Noob question about bottling

[Jimbodaman]

Is it safe to bottle carb in growlers? I have a thermo flask one (with locking top) and was thinking about buying a glass one from a local brewery (basic screw on cap). Would both be safe (not explode/blow off top)? I have small parties (5-6 people) most Saturdays and it's much easier to just grab a growler and pour everyone a pint... and much easier to bottle. Also I know wine bottles are off limits but how about Champagne ?

 

[jtratcliff]

Anything made to hold contents under pressure should work.

I carb up apfelwein in champagne-style bottles that originally held Martinelli's sparkling cider. Good thing about the Martinelli bottles is that they take a standard crown cap.

I've carbed in swing top glass growlers before as well. I don't go to crazy high volumes of C02, though... I stay in low 2's.

 

[Jimbodaman]

The rest would go in bottles as per usual, I'm just wondering if growlers are safe with about 2.5 vol's of CO2. My Gf bought me a very nice swing top growler and was hoping to put it to good use. Glad to hear it works.

 

[slym2none]

It is said that it is not advisable to carb in a glass growler, however, plenty of people have done it without problem.

*shrug*

 

[jtratcliff]

You'd also want to make sure that you're fully done fermenting.

How big of a growler? 64 or 32? I've only done it in 32s. Take a look at the glass thickness as well. If it seems particularly thin in places, then maybe it's not worth the risk. You could lose both a beer and a growler :0

 

[Jimbodaman]

Right now I have a 64 oz growler which is made out of aluminum ( 2 walls), with a flip top. I was considering buying a 64 oz made out of dark glass the same thickness as a normal bottle (possibly more thick). I'm pretty sure the aluminum one will be fine thanks for the replies.

 

[OkanaganMike]

From what I've read on here, growlers won't hold the carbonation as they don't seal tight enough. I don't think your growler will be constructed like a Kolsch bottle with a thick rubber seal and tight fit. When you fill or buy a growler of beer it'll only stay carb'd a day or two so pretty sure I wouldn't waste that much beer trying it out.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

I have no experience with this, but I wonder if your priming sugar amounts would be different for a growler than a regular bottle. I know that priming in a 5 gallon corny keg uses a smaller amount of sugar than when the beer is split up between bottles. Since a growler holds so much beer, I would think that like a corny keg, you would need to decrease the amount of sugar you use.