Using growlers for storage..

[JayMckeever]

I try to drink most of my beer in a glass, and I was thinking that using half gallon growlers would better suit me than using 50 or so bottles. Have you guys ever bottled straight to growlers, and if so, how well do they hold the carbonation? Also, any ideas on a website that has good deals on them?

 

[autoferret]

i have 3 2L growlers and they rock! I havn't had a problem with carbination in mine at all.

 

[zoebisch01]

That's a good question. I currently have some of my cider bottled in a growler (screw type cap 1/2 Gal). I primed it, but haven't opened it yet. I am guessing, since I can buy the growler from a local brew pub and it stays carbonated (off the tap) pretty much until I open it, (longest I went was 2 days I think) that it should work fine. The big question is, can you finish a growler in a sitting? Personally I cannot, unless I have help.

 

[JoeRags]

The big question is, can you finish a growler in a sitting? Personally I cannot, unless I have help.

I can polish off 2 no prob.

 

[JayMckeever]

i probably wouldn't drink the whole thing at once. I would just put the top back on for another day. If they can last for a week or two, then that would be long enough. Thanks for the replies!

 

[Kevin K]

I can polish off 2 no prob.

Oh yeah? Well my Dad's tougher than your Dad.




I prefer to bottle my beer in smaller bottles. Call me selfish, but if I'm handing out my homebrew, I'd prefer to hand out smaller bottles.

That said, if I've got friends coming over, they can drink as much as they want!

 

[cnapierala]

If you re-cap it several times the beer will start to taste different and loose its carbonation. At least this is what i have seen when i go buy growlers from microbrewerys.

 

[zoebisch01]

i probably wouldn't drink the whole thing at once. I would just put the top back on for another day. If they can last for a week or two, then that would be long enough. Thanks for the replies!

Jay, once you open them they lose carbonation pretty fast. Like usually in about 2 days they are flat.

 

[Brewsmith]

Yeah. A couple days is all you've got once you open it. Once air gets in there the beer will start to oxidate and opening it several times will make it start to lose carbonation. Just consider it a small experiment in "real ale."

 

[JayMckeever]

thats some good info to have. I might go for the liter ones then. A little bit easier to drink in a shorter time. I remember i bought a gallon from a beer store called half time. It had a plastic screw cap, but held the carbonation for quite a while. I wish i still had that one!

 

[jeffg]

I used to bottle in 12 and 24 oz. bottles and a growler or two. They carb'd up just fine but as other's mentioend were only good for a day or two once opened. The intersting thing for me was they would taste slightly different than the 12 oz. bottles. I think with the greater volume they matured slightly differnetly...

 

[San_Diego_Matt]

We've had 1/2 gallon growlers in our fridge fill of local microbrew for a year now and in the past have drank beer that's been in a growler for a year and it's still tastes great and is carbonated.

The beer is a10+% hoppy tripple IPA (Alpine Exponential Hoppiness if you're familiar with it)

 

[67coupe390]

This half gallon bottle thing seems like a good idea. Then I don't have to open as many bottles!!! LOL

 

[dcbrewmeister]

We've had 1/2 gallon growlers in our fridge fill of local microbrew for a year now and in the past have drank beer that's been in a growler for a year and it's still tastes great and is carbonated.

The beer is a10+% hoppy tripple IPA (Alpine Exponential Hoppiness if you're familiar with it)

I've read the first sentence 4 times - it's definitely fragmented. and long...

 

[zoebisch01]

We've had 1/2 gallon growlers in our fridge fill of local microbrew for a year now and in the past have drank beer that's been in a growler for a year and it's still tastes great and is carbonated.

I have never left it go that long lol, but what I have noticed is that once you open them all bets are off and you get about 2 days tops carbonation.

 

[Jester]

I've used growlers before... we jsut purged it with co2 if we didnt finish it that night and capped it... I never noticed it going bad or changing flavor over time...