Insulated Growlers

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brew703

brew703

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For those that have them, which is best: swing top or screw top?
I've been looking at several brands, some are insulated and some are not but come with an insulated type wrap.
For those who have them and satisfied with the product please let me know which ones are recommended and which to stay away from.
Thanks!
 
I got a Drinktank for Christmas and have been nothing but happy with it. It's pricey but works like a charm! It has kept beer cold for 4 and 5 hours with no hassle at all.
 
I have one of these 1L swing top steel growlers and it does the job just fine for me:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FDWZOAG/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Though I bought it when it was only $20 only a few months back. It's only single walled but seems to retain coldness nicely. I'd of course prefer double walled but I only seem to find them in larger sizes and I really only wanted no more than 1 liter so I can bring in some beer for my work colleagues to try, which this works great for.

So long as it's not the flimsy aluminium screw on top like on glass growlers I think you'll be ok with either, but personally I prefer swing top.


Rev.
 
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I paid $49.99 for a 2-pack of these from Costco. For the price at Costco they're a good bargain but I would not spend anything more than that.

The two times I've used them they've leaked where the top part screws onto the body. If you can keep em upright they're great.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QYCBYBC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Admittedly, I may have over tightened the lid. I'm going to try backing the lid off a quarter turn next time to see if the gasket was getting kinked and causing a leak.
 
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I really like the DrinkTank growlers but they are a bit more than I want to spend plus $10 shipping.
I'm leaning towards the Miir and if ordered from their web site I would get 15% off first order and free shipping. Plus the handle is $5 vs $10 on Amazon.
Here's another one I like, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017FBBQMM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20.
 
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Has anyone had a leak failure of the lid, either the screw on top or swing top? I prefer the swing type as they seem the top would seal better than the screw type.
 
Not with mine (Drinktank). It will even hold pressure effortlessly. I agree that they are pricey but I think the value is there (depending on how much you're planning on using it).
 
HLSheppard said:
Not with mine (Drinktank). It will even hold pressure effortlessly. I agree that they are pricey but I think the value is there (depending on how much you're planning on using it).
Click to expand...

I'll probably use it a few times a month for various things. Not even sure if any of the breweries will fill it or not. That's not a real issue. I mainly want it for when my wife and I go places I can bring the growler in place of actual bottles.
 
Another question I would like to ask:
If you fill with beer and open to pour a glass will the last pour still be carbonated? I assume it would be similar to pouring soft drink from a 2L?
 
brew703 said:
I'll probably use it a few times a month for various things. Not even sure if any of the breweries will fill it or not. That's not a real issue. I mainly want it for when my wife and I go places I can bring the growler in place of actual bottles.
Click to expand...

That's how I use it as well. I share my homebrew with family members at parties, etc. It's similar to any other growler - obviously where it will go flat over time but so far it's never lasted long enough to be a problem. :tank:

However, with the Drinktank, you can add a different top that accommodates a CO2 cartridge and a picnic tap for actual "keg functionality." I don't own that piece as it's an additional $45 or so on top of the (already high) cost. To each their own. I know some folks LOVE that setup, however.
 
brew703 said:
Has anyone had a leak failure of the lid, either the screw on top or swing top? I prefer the swing type as they seem the top would seal better than the screw type.
Click to expand...

Not with my swing top, and I've carried it from home on public transportation during my commute into work.

As for carbonation, I've only had it where I had about 1/3rd left in the growler and opened and served about 3-4 hours later and it was just as carbed as the first opening. Like anything though carbonation will come out of the liquid and into the headspace over time.


Rev.
 
The most I'll need is 5-6 hrs max so if the carbonation last that long with opening and closing then I would be satisfied.
Thanks for the replies.
 
HLSheppard said:
That's how I use it as well. I share my homebrew with family members at parties, etc. It's similar to any other growler - obviously where it will go flat over time but so far it's never lasted long enough to be a problem. :tank:

However, with the Drinktank, you can add a different top that accommodates a CO2 cartridge and a picnic tap for actual "keg functionality." I don't own that piece as it's an additional $45 or so on top of the (already high) cost. To each their own. I know some folks LOVE that setup, however.
Click to expand...

I saw the picnic tap and while cool, just too expensive for me.
 
brew703 said:
Another question I would like to ask:

If you fill with beer and open to pour a glass will the last pour still be carbonated? I assume it would be similar to pouring soft drink from a 2L?
Click to expand...


I don't have any problems with the Drinktank keeping my beer carbed up for hours. I have even left it in the fridge with leftover beer, which was still carbonated the next day. It's just the Drinktank, no special keg cap or anything.
 
