Bottling in Growlers

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
M

MadHatter

Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2007
Messages
24
Reaction score
0
Location
Downstate Illinois
I ordered some growlers with screw caps to bottle part of my latest batch of brew. Another member suggested that growlers are not a good idea for bottling and could explode due to being thin walled. Doesn't make much sense to me so I'm just looking for some advice. Has anyone used these 1/2 gallon glass jugs for bottling? Is it ok to prime your beer in them or are they simply for filling out of a keg?
 
I dont think that they will bust, but Im not sure that they will hold the carbonation.

All the growlers that I have had went flat if they didnt get emptied soon enough.
 
Growlers are for taking beer home from pubs for immediate consumption or taking your draft beer somewhere else for immediate consumption.

I don't recommend using them for bottling and carbonating home brew.
 
I think that member was me...:D

There's another member with a similar question. His complaint was that the beer was flat.

I told him the cap leaked since it did not carbonate.

So, basicaly it's the same info. Can't use them.
 
homebrewer_99 said:
I think that member was me...:D

There's another member with a similar question. His complaint was that the beer was flat.

I told him the cap leaked since it did not carbonate.

So, basicaly it's the same info. Can't use them.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I suspicioned before I ordered them. Wasn't worried about a detonation, but felt maybe the seal was in question. Didn't occur to me that someone would need a case of six jugs to take his own brew away from home. Oh well, back to my 22oz'ers
 
magno said:
I dont think that they will bust, but Im not sure that they will hold the carbonation.QUOTE]

Not sure on the busting part, but if you you use some plumbers tape on the threads, they will hold pressure.
Click to expand...
 
Now you guys have me worried. I am on my second use of a swing top growler. It carbonated great and made bottling a little easier. should I go wrap this bad boy in a garbage bag? I got mine from the local brewpub, but it is the same as the below link.

http://morebeer.com/view_product/7968/
 
Swingtops growlers are almost the same for bottling as any swing top bottle. I have heard the amount priming sugar may need to be adjusted but I dont think it matters.
 
I've used a two-liter swingtop growler multiple times to bottle. Let last one sit for 6 months. Had a real good POP when I opened it. Again, so long as it has a good rubber seal and the swingtop requires a bit of effort to lock into place, my experience has been 100% positive.
 
My buddy regularly uses screw-top growlers for homebrew, no problems with carbonation. Just tighten them with some moxy. When I use them I seal the cap on with bottling wax, which looks sweet. I recommend black wax.
 
Ok, this bashing of proper screw on growlers has got to stop. I use them regularly (1-2 for each brew, more if I have them empty).

You simply have to use the right screw-on-top. http://www.homebrewit.com/aisle/3040 Polyseal caps will solve any and all carbonation problems. I've opened growlers 9 months past bottling, and they are as carbonated then, as they were a month after... and the same carbonation as the traditional capped bottles.

In fact, it's likely that in my next visit to the LHBS, I'll be picking up a couple more... or perhaps grabbing a few that are already full of beer.
 
JavaBeans said:
Not sure on the busting part, but if you you use some plumbers tape on the threads, they will hold pressure.
Click to expand...

I did this and it held just fine. I opened six weeks after bottling day and it had perfect carbonation.
 
butler1850 said:
Ok, this bashing of proper screw on growlers has got to stop. I use them regularly (1-2 for each brew, more if I have them empty).

You simply have to use the right screw-on-top. http://www.homebrewit.com/aisle/3040 Polyseal caps will solve any and all carbonation problems. I've opened growlers 9 months past bottling, and they are as carbonated then, as they were a month after... and the same carbonation as the traditional capped bottles.

In fact, it's likely that in my next visit to the LHBS, I'll be picking up a couple more... or perhaps grabbing a few that are already full of beer.
Click to expand...

My favorite reply! Thank all you guys, both positive and negative, for your input and perspective. I'll be using my growlers with the batch I have going now.

:mug:
 
Maybe you should try bottling just a few growlers and the rest in regular bottles. That way if it doesn't work for you, you don't lose the whole batch?
 

Similar threads

I
Hello from the impatient one
Replies
10
Views
333
impatient one
I
L
Over primed with dextrose, want to avoid bottle bombs
Replies
6
Views
1K
beren
beren
Clint Yeastwood
Orval!
Replies
6
Views
649
Yesfan
Yesfan
F
A few questions on treating, force carbonating and bottling temps
Replies
4
Views
640
Fixerman
F
Chalkyt
Using Fuji juice to make sweet carbonated Cider
Replies
1
Views
418
Chalkyt
Chalkyt

Latest posts

Back
Top