# Canned Beer **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [May 25, 2006, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178 "2006-05-25T15:30:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/1 "2006-05-25T15:30:11Z")
[Shortest column ever?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_114a.html) ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/2 "2006-05-25T16:24:47Z")
I bet Peter C. of Madison also wonders how they get the chocolate inside M&Ms. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/3 "2006-05-25T17:21:34Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] I bet Peter C. of Madison also wonders how they get the chocolate inside M&Ms. :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] Little tiny hypodermic (or hypocandy-coating) needles! ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/4 "2006-05-25T17:36:28Z")
[Nope.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_076.html) ---
**Author:** ![beergeek279](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@beergeek279](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beergeek279)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/5 "2006-05-25T17:40:01Z")
Well, to hijack this back onto the topic, here’s a video of a small canning system at work: [http://raven.lexi.net/asxgen/cask.com/Canning\_Micros\_USA\_high.wmv.asx](http://raven.lexi.net/asxgen/cask.com/Canning_Micros_USA_high.wmv.asx) ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/6 "2006-05-25T19:39:13Z")
[QUOTE=Telemark] [Nope.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_076.html) [/QUOTE] I could have sworn her name was Rosie Palmer. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/7 "2006-05-25T19:50:52Z")
[Even better](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_003b.html). I’m not aware of any answer that’s just “no”, so this is probably the record. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/8 "2006-05-25T19:59:27Z")
Every column, as far as I know, is about the same length (800 words, give or take). When you see a short question and answer in the archives it usually means it was originally part of a column that tackled several topics. Another part is of the 12 August 1988 column is [Is nutmeg hallucinogenic?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_114b.html) The shortest response I remember is one I can’t find online. It’s from page 3 of _The Staight Dope_. The question and answer in full are > [@](#): > > _Do all mammals have tongues?–Cathy B., Baltimore_ > > Yes. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/9 "2006-05-25T20:00:44Z")
Wasted nine minutes looking for that damn thing. How did you find it? ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/10 "2006-05-25T20:03:44Z")
[QUOTE=bibliophage] Wasted nine minutes looking for that damn thing. How did you find it? [/QUOTE] Waste is such a messy word. _I_, for one, appreciate the effort! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/11 "2006-05-25T23:58:26Z")
😕I searched the archive for the word “tongues”. It was the first hit. How were you trying to find it? ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/12 "2006-05-26T14:29:09Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] 😕I searched the archive for the word “tongues”. It was the first hit. How were you trying to find it? [/QUOTE] [Which Archive?](http://www.straightdope.com/script/search.php) I used the one linked, changed settings to all and got nothing. ---
**Author:** ![worrywort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ebca7d/32.png) [@worrywort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/worrywort)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/13 "2006-05-27T14:56:11Z")
On a related note (related to canning that is), how do they get the bubble into a level?? ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/14 "2006-05-27T16:53:22Z")
[QUOTE=worrywort] On a related note (related to canning that is), how do they get the bubble into a level?? [/QUOTE] The same way they get the straw into a strawberry. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2006, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/15 "2006-05-28T00:43:41Z")
> [@](#): > > On a related note (related to canning that is), how do they get the bubble into a level?? > The same way they get the straw into a strawberry. The question is how do they get it out. Actually, i’ll bet instead of buying injecting machines accurate to the hundredth of a milliliter, it’s probably easier to just fill it to the top, cut off any protruding surface tension (since all will have it to some degree), and cap it with something that’s not going to be exactly flush. This ought to turn out pretty consistent. Most steps are the same, but instead of exact nozzles you just take a swipe with an edge. (actually, the swiping, if done quickly, ought to leave an air bubble behind iteslf). At least, that’s how I would do it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2006, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/16 "2006-05-28T22:17:58Z")
Hm, I just tried both of the search forms on the [Straight Dope Archive Page](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/), and both of them work fine. All I can figure is that **bibliophage** and **SIXSwordS** maybe misspelled “tongues”? The U goes after the G. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/17 "2006-05-29T14:37:53Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] All I can figure is that \ **SIXSwordS** maybe misspelled “tongues”? The U goes after the G. [/QUOTE] :smack: ---
**Author:** ![worrywort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ebca7d/32.png) [@worrywort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/worrywort)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/18 "2006-05-29T19:50:01Z")
[QUOTE=Alex\_Dubinsky] The question is how do they get it out. Actually, i’ll bet instead of buying injecting machines accurate to the hundredth of a milliliter, it’s probably easier to just fill it to the top, cut off any protruding surface tension (since all will have it to some degree), and cap it with something that’s not going to be exactly flush. This ought to turn out pretty consistent. Most steps are the same, but instead of exact nozzles you just take a swipe with an edge. (actually, the swiping, if done quickly, ought to leave an air bubble behind iteslf). At least, that’s how I would do it. [/QUOTE] So, you’re saying that if i took apart a level i would find a cap on one end of the tube? Not a solid, intact tube? Although, come to think the tubes probably are made of plastic these days, but what about when they were made of glass? … … Ok, i’m going to go have a look at a level now, before i start asking more questions… ---
**Author:** ![worrywort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ebca7d/32.png) [@worrywort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/worrywort)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/19 "2006-05-29T20:16:26Z")
Ok. I found a level in my basement, and fortunately it was one that was designed to have each of it’s three separate level mechanisms removed and replaced in different sections, so i didn’t even have to break it. Clearly, they were each made of plastic, and it was also clear to see that one side of each was solid and on side had been bound after the addition of the liquid, presumably through heat or epoxy or some other method. Now, that gives me a strong enough answer to give to my friend regarding the argument we were having over this, which led to me asking the question in this thread in the first place. However, I’d still have to wonder how they got the bubble into a GLASS level. Were there even glass levels? How old are levels? What was used before levels? … …and endless other pointless questions on the subject of levels. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178/20 "2006-05-29T20:31:05Z")
[QUOTE=worrywort] \I’d still have to wonder how they got the bubble into a GLASS level. Were there even glass levels? How old are levels? What was used before levels? … …and endless other pointless questions on the subject of levels. [/QUOTE] I can make two recommendations. Since the topic of this thread-- lame as it is-- is the length of the column, start a new thread in GQ where some of the knowledgable folk can help. Also, maybe do some personal investigation into the matter of how they get beer out of the cans. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-beer/358178.md?page=2)