Rookie question RE: Growlers

[CBUDGO]

I have a couple of nice growlers I received as gifts. I don't use kegs and usually bottle all my previous batches. My question if you even can how would you bottle direct to a growler? Or really can the twist cap hold in the pressure of final fermenting, etc.

Regards,

 

[BlueHouseBrew]

You can bottle directly to a growler, I've done it with success. The twist caps can hold the pressure, but you'd be better off with plastic caps that have plastic liners, like these. http://www.homebrewing.org/product.asp?itemid=4365&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&gclid=Cj0KEQjw0dy4BRCuuL_e5MeqmNABEiQAq8iNI4etzF0_QZCgo9zXkWGqoL0ZeAYpfsUNMdZpncG8ZG0aAp3f8P8HAQ

Also, the priming sugar rate may be a bit lower than it would be for regular bottles. A priming sugar calculator would be helpful on that point.

 

[m00ps]

I dont think growlers are built to withstand the pressure created from bottle carbonation. Ive read its not a good idea to use them for beer that isnt already carbed.

I use some of my growlers for yeast starters

 

[Homercidal]

Growlers are not designed to carbonate in. Sorry.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

To sum up all of the replies in this thread. Yes, you can...No, you shouldn't.

 

[Amadeo38]

If you add your priming sugar in the bottling bucket,and twist the cap hard enough, I don't see why you couldn't carb in a growler. You just have to remember that you pretty much have to drink it all in one sitting once you've opened it, or at least in a couple sittings. I see breweries purge the headspace in growlers with co2 before filling them, but have never heard of people doing that in 12oz bottles. I wonder whether there is a greater chance for oxidation given the larger internal volume of a growler? If so, I wouldn't let it hang out in there too long past the carb date.

Edit- wow, when I started writing this reply there were no responses. I guess you can attempt it at your own risk, but it looks like others are saying the larger surface area of thinner glass does not allow for safe pressurization

 

[beskone]

It's not a matter of if the lid will seal. Most growlers are pretty thin glass and
can bottle bomb under the carbonation pressure.

Some are thicker and will be fine, ymmv. Just inspect your growlers and use safe judgement.

 

[RM-MN]

Make yourself a nice wooden shelf and put the growlers there for decoration. If you go to a brewery for a tour take your growler along and ask if they will fill it for you. Chances are that if it has a logo on it they won't fill it.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Make yourself a nice wooden shelf and put the growlers there for decoration. If you go to a brewery for a tour take your growler along and ask if they will fill it for you. Chances are that if it has a logo on it they won't fill it.

Hmmm. Not my experience at all. I've filled Full Sail growlers at Red Hook, Pyramid Brewing growlers at McMennamins, and Oregon Ducks growlers at Rogue. The only question or comments I ever got was "How do you like their seasonals?", "Their Rubinator is awesome!", or "GO DUCKS!". I don't think I'd ever return or even go to a brewery that refused service because of the logo on the growler that I brought in.

 

[VolDoc]

I've bottled in Gordon Biersch growlers with the heavy duty swing-top grolsch style lids and the beer has always carbonated fine. Just don't use the cheap ones from wal-mart or craft stores.

 

[Yooper]

Hmmm. Not my experience at all. I've filled Full Sail growlers at Red Hook, Pyramid Brewing growlers at McMennamins, and Oregon Ducks growlers at Rogue. The only question or comments I ever got was "How do you like their seasonals?", "Their Rubinator is awesome!", or "GO DUCKS!". I don't think I'd ever return or even go to a brewery that refused service because of the logo on the growler that I brought in.

It depends what state and area you are in. In some states or localities, it's illegal to sell alcohol that isn't "properly" labeled with the correct name of the brewery, and the product inside.

You can decide to not go to a brewery that refuses to fill another's growler, but you might have to not go to any breweries in the state of Michigan, or other states.

Anyway, to answer the question asked, many growlers are not designed to hold the carbonation pressure, and are only safe to serve carbonated beer in once it's dispensed. We've seen lots of exploded growler photos on this forum, those of us who have been around for a while.

I use growlers occasionally to take beer out of the my home, but I never carbonate in them. If you choose to, just put them someplace safe just in case.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

It depends what state and area you are in. In some states or localities, it's illegal to sell alcohol that isn't "properly" labeled with the correct name of the brewery, and the product inside.

You can decide to not go to a brewery that refuses to fill another's growler, but you might have to not go to any breweries in the state of Michigan, or other states.

Anyway, to answer the question asked, many growlers are not designed to hold the carbonation pressure, and are only safe to serve carbonated beer in once it's dispensed. We've seen lots of exploded growler photos on this forum, those of us who have been around for a while.

I use growlers occasionally to take beer out of the my home, but I never carbonate in them. If you choose to, just put them someplace safe just in case.

Good point. Stuck in my little Pacific Northwest world it didn't even occur to me that the laws can be quite strict in other states.

