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Storing Beer in Can or not?

  • 1.  Storing Beer in Can or not?

    Posted 04-25-2019 10:41
    This is a new one for me...For an exhibit opening, a local brewery created a special beer. We have been given a full can of the beer as a donation. My question is...how do I store this? Since it was a special batch, is there a way (is it safe) to store it intact? Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks.

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    Christine Chandler
    Curator of Natural Science
    Putnam Museum and Science Center
    Davenport IA
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  • 2.  RE: Storing Beer in Can or not?

    Posted 04-26-2019 11:03
    My suggestion is to empty and wash the can before accessioning and/or displaying it. If it's going to be displayed for any length of time, or if its significance warrants, I'd ask for two cans so that one can be kept safe in storage while the other is displayed.

    We recently dismantled a long-term exhibition that had a number of product packages with contents, and I wished my predecessors had emptied them when they were first acquired.

    Good luck, whatever you decide!
    Sarah

    --
    Sarah Clark
    Curator
    Staten Island Historical Society
    Staten Island, NY
    718-351-1611, ext. 272

    Historic Richmond Town is a not-for-profit cultural institution of the City of New York.  • historicrichmondtown.org  • 718-351-1611 • @hrtown



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  • 3.  RE: Storing Beer in Can or not?

    Posted 04-26-2019 11:37

    I think it is better to be safe than sorry.  My recommendation would be to drill a hole in the bottom and drain the can and rinse it with water before accessioning and storage.  Since the point is to document the special beer my guess is the information on the container is more important to preserve rather than the actual contents of the can.  I would ask the brewer for the information about the specific brew process for that special beer, perhaps they'll even give you the recipe, and you can add it to the catalog record.  

     

    I hope this helps, but am also interested to hear how other institutions store similar objects and their rationale.

     

     

    Kate Owens

    Curator of Collections

    Missouri State Museum

     




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  • 4.  RE: Storing Beer in Can or not?

    Posted 05-01-2019 12:14
    I'm chiming in a bit late on this but I definitely agree with the better safe than sorry route. I think the value is more in the packaging. I liked the suggestion to see if they would give you the recipe or brewers notes though!

    I had this same situation a few years back when we featured a brewery in an exhibit but I requested they give me empty bottles. I also got labels and other packaging examples too. But everything I requested and kept had never actually held beer. I don't know if it would be as easy to get an empty can like you can a bottle though.

    If you really want to keep the can with beer in tact I would wrap it like crazy and monitor frequently. Cans can explode over time so you need to protect anything near the can from that possibility. I would also see if The Andy Warhol Museum has any other ideas about keeping packaged food or beverages. I know they have soup cans!

    Worth asking for an empty can though!
    Karen Butler-Clary

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    Karen Butler-Clary
    Highlands Ranch CO
    (316) 644-9979
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  • 5.  RE: Storing Beer in Can or not?

    Posted 05-01-2019 13:11
    What would you suggest for full bottles of wine?  Empty bottles?

    --
    Rebecca DuBey, Museum Curator
    Sauk County Historical Society
    (608) 356-1001  W-F; please leave a message other times!



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  • 6.  RE: Storing Beer in Can or not?

    Posted 05-02-2019 12:38

    I've had the same situation where wine that was on display spilled on me when I tilted it to read the number!  When I began my current position, I came across an entire collection of Coke-a-cola memorabilia, including full cans.  I haven't had time to address the collection but I did immediately bag the full cans in individual zip-lock bags.  Good thing too.  About a year later I was getting a conservation assessment and we discovered that one of the cans had leaked and the bag was full of liquid. 

     

    If keeping the liquid intact, I would recommend sealing it in a bag.  If removing the liquid, you really need to find a good way to clean the container so you are not inviting critters to the sweet tasting contents (may still want to bag).

     

    Good luck!

     

    Dana Neitzel

    Curator

    San Mateo County Historical Association

    2200 Broadway, Redwood City, CA 94063

    Ph: 650.299.0104, ext. 230 | Fax: 650.299.0141

    dana@historysmc.org | www.historysmc.org

     

    image002.jpg@01CFB22C.09A3D230  image004.jpg@01CFB22C.09A3D230  image006.jpg@01CFB22C.09A3D230  image008.jpg@01CFB22C.09A3D230

              

    Current changing exhibits at the History Museum:

    Our Story:  Transformation of a Courthouse & Twenty Years in Redwood City (through October 27, 2019)

    After Promontory:  150 Years of Transcontinental Railroading (opens May 10, 2019)

     




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  • 7.  RE: Storing Beer in Can or not?

    Posted 05-01-2019 13:44

    I have no experience or real advice here but wanted to share an idea (hope that's ok).

     

    Would it be possible (advisable/worthwhile/valuable/etc.) to pour the contents into a specimens jar and store them together? I would image the jars would be more sturdy and you retain the contents for potential future research while potentially removing the exploding can factor.

