Long term storage

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d510addict

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Hello all,

I'm a first time brewer and have my first 1 gallon batch going. I'd like to start a few new batches hopefully before Christmas, 1 would be Appelwein and the other Graff but I have a few questions. I know that Appelwein ages well but how does Graff do? Also would a growler with a screw on type lid or a flip top work for long term storage of both? I don't have bottling equipment and don't plan to prime/carb anything so using a larger container is ideal.

Thank you for the help in advance, I really just need to figure everything out in advanced so that I am prepared and nothing goes to waste.
 
Growlers with screw on lids are notoriously bad and aren't for long term aging.

If you're aging, you really should put it into bottles. Every time you open the growler to sample, you're adding oxygen into the mix and will eventually make for the last bit to be crappy and oxidized.
 
I do mostly gallon batches myself--if you're not going to carb you could also cork it in wine bottles. I got one of those $5.00 plastic corkers and some corks from the LHBS. Those little hand corkers are not something you'd want to do a lot of but since you only get about 4-5 wine bottles to a gallon it's not that big a deal. If I were doing large batches I'd definitely go with a better corker, but for now this does what I want.
 
Well heres my ideology on this, I was something for longer term storage and I will be drinking this in 1/2 gallon type quantities as It would be with friends.

Are the only disadvantages to bottling in growlers is the fact that to taste you would have to crack open one and reseal which would oxidize it? How about if I use growlers and do not open them till its time to drink up? Bottling in 12oz bottles or even 20 oz bottles is a bit time consuming and with no real way to buy a good bottler it would be tedious.
 
I'm sure you can find 32's or maybe 40s somewhere to cap...

Either way...screw cap growler - no.

The flip top should be ok for months, but I don't know if I'd trust that seal for years and years.
 
kk Thank you good sir for the help, once I get my car going I'm gonna hit up the brewshop and get stuff for brewing up a graff for the rosebowl.
 
Another option is re-using 2 litre soda bottles, I have been using them to store things for many months without any problems. Of course once opened they don't last long.
Currently I have a number of beers, ciders and meads bottles in wine bottles, 2 litre PET soda bottles, and smaller bottles to test at times. And once again, I have not been able to see a difference in taste between them.
Just make certain you clean and rinse the PET bottles very well, unless you like the flavour of the soda added to your brew.
 
actually growlers work great if you have the right caps.

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/produ...=2446&osCsid=d8e285e772611f887b63ce19f09acb29

these polyseal caps are way better than the single use caps you normally get.

now obviously once you open the growler oxygen is introduced so you do want to consume the cider within a few days. but especially if its not carbonated to begin with, there is no reason no to use growlers with the polyseal caps.

there are a LOT of people on HBT that regurgitate stuff they have read like it is fact, when in truth they have no experience on the subject. i use growlers all the time. I even carbonate in them! ( A big NO-NO most folks on here will tell you.) the key is the poly seal cap, don't over prime if you are naturally carbing, and once a growler is opened it should be kept in the fridge and consumed withing a week or two.
 
I think I'm going to have to go with 22 ounce bottles growlers are really expensive for some reason. How effective are oxygen absorbing caps?
 
I think I'm going to have to go with 22 ounce bottles growlers are really expensive for some reason. How effective are oxygen absorbing caps?

I don't know anyone that has actually used them but I believe they're similar in price to normal caps. Why not spend a few more pennies and try them out for yourself on half your bottles to determine whether or not you deem them to be effective??
 
My LHBS keeps used bottles around and sells them for literally pennies apiece. I picked up a couple of 1.5 liter ones while there the other day. I bottled some cider & corked them with regular corks using my little plastic hand corker. When I go back I'm going to pick up a few tasting corks (the kind with the little plastic top for opening and re-closing; like they use at Olive Garden). Then when I open a cider I'll pop in a tasting cork for a couple of days until the bottle is finished. From your description it sounds like that might be an inexpensive way to bottle in the size you want.
 
I just scrounged up a bunch of widmere beer bottles. But I have more questions............ If they have been sitting awhile and have some slight mold growing and have old beer in them, would soaking them in hot water and 409 while i scrub the crap out of the outside to rid them of glue and label, then run them through the dishwasher with some detergent then again without detergent for a good rinse work well enough to clean them before storage? So that when I want to bottle all i need to do is jet it out and sanitize.
 
actually growlers work great if you have the right caps.

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/produ...=2446&osCsid=d8e285e772611f887b63ce19f09acb29

these polyseal caps are way better than the single use caps you normally get.

now obviously once you open the growler oxygen is introduced so you do want to consume the cider within a few days. but especially if its not carbonated to begin with, there is no reason no to use growlers with the polyseal caps.

there are a LOT of people on HBT that regurgitate stuff they have read like it is fact, when in truth they have no experience on the subject. i use growlers all the time. I even carbonate in them! ( A big NO-NO most folks on here will tell you.) the key is the poly seal cap, don't over prime if you are naturally carbing, and once a growler is opened it should be kept in the fridge and consumed withing a week or two.

I agree, I used the polyseal caps and stored my cider in a growler for almost a year. It was stored in very bad conditions, I left the cider in my pantry over the course of a summer in which it got up to 90 degrees inside. I could actually see fermentation bubbles during hotter summer days.

When I opened the bottle a few months later (November) it came out well and had a nice carbonation too it. I will say that I didn't prime my cider at all, I let it sit in a primary for 3.5 weeks, the secondary for 7.5 weeks and then bottled. The final alcohol content was about 13%.

In the future, I plan to store the growlers in a fridge or in the basement where the temperature is cooler and there is less chance of exploding bottles, just to err on the side of caution.
 
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