The Miir is $55 and I have a 15% off coupon/free shipping. Total is $51.70 with the handle.
http://www.miir.com/the-growler

The Drinktank is $69 plus shipping of $14.47 for a total of $83.47.
http://www.drinktanks.com/product/64-oz-growler/?attribute_pa_color=stainless-steel

The Drinktank is $32 more when all said and done.
Is there anything besides physical appearance that would make the Drinktank worth the extra money?

Don't get me wrong. I really like the Drinktank but not sure if the extra $32 is justified.

Does anyone have a Miir and if so satisfied or not?
 
Fifty fifty is the way to go, amazon has them for less than 30$ occasionally. Mine stays cold for 1-2 days at room temps
 
Decided to go with the Miir. Didn't want to spend the additional $30 for a DrinkTank.
Will report back once received and put to use.
 
Lbm said:
I don't have any problems with the Drinktank keeping my beer carbed up for hours. I have even left it in the fridge with leftover beer, which was still carbonated the next day. It's just the Drinktank, no special keg cap or anything.
Click to expand...

I'm still waiting for my Kickstarter 1 gallon Drinktank with the "kegulator". Glad to hear people are happy with their growlers!
 
Don't mean to show off, but... my wife got me these for my birthday last year. Not only do they keep beer cold for over a day, they have my logo on them!!
http://www.amazon.com/Hydro-Flask-Insulated-Stainless-64-Ounce/dp/B005G5YRYY/ref=sr_1_11?s=sports-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1454637982&sr=1-11&keywords=hydro+flask

IMG_20160204_175516533 (1).jpg
 
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aimlessbum said:
Don't mean to show off, but... my wife got me these for my birthday last year. Not only do they keep beer cold for over a day, they have my logo on them!!
http://www.amazon.com/Hydro-Flask-Insulated-Stainless-64-Ounce/dp/B005G5YRYY/ref=sr_1_11?s=sports-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1454637982&sr=1-11&keywords=hydro+flask
Click to expand...

Nice gift. Awesome logo.
There was a web site I found with insulated growlers where they add a logo. Price wasn't too bad but I think it had the twist top and I wanted the swing top.
 
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RichH said:
I'm still waiting for my Kickstarter 1 gallon Drinktank with the "kegulator". Glad to hear people are happy with their growlers!
Click to expand...

I really like the Drinktank but the cost was more than I wanted to pay. plus there was a comparison where the Miir came out on top by a slim margin. And the Miir was $30 cheaper when all said and done.

The Kegulator is cool.
 
I received a Stanley Classic Vacuum Insulated Growler for Christmas. Love it!! Very well constructed and it's kept my beer cold and carbed for 8+ hours easily. The handle makes for easy pouring compared to other stainless growlers where you have to grip around the entire growler to pour a pint.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019DZCV7C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
 
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brew703 said:
Nice gift. Awesome logo.
There was a web site I found with insulated growlers where they add a logo. Price wasn't too bad but I think it had the twist top and I wanted the swing top.
Click to expand...

Thanks! As much as I love the growlers, the twist tops are a PITA to open. I would have gone swing top knowing that I know now.
 
Update:
Received the Miir yesterday. Two day shipping-not too bad.

Sad to say but I'm returning the Miir and ordered the Drinktank.

The packaging the Miir came in SUCKS! The growler was in the box with a piece of bubble wrap draped over it. Miir really needs to do a better job of packaging their products. These things are not cheap and I don't want a product that arrives in ****ty condition. Not secure at all and that resulted in scratches and a dent in the lid. Also the rubber gasket around the lid had a slight tear. Not an issue now but from repeated opening and closing I could see failure down the road.

I also did not care for the design of the lid. I'm sure over time I would have become accustomed to it and would be second nature to close open/close it. One design flaw is the clamp used for the lid: when you secure the lid down, the metal clamp rubs against the growler. Over time this will wear on the stainless causing blemishes.

The stainless appears to be the cheap kind like you find on refrigerators. It smudges easily. I opted for the stainless one because I read where the painted versions had issues with paint chipping.

The plus is it is made well and would probably have lasted if taken care of properly. I emailed Miir's customer service and explained to them the issue and was sent a prepaid label to return and a refund will be issued once the item is received.

Now I have to wait a couple days for the Drinktank to arrive on Tuesday.
 
aimlessbum said:
Thanks! As much as I love the growlers, the twist tops are a PITA to open. I would have gone swing top knowing that I know now.
Click to expand...

I did read somewhere where the lids were difficult to open if tighten down. I also read where some did not hold carbonation well but I don't think that was an issue with the one you have. That convinced me to give the swing tops a try.
 