     

    Just brainstorming here but my experience brewing is that as long is the brewer didn't add too much yeast/sugar/CO2 then the release of pressure from opening the can and then pouring into the jar would mean that the pressure within the jar itself is at a minimum. And you could always shake the jar and release the pressure a few times before sealing it to expel the carbonation.

     

    Again, just thinking out loud. I'd be interested to hear what you decide!

    http://images.utk.edu/images/interface/ut-emailsignature.gif 

    Amanda Richards
    Preservation Technician

    The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
    Betsy B. Creekmore Special Collections 
    329 Hodges Library 
    1015 Volunteer Blvd. 
    Knoxville, TN 37996 

    amandarichards@utk.edu 
    (865) 974-6153 

    Big Orange. Big Ideas.

     




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  • 8.  RE: Storing Beer in Can or not?

    Posted 05-01-2019 15:40

    I just wanted to say that I'm also following this post as we have a donation of glass soda bottles and have been going back and forth on whether to empty them. In order to empty them we would have to remove the aluminum caps which would of course end up bent and wouldn't be able to go back on easily. Currently, we have them stored completely away from other collections. It's been interesting to hear what others are saying about emptying contents. Keep up the responses J

     

    Diana Welsh

    Collections Manager

    The Indian Museum of North America

    Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation

    12151 Avenue of the Chiefs

    Crazy Horse, SD 57730-8900

    605-673-4681  Ext. 256

    diana.welsh@crazyhorse.org

    www.crazyhorsememorial.org

     




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  • 9.  RE: Storing Beer in Can or not?

    Posted 05-02-2019 11:29
    I have had experience with both bottles and cans.  I have not followed this thread closely but have you reached out to the brewer to simply provide you with an empty can?  The cans we had in the collection when I was at Harry S Truman NHS were in pretty good shape after 30 years but it was recommended we drill the bottom of the can and empty the contents by a conservator.  I do not recall the recommendation about the bottles but the soda bottles we had were about the same age and the plastic inside the bottle cap was starting to disintegrate and fall into the bottle.  We kept the contents intact because it was the president's and as far as I know nothing has happened (been gone for 15 years now).  

    Michael Hosking
    Museum Curator
    Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
    PO Box 65
    485 Fillmore Street
    Harpers Ferry, WV 25425

    Cell: 304-582-0086
    Desk: 304-535-6497



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  • 10.  RE: Storing Beer in Can or not?

    Posted 05-06-2019 18:31
    Diana,

    Crowns (those aluminum caps) can be removed with care. I put a pad of some sort (those cotton pads used for makeup removal are good) and gently pry up the edge. The trick is to loosen the crown all the way around, not just leverage in one spot. You may be able to find a local homebrewer who bottles their own beer who has a hand bottler that could re-tighten the crown back on the bottle, again protecting the exterior with some thin cloth. I wouldn't bother as many times there is something printed in the cap that you will want to access. We use a binder with clamshell style pages designed specifically for storing the crowns and note which bottle the crown came from.

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    Judith Downie
    Special Collections & History Librarian
    California State University San Marcos
    San Marcos CA
    (760) 750-4312
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  • 11.  RE: Storing Beer in Can or not?

    Posted 05-06-2019 18:31
    Hi Amanda, Great suggestion, but once the beer is opened and exposed to the air, oxygenation starts and that will alter the beer's chemical composition,

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    Judith Downie
    Special Collections & History Librarian
    California State University San Marcos
    San Marcos CA
    (760) 750-4312
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    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Storing Beer in Can or not?

    Posted 05-02-2019 11:29
    We try to empty cans of beer and soda. Recently we discovered a 25 year old soda can that was not emptied and it had sprung a leak. Luckily it was in a zip lock bag and its contents did not damage any other collections. The soda had stained the outside of the can and we are deaccessioning it. I believe most collectors empty their cans as well. 

    Bottles of soda are more resilient. I have not seen one leak in my 25 year career but we still store them in zip lock bags in case of an accident.

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    Jason Aikens
    Collections Curator
    Pro Football Hall of Fame
    Canton OH
    (330) 588-3601
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    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: Storing Beer in Can or not?

    Posted 05-06-2019 18:31
    HI Christine,

    Sorry for a delayed reply, I just learned about this conversation from a preservation specialist who thought I would be interested. I am the curator for a special collection at CSUSM--the Brewchive(tm) which collects San Diego, CA brewing activity. We decided to not accept full bottles or cans as threats to the collection are too great. Even the best ziplock bags, etc. can tear or degrade. The only reason we could think of to consider keeping the liquid contents would be for chemical analysis in the future. Many beers do not age well and change in taste and composition over time in any case. That's the same with hops, malt or yeast. If the beer is a one-off recipe, ask the brewery for the recipe, even if it has to be restricted for some time as many breweries will revive older recipes at some point.

    Good luck!

    Judith

    ------------------------------
    Judith Downie
    Special Collections & History Librarian
    California State University San Marcos
    San Marcos CA
    (760) 750-4312
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    Original Message


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