Bottling with growlers

[Ondovcs1]

I am a bartender in a college town in Michigan, so I have a lot of dude bros constantly drinking heineken. I have collected a lot of these empties and thoroughly sanitized them so I could have some second hand bottles instead of buying a bunch of empties (just seems like opening an empty box on xmas). Anyway, I am a few short, but have some growlers around my house from various micros. I was wondering if it's possible to get proper carbonation during bottling if i put the remaining beer in screw top growlers? (I still have the tops)

If so, how would i do that?

Thanks!

 

[Revvy]

Man, we haven't had one of these in awhile.

This might give you an idea....https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/growler-goes-boom-63121/

You might also find the similar threads helpful below, it will explain why generally the normal growlers you get in brew pubs will not really work too well.

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

Growlers aren't made for bottle conditioning. It's not recommended because they can explode. If you choose to try it store it in a plastic tub or ice-chest that way if it does decide to go critical you won't have a mess to deal with, and you also won't have to worry about shrapnel.

FWIW, I wouldn't try it.

Also, use brown bottles, the green bottles aren't as effective at filtering out the UV light that will skunk your beer.

 

[Ondovcs1]

Whoa, thanks for the heads up. That would have been devastating. So really the only solution I have is to collect more empties? Is it bad to let my beer sit in the secondary for another week while I get enough empties to put it in? Thanks again!

 

[Revvy]

Whoa, thanks for the heads up. That would have been devastating. So really the only solution I have is to collect more empties? Is it bad to let my beer sit in the secondary for another week while I get enough empties to put it in? Thanks again!

Dude, you're a bartender at State, I'm sure you have very little problems coming up with beer bottles, hell probably could snag several cases on a typical weekend.

Well, except screw tops won't work, so that will leave out most college swill beers....unless you work at something more upscale that has a decent bottle menu.

But Bud American Ale bottles are great...so if where you work serves that, snag them.

Oh wait...I'm sure Bell's Oberon is served where you work to the frat boys...Snag those and any other Bell's bottles.

 

[Thumper]

Whoa, thanks for the heads up. That would have been devastating. So really the only solution I have is to collect more empties? Is it bad to let my beer sit in the secondary for another week while I get enough empties to put it in? Thanks again!

To answer that question we need to know how long you have had it in secondary first. I usually don't secondary and go 4-6 weeks in primary.

 

[Yooper]

or....................go ghetto and use plastic soda bottles. They work just fine, but aren't as aesthetically pleasing of course! Just sanitze the caps and screw on tightly, and keep them out of the light to prevent skunking the beer.

 

[nebben]

IIRC, 2L soda bottles can safely hold up to more pressure than beer bottles...can anyone else confirm/deny this?

In either case, I am certain they will work for ghetto bottling. 2L is approximately 1/2 gallon too.

 

[Ondovcs1]

Oh wait...I'm sure Bell's Oberon is served where you work to the frat boys...Snag those and any other Bell's bottles.

The fratties love heinies and corona, will those work alright if I keep them out of the light?

Also, to answer the fermentation time question, it had been in the primary for ten days, and in the secondary for two weeks tomorrow. Should I do it this weekend or give it another week?

And also for the 2L bottles, that's a phenomenal idea, I am for sure going to do that for the remainder of the beer. Thanks guys!

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

I wouldn't be too concerned with leaving it in the secondary too long, I would be more concerned with not leaving it long enough.

It is a clearing/bulk aging tank, some people leave their brews in the secondary for months.

Personally, I leve my brews in the primary for about a month, and rack straight to the bottling bucket.

 

[beersydoesit]

I often leave beer in the secondary for more than two weeks. Even months. Another week won't hurt