[HoosierBrew]

1xxx - either 1 or 11 depending on week.
x14x - 14th week of the year
xxx6 - 2016

So 14th week would be mid April so the 1 would be an 11.

April 11, 2016. I think.

I may have to write that down and keep it in my wallet because I damn sure won't remember it. It's like an irritating story problem in math class. Guess I've been lucky buying it because I haven't had any old/oxidized yet. Other breweries' helles, different story.

[beersk]

Okay, so the code on my Weihenstephaner hefe is 0335. That puts it at, what, August of 2015?

[boulderbrewer]

August 20 2015. yep

[HoosierBrew]

Okay, so the code on my Weihenstephaner hefe is 0335. That puts it at, what, August of 2015?

Yeah, sounds right. How is it, still tasty?

[Phil_M]

I'm confused on the first digit...

[beersk]

Okay, so the code on my Weihenstephaner hefe is 0335. That puts it at, what, August of 2015?

Yeah, sounds right. How is it, still tasty?

Not drinking it yet, but given how old that is, damn, I should drink it sooner than later. But that might not matter.
I'm also still confused by that first digit.

[RPIScotty]

Okay, so the code on my Weihenstephaner hefe is 0335. That puts it at, what, August of 2015?

Yeah, sounds right. How is it, still tasty?

Not drinking it yet, but given how old that is, damn, I should drink it sooner than later. But that might not matter.
I'm also still confused by that first digit.

As I understand it:

Let's use the first digit 1 and the month of January.

The first digit in the date code corresponds to the day of bottling, the next two digits to the week of the year it was bottled and the third, assuming a drink by date maximum period of one year, to the year of bottling.

The first digit of 1 for the month of January has four instances: 01, 11, 21, 31.

Here are four examples:

1016 = January 1, 2016
1026 = January 11, 2016
1036 = January 21, 2016
1056 = January 31, 2016

Now try a first digit of 5, with instances of 5, 15 and 25:

5016 = January 5, 2016
5036 = January 15, 2016
5046 = January 25, 2016.

[Phil_M]

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks!

[beersk]

Okay, so the code on my Weihenstephaner hefe is 0335. That puts it at, what, August of 2015?

Yeah, sounds right. How is it, still tasty?

Not drinking it yet, but given how old that is, damn, I should drink it sooner than later. But that might not matter.
I'm also still confused by that first digit.

As I understand it:

Let's use the first digit 1 and the month of January.

The first digit in the date code corresponds to the day of bottling, the next two digits to the week of the year it was bottled and the third, assuming a drink by date maximum period of one year, to the year of bottling.

The first digit of 1 for the month of January has four instances: 01, 11, 21, 31.

Here are four examples:

1016 = January 1, 2016
1026 = January 11, 2016
1036 = January 21, 2016
1056 = January 31, 2016

Now try a first digit of 5, with instances of 5, 15 and 25:

5016 = January 5, 2016
5036 = January 15, 2016
5046 = January 25, 2016.

So as Marc pointed out, 0335 really would be August 20th, 2015, yes?

Thanks for explaining that.

[RPIScotty]

So as Marc pointed out, 0335 really would be August 20th, 2015, yes?

Thanks for explaining that.

Yup. Sounds right to me.

[udubdawg]

Weihenstephaner is fave if fresh, just remember to decipher the bottle date. If I remember correctly a bottle dated today would be 1146.

Paulaner is much easier to find fresh I've found but beware they use a 12-month best-by dating. So that 9/16 out there now isn't that fresh.

How do you decipher that 1146 means it was bottled today?

1xxx - either 1 or 11 depending on week.
x14x - 14th week of the year
xxx6 - 2016

So 14th week would be mid April so the 1 would be an 11.

April 11, 2016. I think.

Basically yeah. I've always looked at the second digit for the specific day. Perhaps I had that part wrong.
I was saying this was the 14th week though only the 13th full one so maybe 1136. The problem with that dating is the 31st and 1st would have same bottle date.

Don't think I was quite correct but I'm going to still tell people I taught ya something anyway. 

[RPIScotty]

Weihenstephaner is fave if fresh, just remember to decipher the bottle date. If I remember correctly a bottle dated today would be 1146.

Paulaner is much easier to find fresh I've found but beware they use a 12-month best-by dating. So that 9/16 out there now isn't that fresh.

How do you decipher that 1146 means it was bottled today?

1xxx - either 1 or 11 depending on week.
x14x - 14th week of the year
xxx6 - 2016

So 14th week would be mid April so the 1 would be an 11.

April 11, 2016. I think.

Basically yeah
I was saying this was the 14th week though only the 13th full one so maybe 1136. The problem with that dating is the 31st and 1st would have same bottle date, but what's one day I guess.

I think that's wrong. Take January:

1016 = January 1, 2016
1056 = January 31, 2016

[udubdawg]

March 31st and April 1st happened the same week, so if you're looking at 2nd digit...

For that matter, if you are looking at the first digit, March 30 and 31 are same week too...

...the first digit is useless, they should just use the other three. Useless to us at least. Perhaps it helps with batch info.

[RPIScotty]

March 31st and April 1st happened the same week, so if you're looking at 2nd digit...

For that matter, if you are looking at the first digit, March 30 and 31 are same week too...

...the first digit is useless, they should just use the other three. Useless to us at least. Perhaps it helps with batch info.

Good point and good catch.

[HoosierBrew]

...the first digit is useless, they should just use the other three. Useless to us at least. Perhaps it helps with batch info.

That was my thought, too.