Chang Beer Alcohol Content - Minimum 6.4%

[Madivad]

Well, I think every beer drinker in Thailand has heard the 'stories' of the supposed alcohol content of Chang Classic beer. It seems that everyone repeats similar stories:

At sometime in the past (varies), 'they' tested a batch (varies from one carton to various 'dip samples' conducted over a period) and over that batch the alcohol content ranged from a minimum of 6.4% up to (about/more than) 12%. I've heard the reasons for this varies from batch to batch due to poor production to 'the beer continues to ferment in the bottle' (which would lend itself to having a 'best after' date as does some of the Coopers brand of beer from Australia.

Anyway, a lot of people all sprook about this 'document' but google searches reveal nothing, and no one remembers where they heard, read or otherwise found out about this (other than someone told them).

From personal experience, I can drink tiger beer til the sun comes up... Love it, but tastes like water...I love the taste of Chang, but I generally get drunk on it. Usually takes 6 to the dozen,, but there are nights where it's only 2 or 3 (not drunk, but certainly feeling the effects)

So, I suppose I am putting this out there to find out what people know about the truth of the matter...

Chang Classic beer has an alcohol rating of 6.4% on the bottle, is this the average? Is this the minimum? Is this static?

Does anyone know of this supposed report and where would one find a reference to it?

Is this all an urban legend?

[bkkjames]

Let's see, TBC, one of the largest companies here with 95 subsideries (sp) produces it's flagship with such poor quality control?

Urban bs is more like it. Thanks for playing - I am dumber than a 5yr old sack of hammers (west).

Next

[chiliwasabi]

I've heard the reasons for this varies from batch to batch due to poor production to 'the beer continues to ferment in the bottle'

If this was the case you would have bottles exploding everywhere from excessive carbonation. The average bottle conditioning of beer only adds another 0.5%. You would always have evidence of fermentation in the bottle - a cloudy layer of yeast in the bottom.

I'll put my money on urban myth

[Madivad]

I am dumber than a 5yr old sack of hammers (west).

well, I wouldn't have said that, I barely know you!

I was quoting one of many versions as to the reasons for this, and I was trying to go the extremes of plausibles. Thanks for picking that single part of the post and putting your two bits in. A further reason (as indicated in my Op above), is the fermentation process which in itself is quite plausible (well, I'm not a beer maker, so I can't say for a certainty - but it sounds reasonable).

BTW, I have heard this story from Patong to Pattaya, from Bangkok to Udon Thani, and even once here tonight in Koh Samui (which incidentally prompted me to ask the question)... The story is always the same (within poetic license limits), what I really want to know is, is some part of it true?

[Madivad]

I've heard the reasons for this varies from batch to batch due to poor production to 'the beer continues to ferment in the bottle'

If this was the case you would have bottles exploding everywhere from excessive carbonation. The average bottle conditioning of beer only adds another 0.5%. You would always have evidence of fermentation in the bottle - a cloudy layer of yeast in the bottom.

I'll put my money on urban myth

Cool, in the time it took me to create my last reply, a more reasonable answer has come in, thanks chiliwasabi.

I'm beginning to lean that way, since I have searched for this before and no one can ever cite any reference for me - it's just another one of those great "awww, someone once told me" stories

[Boater]

this was one of the first tales i heard when i landed in the LOS .....

[chiliwasabi]

It's the formaldehyde you need to look out for

[JusMe]

I think this comes from when Chang was first introduced, quite a number of years ago. Aaah, remember the beer wars between the Lion and the Elephant? Great times, those.

But Chang was very new and apparently the production values weren't very strictly adhered to.

At that time, there were some tests done that showed a range of alcohol content from about 4% up to above 10%, in individual bottles.

But that was years ago, and now that everything has become standardized, I believe it's a standard 6.4% alcohol content across the board.

[DP25]

Heard this my first week in Thailand. I don't believe it, just an urban legend to explain why people were getting too drunk, when really it is just much stronger than what many people are used to. These kind of stories seem to be endlessly circulating among foreigners here.

[kurnell]

The story I heard in 1993 was that the Nation newspaper had tested Singha for alcohol content and found that it ranged from 5-11%. Old story, new beer.

[pjclark1]

It's cheaper (45 vs 50 bht so 10%)

it's stronger (6.4 vs 5 so 24%)

and the content in the bottle is larger (630ml vs 600ml so 5%).

That all adds up to a whacking difference!

[PoorSucker]

I think the brewery does it on purpose so they don't have to produce so much.

"Let's make it stronger so people get drunk, then we don't have to make so much money"

[cardholder]

If they can control production at 5% for export, I imagine they can control to 6.4% for domestic use.

[welsh1]

Had to stop drinking Chang ...used to get me into to much trouble

[mark45y]

I am not an expert but as far as I know there are three ways to carbonate beer. Add a bit of sugar to the bottle or a little of an earlier batch that is still fermenting or pump it with CO2. The first two depend on live yeast and stop carbonating when the yeast run out of food. Yeast eat sugar/starch and poop out CO2 and alcohol. At 13% they alcohol kills the yeast as in wine. Proof is of course double %.

[h90]

quality control is for sure poor and I would believe a +/- 0.5% I would still believe +/- 1 % but 12 % is too much to believe.

[HalfSquat]

It's probably like the myths in England about Stella having a special chemical that makes you go mad, hence the 'Stella defence'.

[welsh1]

It's probably like the myths in England about Stella having a special chemical that makes you go mad, hence the 'Stella defence'.

but you have to agree .nothing beats a good pint of stella

[cardholder]

It's probably like the myths in England about Stella having a special chemical that makes you go mad, hence the 'Stella defence'.

but you have to agree .nothing beats a good pint of stella

Not called 'wife-beater' for nothing.

[rott]

When I was first here in 1997 the ''they can't regulate the alcohol content'' was the generally accepted reason why Singha didn't state the alcohol content on the label. Followed by ''but it's minimum 6%'', which was quite plausible, but there was never any mention of 11%. Then Singha started appearing in the UK and stating 6%. This was shortly before Chang and Leo were introduced.

But I've never heard it said about Chang, 6.4% is more than enough!

[SantiSuk]

if you have ever tasted a 12% beer you will know that there is no mistaking that this is a helluva belt. Has to be far sweeter than normal to carry the higher alcohol content. It would taste nothing like a normal Chang

Urban myth.