A mini crisis has hit the Vital Spark and Parahandy household. What to do with some rather unpleasant tasting beer Chang.
We went to our local Tesco dump the other day and decided to stock up on beer, so bought a couple of cases of Chang. I duly popped some warm bottles in the fridge to cool down. The next day we opened a bottle and it tasted rather strange - not totally unusual for Chang as the quality does tend to go up and down a tad. So we opened another bottle to check. Equally strange taste. I had a look at the date stamp on the bottle and it was 11.01.11! Checked the date stamp on the box, which was obviously the same. What the heck was Tescos doing selling 7 month old foul tasting beer? Mr.VS suggesting dumping the lot, which was a rare thought for a Scot. I've stuck them back in the box for a rainy day, or for visitors who won't notice the difference...
So what would you have done?
VS
"Properly trained, man can be a dog's best friend"
Good Lord.... Did you have any good ones left over from the previous batch??
On a more serious note. If I had already consumed a unhealthy amount of alcohol before I tried the 'gone off' box it would probably have been polished off none the wiser. Probably happened a few times already
OK, GLC, fancy coming round for a beer? We'll start you off with the fresh stuff, and then...
JK - Totally agree with you, but I don't somehow think that the Tescos in NP would understand our problem. 'It's alcohol isn't it? Surely it doesn't matter what it tastes like. If it makes you drunk, then it's OK'.
I've come up with a cunning plan, courtesy of the hugely 'informative' and totally reliable site e-how. I quote:
1. Remove a bottle or can of beer from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
2. Prepare to wash your hair, by collecting everything you need such as your favorite shampoo, conditioner (optional) and a clean towel.
3. Once the beer is at room temperature, open the container and set aside while you begin the regular process of washing your hair with shampoo.
4. Rinse your hair, as normal, and then while bending over with your head down pour the open container of beer on your hair. Massage the beer into your hair and scalp and then continue your regular shower routine of scrubbing, shaving and washing. (I'm a bit scared of this bit )
5. Once you have finished your regular routine, thoroughly rinse the beer from your hair. At this point you can follow up with a good light-weight conditioner or skip the conditioner and dry your hair with a clean towel.
Ain't these website so useful.
VS
"Properly trained, man can be a dog's best friend"
Yes, I think it would taste a lot better without the shampoo, however old it is; I once drank a can of lager that was nine years old and it really wasn't that bad.
Several I imagine, it was a booby price in a pub raffle and the landlord had found it after clearing out the cellar. (This was in the Bee Hive in Helston, Cornwall when I was still in the Navy.)
It was Carling and really not much worse than when new.
This is a problem I run into often at small mom and pop stores. I'm undecided if the cause is due to few customers buying and the beer sits, especially with Heineken, or they have a deal with the distributor to buy older beer at a discount. There is nothing worse then anticipating an evening with some good beer, then find you can't drink it. I guess the lesson is to always check dates before buying. Unfortunately if I'm alone and haven't brought my glasses, I need to set it on a table and step back a meter to try to read it. Pete
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Glad i'm not a beer drinker, but being a fellow Scot, i'd feel aggrieved about spending the cash and not being able to get any pleasure from it.
Suggest you jump in the ole-Puffer and take what is left back to Tesco's and request a refund - if NP are not receptive, maybe a letter of complaint to their Head Office in Bkk copied to World HQ would see the issue resolved (in time) and maybe a few free cases thrown in...
I've seen 'old' beer at Tesco often, but it was usually Singha or Heineken. There seems to be no pattern as one day they will have a stack of 8 month old beer, then a few days later it's fresh one month old. Now I always check dates before I put into the cart.
If it tastes odd, I'd return the old beer. They will likely grab a solo bottle from the cooler to replace the one you drank, tape the box shut and put it back on the stack.
Many places, including hotels/Mom n Pop shops/restaurants/bars etc, are yet to grasp the concept of stock rotation.
I also believe that quite a bit of beer and wine is ruined through negligence, with one of the main culprits being that it is left for long periods of time at unsuitably warm temperatures, especially in the local M&P shops.
I've got fairly diligent on checking manufacture and expiry dates on a whole load of stuff now, as I too have come across this 'Let's try to sell it to the unwary' attitude, even at what you'd like to think are reputable places.
Glad i'm not a beer drinker, but being a fellow Scot, i'd feel aggrieved about spending the cash and not being able to get any pleasure from it.
Suggest you jump in the ole-Puffer and take what is left back to Tesco's and request a refund - if NP are not receptive, maybe a letter of complaint to their Head Office in Bkk copied to World HQ would see the issue resolved (in time) and maybe a few free cases thrown in...
Yes that's what I'd do as well - but maybe skip the Bangkok HQ bit and go straight to the top. Tesco is just so powerful these days it thinks it can get away with anything.
Ever noticed how Boots branches in Thailand get regular visits by their Farang management? Ever seen that happen in Tesco?
And totally off topic but on the hair front - the BP last year published another idea for conditioning. Must admit I've not tried it yet but - use cold black coffee to rinse first, which is supposed to get rid of accumulated rubbish. Then use a conditioner of milk mixed with a beaten egg. For dry hair you use the full egg and for greasy hair you just use the yolk - or was it the white? Or maybe it was the other way round...
margaretcarnes wrote:.......................And totally off topic but on the hair front - the BP last year published another idea for conditioning. Must admit I've not tried it yet but - use cold black coffee to rinse first, which is supposed to get rid of accumulated rubbish. Then use a conditioner of milk mixed with a beaten egg. For dry hair you use the full egg and for greasy hair you just use the yolk - or was it the white? Or maybe it was the other way round... ....................
Then you could put a squirt of whipped cream on top and walk around as an 'iced farang cappuchino'
I've stuck them back in the box for a rainy day, or for visitors who won't notice the difference...
Pete 
