Mason jars a plus?

Is there any thing out there like a jar to bottle in? We all hate it but how else can I get my brew to friends and family?


Is it that obvious?

 

Ummm how about some bottles to bottle in? They work great in getting your brew to friends and family and seal up great. If you don't feel like dealing with caps and cappers just get the grolsch style bottles with the swing top caps.

 

Mason jars don't really work as they aren't meant to hold expanding pressure, just a vacuum.

 

Thanx hopper!


Is it that obvious?

 

Just wondering if there's something out there with a wide mouth to throw in the dish washer and is dark colored.


Is it that obvious?

 

Not that I had ever heard of, but I couldn't see any reason why not. Found this on google: http://www.bottless.net/750ml_Wide_Mouth_Growler_s/632.htm

 

Those would be great to share beer, just don't bottle condition in a growler. They aren't rated for the pressure.

 

Thanx dan. That's a great link!! I will put that in the bookmarks!


Is it that obvious?

 

Depends on the growler. I've bottle conditioned in a SS 2L swing top growler a few times and had ZERO problems... conditioned just as good as my similar Belgian flip top , 500, 750mL, and 1 L amber glass bottles.

 

Y'all may think this is a dumb question but here I go.... How does one use growlers any way. I've never seen one in person. Do people drink out if them or use them for serving from?


Is it that obvious?

 

I've bottled into growlers on and off as long as I;ve been brewing. I've only ever lost one, and my mistake was using one that was bought in store - not in brewery.
I also had a Hefeweizen in there, so the higher carb may have had something to do with it.
I did have another growler of that same brew that lasted plenty long enough, though.
And the one that blew did so after a couple months, not just the week or 2 of carbonation.

I have seen people drinking out of growlers, but that's usually well on their way anyways.
Personally, I pour from there into whatever my glass of the day is.

 

Dumb thought. Use soda bottles! Made for the pressure, screw top, multiple sizes. Ya, I felt cheezey at first, even rebottled a good batch to hand out, but feedback has been very positive.

 

Growlers are a pour-it-into-a-glass deal. Of course, I'd recommend drinking all homebrew from a glass.

 

I don't think what you are referring to exists, as far as a wide mouth, light blocking, easy to wash deal.

 

They would be great if you didnt have to order 96 at a minimum and another $100 set up fee :/
Looking at a minimum of a $479.20 investment. Might as well get a kegging system

 

Growlers are really meant to temporarily store kegged beer. I have 2 from a local micro brew up at our lake place. I don't have a keg setup up there yet, so its very easy to turn off the CO2 and fill both growlers right from the tap. Then bring them up to the lake to pour into glasses and share with people.

The screw tops do a decent job of keeping carbonation, but I would only trust it for a couple of days. Some people have successfully bottle conditioned in growlers (adding priming sugar to self carbonate). But they are not designed for this, they are designed to HOLD carbonation from beer that already has CO2 in suspension. A lot less pressure with this than when you bottle condition. So be VERY careful if you decide to go that route, I personally would not.

Bottles are not very difficult to use. Soak in oxyclean and most labels come off. Capping is easy. You get to drink the beer that the bottles come in (RESEARCH!!!), so that can be fun as well. I always rinse and dry each bottle thoroughly. Then I just sanitize with StarSan before filling.

 

1. The point is they exist. Something I wasn't aware of until I searched. The link was intended only as showing that they exist, not as a good link to purchase them.
2. Setup fee would only be if you wanted them printed on.
3. A keg system doesn't let him easily hand them off to friends, defeating the whole point of what he was asking for.

 

Great advise fellows. Yeah the more I look into the art, I realize that beer is made to be drank from a glass. One for aroma, two for the sight (clarity), and three for any sediment that needs to be left in the bottle.
So it's okay to use growlers out of the fridge to serve like 4/5 drinks from? What if your growler holds like 8 beers and you only drink say 6. The remaining 24oz is okay to sit in it for a day or two?


Is it that obvious?

 

Beer is definitely made to be drank from a glass (for all 3 of the reasons you gave). Especially with hoppy beers, you get no nose drinking from a bottle. In fact as you get more into it, you will start getting different glasses for different beer types. I have british pint glasses, czech pilsner glasses, belgian tulips, large wheat beer glasses, german steins, and pilsner flute glasses. Still a couple more types I want, but there is always tomorrow

Generally you will lose carbonation in a growler as much from the extra headspace as you will in the screw cap slowly leaking. So if you only have 1 or 2 beers left in the growler, the CO2 will naturally come out of solution to fill the headspace and you lose some carbobation. Generally I like to drink out of them over a weekends worth of time max.

 

Cool. Okay. Thank you this is gonna be fun!!


Is it that obvious?

 

Here's what you might want to try. Not wide-mouth, but these are dark, and they withstand a lot of pressure.