 

[Citizen86]

Make yourself a nice wooden shelf and put the growlers there for decoration. If you go to a brewery for a tour take your growler along and ask if they will fill it for you. Chances are that if it has a logo on it they won't fill it.

Yeah that's definitely not something that happens everywhere. I know the San Diego breweries were pretty strict about the logos. However in Washington State and Vancouver, BC, it doesn't matter at all

 

[divrguy]

Hmmm. Not my experience at all. I've filled Full Sail growlers at Red Hook, Pyramid Brewing growlers at McMennamins, and Oregon Ducks growlers at Rogue. The only question or comments I ever got was "How do you like their seasonals?", "Their Rubinator is awesome!", or "GO DUCKS!". I don't think I'd ever return or even go to a brewery that refused service because of the logo on the growler that I brought in.

Ahhh you're not from California!

 

[jimmerz]

Well as a new home Brewer, we ran out of bottles and grabbed a growler to finish off a batch. I will let you know how things turn out... Not sure why it's attaching sideways, but the growler is on the end.

View attachment 1461204302466.jpg

 

[freisste]

This never made sense to me, but I read a post that backed it up with some pretty legit experimentation: according to the poster, growlers can handle carbonatED beer (obviously...it's their entire purpose), but cannot handle carbonatING beer. According to his measurements of pressure inside a sealed volume of fermenting beer, the pressure spikes as the sugar is consumed then levels off and drops as it is absorbed into the liquid. (I would have thought it could be absorbed as fast as it was created.) Thus why you can store beer in growlers, but many have found that they also make bottle bombs.

My solution: bottle into growlers (occasionally) but then submerge in water. I use an empty fermenter but a swamp cooler tub would be fine. Submerging increases the outside pressure to about double ambient, significantly reducing the chances of a bottle bomb. Also, if it does explode the mess is pretty effectively contained. Lastly, the water makes a great heat sink and keeps fermentation from going too fast and causing the bottle bomb in the first place. (That last heat sink part is conjecture...I have no data to confirm.)

 

[Homercidal]

This never made sense to me, but I read a post that backed it up with some pretty legit experimentation: according to the poster, growlers can handle carbonatED beer (obviously...it's their entire purpose), but cannot handle carbonatING beer. According to his measurements of pressure inside a sealed volume of fermenting beer, the pressure spikes as the sugar is consumed then levels off and drops as it is absorbed into the liquid. (I would have thought it could be absorbed as fast as it was created.) Thus why you can store beer in growlers, but many have found that they also make bottle bombs.

My solution: bottle into growlers (occasionally) but then submerge in water. I use an empty fermenter but a swamp cooler tub would be fine. Submerging increases the outside pressure to about double ambient, significantly reducing the chances of a bottle bomb. Also, if it does explode the mess is pretty effectively contained. Lastly, the water makes a great heat sink and keeps fermentation from going too fast and causing the bottle bomb in the first place. (That last heat sink part is conjecture...I have no data to confirm.)

Don't you have to go down to about 33 ft. to double ambient air pressure? IIRC from diving class every 33 ft (10 meters) is about another atmosphere of pressure...

 

[Patrick87]

I probably shouldn't have, but I ran short on bottles one time and filled a couple 64oz glass growlers with primed beer. Carbonated just fine. I kept them in an old cooler while they carbonated just in case they grenaded.

 

[freisste]

Don't you have to go down to about 33 ft. to double ambient air pressure? IIRC from diving class every 33 ft (10 meters) is about another atmosphere of pressure...

I was thinking there was a considerable amount of pressure immediately under water (which is why rubber gloves feel so weird when you reach into the sink), but 2 minutes of internet research seems to agree with you.

 

[jimmerz]

Thanks. So far so good. We'll see how this turns out!

 

[MeanLowerLow]

This never made sense to me, but I read a post that backed it up with some pretty legit experimentation: according to the poster, growlers can handle carbonatED beer (obviously...it's their entire purpose), but cannot handle carbonatING beer. According to his measurements of pressure inside a sealed volume of fermenting beer, the pressure spikes as the sugar is consumed then levels off and drops as it is absorbed into the liquid. (I would have thought it could be absorbed as fast as it was created.) Thus why you can store beer in growlers, but many have found that they also make bottle bombs.

So would a stainless growler then be ok carbonate in?

 

[JonM]

Yes you can bottle and bottle condition in a growler.
You can also drive without a seat belt.
You can ride a motorcycle without a helmet.
You can point a firearm in something other than a safe direction.



You can do these things, but it is very, very foolish to do them.

 

[Homercidal]

So would a stainless growler then be ok carbonate in?

Yes, if you get a lid that seals properly.

 

[jonny24]

I have used on twice. It worked fine. They go into a dark corner of the furnace room to carb up, so not much to worry about if it blows.

I read somewhere to use electrical tape after the lid is on to seal it a little better. Don't know if it helps but it doesn't hurt.