Growler cleaning

I just clean mine with really hot water and make sure it sits for awhile in it swirl it around while closed etc...i think using soap is iffy and may compensate you next beer.

 

Grab some star san or some other type of homebrew sanitizer to be safe. Soap and bleach both won't be good for the beer, but should be ok if you rinse it extra good when you're done.

 

I throw it in the dishwasher and haven't run into a problem in terms of immediate consumption.

 

This is what I do too. Once finished, immediately rinse it with hot, hot water. Cap the growler and give it a nice twirl and some forceful shakes. Then pour it out. Then make sure you clean the cap including under the flaps where it seals, as beer will be trapped under there. Let it dry upside down with the neck of the growler being the point of contact. Once it dries, smell the inside. If it still smells like beer just repeat the process. Also, when it's cleaned to your satisfaction, Do not seal it shut. The moisture that can accumulate inside will promote bacteria growth.

 

I rinse out immediately with hot water, and a place like Foothills for example runs your growler thru a disinfectant rinse.

 

Do you just rinse out a growler jug and let it dry, rinse it and put it back in the frige, or run it through the dishwasher? Without one of those baby bottle brushes, you can't really clean it out. What is the best method for avoiding spoiling the next beer?

 

yes, I rinse my jugs well and air dry.

 

Just rinse with hot water and air dry.

 

Hottest water i can fill it with x3 or x4 and air dry.

 

I put a little soap in and fill it about 1/2 way and shake... then fill with hot water until it runs clear... fill it up again and dump it out. Air dry.

I also tend to forget to wash them on time, hence the soap!

Putting them in the dishwasher is a bad idea. Messes up the seal on the growler.

 

Also, I don't possibly see how enough water could get in through the opening to thoroughly clean it while in the dishwasher

 

Hot water + dish soap

Shake it up, rinse, shake it up, rinse, etc. Basically do that until there is no soap left in it. At that point I air dry it.


I've found that if I only use water, it usually ends up smelling like beer after it dries. That's why I always use soap.

 

If you remember to do it the day you finish the growler, hot water and letting it air dry should work just fine.

 

Clean it as soon as its empty with hot water. I don't use dish soap, it can leave a residue and that would not be a good thing. If you let it go for a couple days with out cleaning, then put a cap full of bleach in it and fill with hot water. Rinse with hot water multiple times and let air dry. I've never had a problem with this method.

 

Go to your local homebrew store and get some star-san or similar and follow the directions. If you don't have a local homebrew store, just hit up Northern Brewer website. I would NOT use any other soap.

 

I've heard from multiple sources to never use soap. That no matter how many times you rinse there's likely going to be residue that will have a much worse impact on the next beer than a liittle residue of a previous beer in the growler would have.

I'd go with gopens44's above suggestion as it's used to clean out homebrew equipment or if that's not an option then just rinse as best as possible with water.

 

Reidel sells a container of little ball bearings for cleaning out decanters, every once in a while I'll shake those around in my growlers wth hot water, no soap. It seems to work pretty good.

 

Agreed with others...rinse really well with water immediately after use, NO soap, and sometimes use StarSan before storing and always prior to filling. However, not everyone homebrews so a good sanitizer on hand isn't available. If you want to be extra cautious, a little bleach and a dishwasher hot rinse (with no soap) should work more than fine.

 

I realize this thread is ancient, but I thought I'd add something I didn't see anybody mention. If you need some sort soap/detergent get some Oxiclean Free. Make sure it the Free. It has no scent, dyes or chlorine and it's pretty cheap for a huge tub. I use it as the primary cleaner for my homebrewing gear. As a bonus it works well in your laundry too.