growler sanitization

[clay3]

So I get to attend a few Christmas parties tomorrow and a of course I want to bring a few growlers with me. I ran out of c brite this weekend and want to know if there is another way to sanitize the growlers. I have oxixlean free but I think that's only a cleaner. Can I bake them in the oven or ??? Please help

 

[BrewMoreBeers]

If you are bottling and drinking all tomorrow then I would worry about clean and forego sanitation. You are not going to be leaving the "bugs" any time to grow.

 

[clay3]

That's what I was thinking but read some off tasting beer posts. I think cleaning without sanitizing is my only option

 

[Flomaster]

wash in soap and water, rinse really well, bake in oven to kill off anything you missed.

-=Jason=-

 

[HOPCousin]

You can go old fashioned and boil it as well. We do that with the babies stuff and he hasn't kicked yet

 

[clay3]

If I pour boiling water in the growler, or boil it in water won't it crack?

 

[Flomaster]

If I pour boiling water in the growler, or boil it in water won't it crack?

put the growler in the water, turn on the stove. the temp will rise with the water you will be fine.

212 degrees of boiling water or 400 in the oven which is hotter?

-=Jason=-

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Whether you heat it in the oven or in water, as long as you start with a cool oven or cool water and raise the heat slowly, there's no danger of cracking. Cool the glass gradually, also.

 

[philrose]

as mentioned before, its all a moot point if you're packaging the same day as you consume. in that case clean, well rinsed and refrigerated is a-ok.

 

[MonkeyWrench]

+1 on the "don't worry about it"

No brewery I have been to sanitized the growlers I have refilled. Some give a quick rinse of tap water to make sure no funk exists, I have seen some smell it, and only one shoot in some CO2 before filling to prevent oxidation.

If you are still paranoid about it, boil, bake, or dump in a shot of vodka/whisky/tequilla and shake.

 

[wildwest450]

Growlers do not need to be sanitized to carry beer in. Wash it, rinse it thoroughly, and enjoy.

 

[samc]

I usually dump a teaspoon of Oxyclean and hot tap water in mine. Let it sit a few hours and rinse several times. Don't use dish soap as it takes way too long to rinse and get rid of all the soap. Heating, baking, sanitizing is way overkill IMO.

 

[Henrythe9th]

wash, rinse, spay a little Star-San and your good to go, that's why we have that spay bottle around with Star-San in it

 

[MonkeyWrench]

wash, rinse, spay a little Star-San and your good to go, that's why we have that spay bottle around with Star-San in it

That's the point of the whole thread, he doesn't have any Star-San or anything to sanitize.....and why many of us recommended not worrying about it.

Though I don't worry about sanitized growlers, I do hit it with Star-San after I wash it out just to make sure nothing is left in there to grow while it's in storage.

 

[wildwest450]

Though I don't worry about sanitized growlers, I do hit it with Star-San after I wash it out just to make sure nothing is left in there to grow while it's in storage.

That's what the cap is for, silly monkey.

And technically, you DO worry about sanitized growlers, if you spray star-san in them.

 

[MonkeyWrench]

That's what the cap is for, silly monkey.

And technically, you DO worry about sanitized growlers, if you spray star-san in them.

Haha, well ya, I guess I do "worry" about sanitizing my growlers, but not to keep infection from beer, but just to make sure the growler is ready to accept beer months after being emptied. I'd rather not wonder if something has grown in there when I grab them and head to the brewery on a moment's notice....it's completely overkill.

I do the same thing with my bottles once they are done. They get rinsed, then a squirt of Star-San and put away. The difference is that the bottles get another round of Star-San once removed from storage just before bottling.