Best way to fill a growler??

I have my first brew still sitting in primary (been there since probably February sometime, I forget when exactly I brewed it and dont feel like looking it up). I just haven't had time to buy caps and bottle it yet.

Anyway, this black bock is sitting in the primary fermenter, which happens to be the bottling bucket. I'm going up north tomorrow for a bachelor party at a friend's cottage and want to bring a growler of this flat brew for the bachelor (he's worked at a few microbreweries so even though it's flat I know he'll appreciate it).

My question is, what is the best way to go about filling the growler while minimizing risk of contamination/oxidation of the rest of the beer in the bucket? At first I was thinking "Oh I'll just use the turkey baster like I have been to pull my samples." But that's going to be a pain in the butt to fill up a whole growler like that. So of course, that leaves the bottling spout.

But that also brings up another question. Do I have to / Should I use the bottling wand and tube to fill up the growler as to make sure it doesn't oxidize overnight (I'm heading to a friends house tonight and we're leaving in the morning so I'm filling it tonight)?

Or can I get away with just filling up the growler straight from the spout slowly and avoiding splashing?

Just go straight from the spout. Angle the spigot so that you're pouring onto the side of the bottle and let it gracefully flow, rather than splashing directly into the bottom. I have friends who do this same method for bottling in general (i.e., no wand or tubes) and never have any issues with oxidation.

That's exactly what I was thinking. Thanks!

+1 It'd take longer than overnight for oxidation to cardboard up your beer.

I usually attach a small length of sanitized siphon hose to the faucet/spout when filling growlers. Make it just long enough to reach from the spout to the bottom of the growler.

The hose helps reduce splashing and foaming.

Seven said:

I usually attach a small length of sanitized siphon hose to the faucet/spout when filling growlers. Make it just long enough to reach from the spout to the bottom of the growler.

The hose helps reduce splashing and foaming.

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Same here. Plus cap on foam. Shouldn'd be an issue when you are bottling flat beer though.

I use BM's beer gun, but with a bigger stopper. That way, if I decide not to open the growler later, it's just another bottle.

Here's my video tutorial on how to fill a growler or bottle from a keg

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/user/epicbeerdude?feature=mhee#p/u/0/z_cVhKdQKRg]epicbeerdude's Channel - YouTube[/ame]

If you have a CO2 tank, purge the growler prior to filling. Hell, add some corn sugar to it and put a "do not open until..." sticker on it and it will be carbonated for him!!

helibrewer said:

Hell, add some corn sugar to it and put a "do not open until..." sticker on it and it will be carbonated for him!!

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I would hope beer coming out of a tap would already be carbonated. Also: not a good idea to condition in growlers.

daksin said:

I would hope beer coming out of a tap would already be carbonated. Also: not a good idea to condition in growlers.

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There's a hundred threads on this board about the dangers of conditioning in growlers.

However, I can say anecdotally that it can be done safely. I've carb'd in growlers using polyseal caps. I also try to use growlers with thicker glass. I prefer the brown ones that Rogue ales come in.

But there are tons of tales about growlers exploding, so be careful.

alexdagrate said:

There's a hundred threads on this board about the dangers of conditioning in growlers.

However, I can say anecdotally that it can be done safely. I've carb'd in growlers using polyseal caps. I also try to use growlers with thicker glass. I prefer the brown ones that Rogue ales come in.

But there are tons of tales about growlers exploding, so be careful.

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Agreed- didn't mean to say it can't be done, but I would never do it. For every person who says it will blow up your growlers, another person says they do it all the time. I'm not going to do it in mine, because growlers are expensive and bottles are free. If I want big bottles I go to champagne bottles or bombers.

It also helps to pre-chill the growler before filling. You'll get lees foam this way..

jayavery said:

Here's my video tutorial on how to fill a growler or bottle from a keg

epicbeerdude's Channel - YouTube

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Nice Vid Man ! I may try this this weekend.