Growlers and bottling carbing?

[turbos17]

Can I bottle carb growlers and wine bottles? If so what stoppers do you guys use? Thank you!

 

[divrguy]

Wine bottles ..no
Champagne bottles.. Yes

Some growlers yes!

I have a couple swing top growlers that are like ball shaped and are very thick. Have been carbing in those for years and asked the brewery when I purchased them if I could bottle condition in them.

I wouldn't trust some of the others with the tin or plastic screw on caps though.

Just my .02

 

[JonM]

No.

Well, you can but it's in the category of yes you can drive without a seat belt, yes you can ride a motorcycle without a helmet, and yes you can not always point a firearm in a safe direction.

That is, you can do it, but it's very dangerous to do it. Growlers and wine bottles are not made to contain pressure. Carbing requires you to create lots of pressure. When the growlers explode, the can blow with enough force to embed glass in drywall or in you.

 

[turbos17]

Thanks for the replies guys!

 

[turbos17]

Can I bottle carb in this? View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1452928827.899111.jpg

 

[seabrew8]

Can I bottle carb growlers and wine bottles? If so what stoppers do you guys use? Thank you!

I've actually lighty carbed a few wine bottles myself - just a little plastic wrap around the threads. No explosions.

Edit: It was apple juice wine. HEARTBURN city!

 

[Wagemage]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1452932290.254122.jpg

Here is a growler that has a force carbing attachment. Works great.

 

[JonM]

I've actually lighty carbed a few wine bottles myself - just a little plastic wrap around the threads. No explosions.

Yup. And there are people who have driven without a seat belt and didn't have an accident. Doesn't mean it's a smart thing to do.

 

[seabrew8]

Yup. And there are people who have driven without a seat belt and didn't have an accident. Doesn't mean it's a smart thing to do.

Its not smart, it just happens, a lot.

 

[turbos17]

No.

Well, you can but it's in the category of yes you can drive without a seat belt, yes you can ride a motorcycle without a helmet, and yes you can not always point a firearm in a safe direction.

That is, you can do it, but it's very dangerous to do it. Growlers and wine bottles are not made to contain pressure. Carbing requires you to create lots of pressure. When the growlers explode, the can blow with enough force to embed glass in drywall or in you.

How are they meant to not hold pressure when they are filled at breweries and sent home sealed all the time?

 

[charliethebum]

How are they meant to not hold pressure when they are filled at breweries and sent home sealed all the time?

The pressure in the headspace during bottle conditioning is much greater than it is after the co2 has gone into solution

 

[JonM]

The little "pfft!" when you open a growler that has been filled at the brewer is nothing. That's just a little CO2 coming out of solution. In order to FORCE CO2 into solution in the first place, it takes way, way, way more pressure than that, and way more than the growler is designed to hold.

Behold:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=446554

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=89246

And there are plenty more stories like that.

 

[MarkKF]

View attachment 330450

Here is a growler that has a force carbing attachment. Works great.

That's not a growler
It's a little keg

 

[Wagemage]

That's not a growler
It's a little keg

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JZXKNWI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

To be fair, I would agree except that they were originally intended to be a growler and someone since thought you could use it as a keg and made the cap for it.
I have used it as both. I have 2 half gallons and I think I will be getting a few gallon sized ones soon.

 

[Wash1]

I have three of those, both 64oz and 128oz. I use them to carb all the time.They're great!

 

[bfish]

Why not use 2 liter soda bottle with a carbonator cap?

 

[Wagemage]

Why not use 2 liter soda bottle with a carbonator cap?

I have 4 carb caps and use those too. But if you want to have it end up in a bottle (for presentation, sunlight, or whatever) you lose carb in transferring it so you have to over carb and hope for the best with the estimation. It is the cheapest and most strait forward way to go though.