Drink tank
Filled with ice only 24 hrs ago. Has about half the ice left. From 715 am yesterday to 345 yesterday afternoon the growler sat on my desk. Ambient temp about 60.
The real test will come during the summer. I will rarely need the growler to maintain temps for 24 hrs. If it holds temps for 12 hrs in the summer I would be satisfied.
Side note: much prefer the top on the Drinktank vs the Miir.
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1455282579.330994.jpg
 
I have several of different brands.. I have a growler addiction.. my favorite is my drink tank. I like that the lid is completely removable so you don't have to hold it out of the way while pouring and it has a handle to pour. Keeps beer cold and carbonated for a very long time. I also picked up a growlerwerks ukeg but haven't used it yet.. pretty neat though..
 
Drumminguy81 said:
I have several of different brands.. I have a growler addiction.. my favorite is my drink tank. I like that the lid is completely removable so you don't have to hold it out of the way while pouring and it has a handle to pour. Keeps beer cold and carbonated for a very long time. I also picked up a growlerwerks ukeg but haven't used it yet.. pretty neat though..
Click to expand...


Question: will it still hold carbonation throughout the day when opening and closing to pour out a glass of beer?
 
Well, just bought a Drinktank 128oz this morning from Backcountry.com, they do have the 64oz as well http://www.backcountry.com/drinktanks-64oz-wide-mouth-growler?skid=DRK0002-GLOOR-ONESIZ&ti=U2VhcmNoIFJlc3VsdHM6RHJpbmtUYW5rczoxOjI6RHJpbmtUYW5rcw== and right now are offering free 2-day shipping on any order over $50. I even called in asking if they might have any coupon codes, and they gave me an additional discount off the order. Really looking forward to getting it, from what everyone says, I expect to get years of service out of it.
 
brew703 said:
Question: will it still hold carbonation throughout the day when opening and closing to pour out a glass of beer?
Click to expand...

Not to poo-poo your question or sound like a jerk but the ability to hold carbonation when the growler is open doesn't really make sense to me. If it's sealed, it's sealed. If it's open, it will affect carbonation.

Being open for the shortest time possible will be the only thing that would affect the ability to hold carbonation (regardless of growler).
 
HLSheppard said:
Not to poo-poo your question or sound like a jerk but the ability to hold carbonation when the growler is open doesn't really make sense to me. If it's sealed, it's sealed. If it's open, it will affect carbonation.

Being open for the shortest time possible will be the only thing that would affect the ability to hold carbonation (regardless of growler).
Click to expand...

I understand that. If I am pouring a glass of beer throughout the course of a day then I would want the last glass to at least have a little carbonation. I know that each time I open the lid it will lose carbonation. Kinda like a 2L bottle. Normally it last a couple days of opening an closing and I would want the growler to at least last 8 hrs. if it doesn't then it defeats the purpose of buying beer to put in a growler, don't you think?
 
alha said:
Well, just bought a Drinktank 128oz this morning from Backcountry.com, they do have the 64oz as well http://www.backcountry.com/drinktanks-64oz-wide-mouth-growler?skid=DRK0002-GLOOR-ONESIZ&ti=U2VhcmNoIFJlc3VsdHM6RHJpbmtUYW5rczoxOjI6RHJpbmtUYW5rcw== and right now are offering free 2-day shipping on any order over $50. I even called in asking if they might have any coupon codes, and they gave me an additional discount off the order. Really looking forward to getting it, from what everyone says, I expect to get years of service out of it.
Click to expand...

That's where I ordered mine from. It did arrive in two days which is great. I ordered at 6 central time and it shipped that same day. So there was literally no lag time in processing. Wish I had thought about calling to get a discount code. Oh well.
 
I just ordered the Stanly 64oz for 44.00 with free shipping...I only need beer to stay cold/carbonated for 5 or 6 hours. Any longer then that I'm bringing bottles to put in a fridge or cooler..

Stanley Growler-2.jpg
 
brew703 said:
That's where I ordered mine from. It did arrive in two days which is great. I ordered at 6 central time and it shipped that same day. So there was literally no lag time in processing. Wish I had thought about calling to get a discount code. Oh well.
Click to expand...
Yeah, tough to beat 2 day shipping for free, and I got the notice that it did ship same day, so I should see it Tuesday. Oh, and there actually wasn't a code, they don't have that on their website unfortunately, I just explained that I was a first time customer, asked if they had any discounts available. They did discount the total a bit, and refunded it to my Paypal acct. After Target, Home Depot, etc etc, I try to avoid giving out my CC info to online businesses any longer, and try to always use PP whenever possible, just a small extra sense of security using it. Maybe not fully justified, but I choose to believe that... ;-)
 

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