First time filling a Growler ...

How much space should i leave for carbonation in a half Gal Growler?... When i filled it up i left about 1.5-2 inches of head space...Definitely do not want that one to explode.

Not recommended. There are several threads about this subject. grolwers are not meant to hold the pressure.

You don't want to bottle condition/carbonate beer in a growler. From what I have gathered from previous posts, they really aren't designed to withstand that kind of pressure.

Any suggestions as to what i should do then? Just empty the growler into bottles?

is it just certain types of growlers that aren't meant to hold the pressure?

I used to live near Victory brewery in Downingtown PA and used to get growlers filled there all the time. They added CO2 to the bottles. When you opened it for the first time, you could hear the gas releasing just like any bottle. Never had mine break. It was one of the flip-top growlers, bought at the brewery...

dwf137 said:

is it just certain types of growlers that aren't meant to hold the pressure?

I used to live near Victory brewery in Downingtown PA and used to get growlers filled there all the time. They added CO2 to the bottles. When you opened it for the first time, you could hear the gas releasing just like any bottle. Never had mine break. It was one of the flip-top growlers, bought at the brewery...

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If it is any consolation, I work with a guy who hands out HB once and a while in growlers. The brew is on the flat side. I don't think they are as air tight as bottling the beer with caps.

Most LHBS have used bottles for sale and you can pick a capper up for 20 bucks.

I don't see how it would be any less air tight then a swing top bottle. They both use the same concept...

I use bottles, but just don't see how they would provide any different results as long as you provide the proper head room, and use growlers that are meant to hold pressure.

this was the growler I used at Victory:

My brother-in-law conditioned his beer in this after the first batch was way to carbonated. Basically the pressure will push the seal up, letting out CO2. Also, the seals seem to crack, corrode, and absorbe off flavors. A trick he tought me is to rub them down with vasaline prior to bottling, conditioning the seals. Hope this helps, IMHO go with bottles.

There is a big difference between bottle conditioning and filling from a tap. When bottle conditioning the yeast will produce the CO2 which will build up in the bottle relatively quickly compared to the speed at which it gets absorbed. Once it is absorbed then it isn't a big deal to carry it around - which is why growlers are transport vessels and are not made to hold pressure.

You will find people on here that say they have done it and didn't have bottle bombs, but for every one of them then there is at least one other person that has cleaned up glass shards. It is hit or miss when you use non pressure vessels to hold pressure. It doesn't mean that none of them will work, but it means that they were not designed with that in mind, so don't be surprised when it fails. Even if you buy 10 of the same bottles, 2 of them may work and the other 8 fail.

Regarding what the OP should do - if it were me, and I could get my hands on bottles, caps, and a bottler tomorrow I would put the growler in the fridge and/or put an airlock on it to prevent it from building up pressure. Then use your racking cane to move the beer to bottles.

If you can't and or don't want to mess with that and are willing to take a chance then I would put it in a rubbermaid container with a lid firmly on it so that the cleanup will be easier if necessary.