# Where did the Coke in this can go?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 5, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797 "2008-12-05T02:21:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Shig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shig)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/1 "2008-12-05T02:21:44Z")
I have this tall skinny coke can that I bought probably 10 years ago because I liked the design on it. It’s been in a closet almost ever since. I picked it up yesterday and it seems to be about an eighth full now. No signs of leakage and no holes in the can. What happened to the Coke inside this unopened Coke can?? It’s driving me crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/2 "2008-12-05T04:42:05Z")
I don’t know the rate of diffusion for (basically) water going through aluminum. However, it’s quite possible there was a manufacturing defect that left a hole somewhere where the lid was crimped on, or where the tab was riveted on. In fact, I found a Sprite with the latter problem just this evening. It was about 3/4 full, but still carbonated. It was immediately noticeable when I picked it up because the can wasn’t under pressure, and dented when I grabbed it. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/3 "2008-12-05T12:40:42Z")
No answer, but a similar thing happened to me a while back. In my case it did look like there was a faint stain where the can was sitting, so it may have developed a small hole and drained out slowly. I’ll be watching the thread with interest. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/4 "2008-12-05T12:46:08Z")
I don’t know the answer but seal it in a zip-lock bag and see what happens in the next 10 years. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/5 "2008-12-05T17:45:55Z")
I actually have a sealed, empty can of Diet Coke that I got in a 12-pack. No sign of puncture, and it’s somewhat resistant to crushing (I assume this pressure means it is still sealed). ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/6 "2008-12-05T17:47:29Z")
> [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](#): > > I actually have a sealed, empty can of Diet Coke that I got in a 12-pack. No sign of puncture, and it’s somewhat resistant to crushing (I assume this pressure means it is still sealed). Any idea when you got the can? ---
**Author:** ![Anthony\_N](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Anthony\_N](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anthony_N)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/7 "2008-12-05T19:09:39Z")
I have found sealed beer cans both empty and partially filled in 12-packs before. High-speed, automated filling machines aren’t 100% accurate. Or someone in the bottling plant felt like playing a practical joke. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/8 "2008-12-05T19:28:18Z")
> [@Anthony\_N](#): > > Or someone in the bottling plant felt like playing a practical joke. I know! I got a bottle of Schotz beer with a glove on top of it once! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/9 "2008-12-05T19:53:00Z")
Given the extreme thinness of aluminum cans it’s quite possible that any weak spot would be a potential source of leakage across a substantial stretch of time. I’ve seen cheap aluminum pots pitted and eaten through by lots of spaghetti sauce cookery over just 3-4 years and they are 100’s of times thicker than a beverage can. The wonder is not that they leak the wonder is that they don’t leak more. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/10 "2008-12-05T21:07:35Z")
I think it probably leaked. My stepfather had some sealed collectible soda cans at least 15 years old on his shelves. We noticed one day there was a fine stream of liquid shooting a couple feet out of one of them, there was a pinhole about 1/3 the way up the can. So look for evidence a foot or more from the can, I would think you’d find a sticky area unless bugs or something took care of it. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/11 "2008-12-06T01:11:21Z")
I had something similar happen, I had a can of soda, that had been lost in a box in a closet for around 5 years, when I opened it about half the pop was gone. I didn’t see any leaks or anything in the box. And nothing in the box was stained ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/12 "2008-12-06T01:14:26Z")
My coworker has a can of orange soda that’s fully intact and pressurized, but only about 1/4 full. It’s particularly cool because it has the right amount of liquid to be balanced on on the corner, like [this](http://www.instructables.com/id/Soda-Can-Trick/). He keeps it on top of his monitor, on edge. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/13 "2008-12-06T01:15:21Z")
> [@Shig](#): > > I have this tall skinny coke can that I bought probably 10 years ago because I liked the design on it. It’s been in a closet almost ever since. I picked it up yesterday and it seems to be about an eighth full now. If you’re planning to drink it you better hurry the hell up before it’s all gone. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/14 "2008-12-06T01:15:53Z")
> [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](#): > > I actually have a sealed, empty can of Diet Coke that I got in a 12-pack. No sign of puncture, and it’s somewhat resistant to crushing (I assume this pressure means it is still sealed). I got one of those as well back in college, Freshman year. It was a regular can of coke and It’s completely empty, however, it’s pretty fragile. If I squeezed it, I could probably dent the can. I’ve kept it every since just because its great fun to take it and tape it to the ceilings or walls. ---
**Author:** ![Shig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Shig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shig)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/15 "2008-12-06T03:15:50Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I had something similar happen, I had a can of soda, that had been lost in a box in a closet for around 5 years, when I opened it about half the pop was gone. > > I didn’t see any leaks or anything in the box. And nothing in the box was stained This is the closest to whats happening here. Apparently there’s no real answers, but thanks for all the responses. =) ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/16 "2008-12-06T03:25:33Z")
> [@Shig](#): > > This is the closest to whats happening here. Apparently there’s no real answers, but thanks for all the responses. =) 😕 You didn’t like my post? ---
**Author:** ![Shig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Shig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shig)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/17 "2008-12-06T10:54:58Z")
> [@Santo\_Rugger](#): > > 😕 You didn’t like my post? OK, Santo, but mine has no dents and no defects. It’s been sitting on a shelf for about 10 years, Nothing has leaked, there’s no holes. I don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/18 "2008-12-06T12:36:13Z")
A friend of mine got a tiny six-pack of baby Cokes (about 2 inches high, bottles) at a World’s Fair in the '60s. When she showed it to me, they were about 1/3 empty. For the record, this may be the best example of “cute food” I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/19 "2008-12-06T13:27:41Z")
> [@Shig](#): > > OK, Santo, but mine has no dents and no defects. It’s been sitting on a shelf for about 10 years, Nothing has leaked, there’s no holes. I don’t get it. Most likely there’s a hole and it leaked. It’s just a hole tinier than you can see. How else do you figure it got out, magic? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797/20 "2008-12-06T14:31:24Z")
> [@Cosmic Relief](#): > > Most likely there’s a hole and it leaked. It’s just a hole tinier than you can see. How else do you figure it got out, magic? 😕 Any hole tinier than you can see is indistinguishable from magic… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-coke-in-this-can-go/475797.md?page=2)