

eccles said:

July 2010?

Probably 1910. A vintage year for Stella.

[nelson.tfr]

Beer's fine. Brewers only put BBE dates on because they're legally obliged to. Drink it, drink it all.

[Dracoro]

Taste it.

It's Stella so, if it tastes really disgusting then it's in date and ok to drink.
If it tastes really really disgusting then it's out of date.

[samdale]

johnnywgk said:

ON the box it says

L9 186MK 23:07
JUL 10 083704


Thanks

packing line 9, 186th working day at 23:04
mk i believe is a code referring to the place it was packed

not sure about the 083704 though


i worked in a factory for a short time (though not packing stella) it was so you could trace back any problems.

[Famous Graham]

nelson.tfr said:

Beer's fine. Brewers only put BBE dates on because they're legally obliged to. Drink it, drink it all.

Not necessarily. I've had bottles of Becks that tasted a bit "off" and found they were a year past their BB date.

[10 Pence Short]

Famous Graham said:

nelson.tfr said:

Beer's fine. Brewers only put BBE dates on because they're legally obliged to. Drink it, drink it all.

Not necessarily. I've had bottles of Becks that tasted a bit "off" and found they were a year past their BB date.

I think that was just because it was Becks.

[CommanderJameson]

"Best Before" doesn't necessarily mean "Will Poison You To Death Immediately After".

Depending on the foodstuff, I add anything from a couple of days to a week to the "Best Before" date. I pay a little more heed to "Use By" dates, but I think it's safe to assume that there's a good chunk of contingency in these dates.

Beer? I'd say as long as it looks right and smells right (well, as right as Stella is ever going to smell), then sup away.

[Famous Graham]

10 Pence Short said:

Famous Graham said:

nelson.tfr said:

Beer's fine. Brewers only put BBE dates on because they're legally obliged to. Drink it, drink it all.

Not necessarily. I've had bottles of Becks that tasted a bit "off" and found they were a year past their BB date.

I think that was just because it was Becks.

I knew that was coming

[freecar]

CommanderJameson said:

"Best Before" doesn't necessarily mean "Will Poison You To Death Immediately After".

Depending on the foodstuff, I add anything from a couple of days to a week to the "Best Before" date. I pay a little more heed to "Use By" dates, but I think it's safe to assume that there's a good chunk of contingency in these dates.

Beer? I'd say as long as it looks right and smells right (well, as right as Stella is ever going to smell), then sup away.

+1 the date on eggs is meaningless. You'll know the second you crack one if it is spoiled. I use my cat to check if meat is ok, she wont touch bad meat (dogs will though!)

[10 Pence Short]

Don't dinner guests find it a bit strange? There's the 5 of you, sat around the table the cat is making small talk and praising the Cabernet Sauvignon whilst testing the guest's steak tartare. All is going well until the cat's had 5 glasses of red and starts telling racist jokes and doing his elephant impression.

[johnnywgk]

As usual some exellent facts and fiction, cheers.

It is stupid that they have date and month, like you say could be months out
of date and OK.

No year is different, could be ok to drink it 5 years Out date, but this could
be 6,7,8 maybe 10 years. there must be a way to tell.

Anyway i'm gonna try some v.soon. cheers again.

[Mk2 Jim]

10 Pence Short said:

Don't dinner guests find it a bit strange? There's the 5 of you, sat around the table the cat is making small talk and praising the Cabernet Sauvignon whilst testing the guest's steak tartare. All is going well until the cat's had 5 glasses of red and starts telling racist jokes and doing his elephant impression.

[Goughie]

samdale said:

johnnywgk said:

ON the box it says

L9 186MK 23:07
JUL 10 083704


Thanks

packing line 9, 186th working day at 23:04
mk i believe is a code referring to the place it was packed

not sure about the 083704 though


i worked in a factory for a short time (though not packing stella) it was so you could trace back any problems.

Almost, not quite. L9 refers to the year in the decade of manaufacture (i.e. 2009), 186 is the day in the year, MK will be a line or location indicator, the time is the time the can was filled and the 083704 is probably a coding relating to the packaging (cans in this case) being used.

[GC8]

I drank some Stella in 2001 that had run out of date in 1996 and it was fine. DO look out for cloudy bottles if youre doing this though: clear were all fit to drink.

[10 Pence Short]

GC8 said:

I drank some Stella in 2001 that had run out of date in 1996 and it was fine. DO look out for cloudy bottles if youre doing this though: clear were all fit to drink.

That advice cost Hoegaarden $34m in 1997.