Uses for a Growler

A family member got me a nice growler, inscribed with "Craft Brewed by [name]" and two glasses with the same. The idea was then I could bring the growler and glasses when I visit instead of bottles.

Problem is, I don't keg, and I'm not sure if bottling in there is something I want to do. Even if it didn't explode, wouldn't all the yeast kick up every time I pour? Anyway, what else can I do with this other than let it sit as a decoration?

I suppose I can look for a local brewery and ask them to fill it up, but that wouldn't exactly be craft brewed by me as the growler says...

I dont think it would be a good idea to bottle in bottles, then pour them into the growler before a visit or something. That's seems kind of pointless, and pouring it into the growler then the glass might have an adverse effect, i dont know.

Maybe it will continue to be a decoration until I switch over to kegging, but that will be a few years at least...

any thoughts?

yeast starters

Have your local brewery fill it for you.

That's what I use mine for. Granted it doesn't get used much...you'll have to drink it pretty soon after filling.

I have 1 gallon growlers w/ screw on caps that I use to bottle in. I was at first very hesitant, so I bottled some apfelwein as I didn't want to test with beer. It worked great. Now I bottle beer in them with confidence.

you don't worry about kicking up the yeast?

Growlers are not rated for pressure. the 1G glass one is more equivalent to a carboy. Thicker.
No not bottle with a growler. There will be people that say to go ahead as they've had success, just be aware, the glass isn't rated to hold pressure so it IS at your risk and IMO, not worth it.
I use my various growlers to hold small batch of starsan, take beer from a keg to someone's house, decoration. Just hang on to them until you start kegging. Don't risk exploding the personalized growler someone got you as a gift.

Growlers should be filled from kegs, used for yeast starters or for storing liquid like starsan.

It sounds like you have a really nice gift, I sure wouldn't risk something like that by bottling in it. Although there's always a few folks that say they are successful.

This tends to be the stories I hear. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/growler-goes-boom-63121/

And it sounds like yours is pretty special.

Obviously the brew pub idea is a good one, also if you are going to a function, you could consider decanting a bunch of your carbed bottles into, like some folks fill pitchers. Since growlers have to be consumed quickly, you don't really run the risk of oxidizing your beer in the few hours you'll be sharing from the growler.

yeah, i really wouldn't bottle in it unless i contacted the manufacturer and they said it could withstand it. If it was a piece I bought off craigslist it would be different.

I guess I'll just stick with the breweries and decoration until i have the space to keg.

Just buy one keg, doesn't take up too much space. Prime carb it, use a CO2 cartridge and bar tap. Takes up less space than a carboy really and you can pour bottles and growlers to chill. I've got a tapped keg sitting in my garage and I just nurse on it.

I've bottle conditioned in my swing top airtight growler with success. I've also got a growler full of cooled wort from my gf's first brewday that I'm going to pitch a lager strain into and put in the fridge. Those things are solid, don't worry about it.

The bigger problem will be the inability to use it while its sitting there conditioning. If its a nice one with your name on it you might want to use it more often than once every few weeks.

hmm....i never really thought about chilling in the fridge AFTER pouring from the keg. That might be something I can do....and the growler would be perfect for that.

I always figured that if i used kegs i needed a dedicated fridge.

If you want to pull a pint and drink it you'll need a dedicated fridge. There are 3G Kegs that you may be able to fit in a fridge, or search for "jockey box"

well i suppose i could fill the growler from the keg and leave that in the fridge so i'll have cold beer ready.

you could, I personally would just let the growler sit until you start kegging. Look on craigslist or freecycle. Kegging might be closer than you realize.

I think this is a great excuse to try kegging! Seriously. Look out for cheap corny. I got mine free by posting a wanted ad on craigslist. Naturally carb it like you would. You can use the co2 charges to push the beer instead of buying a tank / regulator / etc.. I keg, but don't keep it in a fridge. You can make a cheap jockey box with a foam cooler and a few extra feet of beer hose.

I gotta tell you...I have been dying to switch to kegging....this could be enough to get me going...

irregularpulse--Its not just a matter of getting the equipment, its really a matter of have a place to put it. I live in a 1 bedroom apartment in washington, dc. And I share that with my girlfriend and my dog. Best case scenario we'll have a 2BR in a few months, but even then it would be a struggle to win extra space for a refrigerator.

just bottle in the dang thang! re-use older twiston caps, and extra pressure leaks out (I never had a problem). I had a wine jug that went "crack".... 'flood', but not the growlers.

If you want to be paranoid, pour it before you prime your batch for bottling, prime with less.

I, personally, like the yeast, if I do a good job of racking cleanly, theres only a litte, and ita a builtin hangover remedy

I was looking at growlers a while back and found out that the screw top ones are not made to hold pressure. Only fliptop ones are (something like 50psi).

(posted this in the link by Revvy before I found this one)

When you're bottling, fill one 2L PET for each batch. Then you can just pour it into the growler before serving, much like decanting a wine.

david_42 said:

When you're bottling, fill one 2L PET for each batch. Then you can just pour it into the growler before serving, much like decanting a wine.

Click to expand...

Great idea!

david_42 said:

When you're bottling, fill one 2L PET for each batch. Then you can just pour it into the growler before serving, much like decanting a wine.

Click to expand...

+1 Tips and ideas like this are why I love HBT.

I've got some growlers that do NOTHING - never have them on hand when I find myself at the brewpub, so a new one shows up at the house later that night, etc etc. Gonna try this on my very next batch!

Number one: Get them refilled, usually a very good discount to get them refilled on certain nights.

Number two: I plan on using one for the large jar I need for yeast washing.

Number three: Yeast starters

Number four: To stick the blowoff tubing in

I'll have to think of a few more