Growler Fill & Retention

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by jeffgott, Mar 1, 2016.

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  1. dbauer78

    dbauer78 Initiate (0) Aug 5, 2012 Pennsylvania

    The sooner you drink it the better it is. Working at a brew pub occasionally I let one sit around for longer than I should but have had some stay good for over 2 weeks, with just a screw top but to be sure I always try to drink them fresh nothing like opening up a growler you were looking forward to and it being flat.

    as for these they do help but only help and are also very expensive and thus not many breweries don't have them.
    crowlers are also an option but once again expensive and I'm not sure that they are much better either.
     
  2. marshmeli

    marshmeli Initiate (0) Feb 14, 2012 New York

    I have no problems holding growlers up to 3-4 weeks including fills from HF, Treehouse, Other Half, Tired Hands, New England. I have even had some hoppy stuff last longer than that. I always give the screw tops an extra turn. I think only one or 2 times have i not finished a full growler myself, i think it may not be able to, once i pour the glass i cap it right away and put it back in the fridge, can usually open the next day and should be OK, with maybe a little carb difference
     
  3. Edie

    Edie Zealot (597) Jun 5, 2011 Oklahoma

    home brewer here, we fill, cap, then i'll use electrical tape to seal. kind of stretch out the tape as I wrap. creates a sort
    of shrink wrap.

    this will last 4-5 days. haven't found anything that helps once its opened.
     
  4. TonyLema1

    TonyLema1 Initiate (0) Nov 19, 2008 South Carolina

    We use a Pegas CraftTap system, first comes a blast of CO2, then the beer, then top it off with more CO2, to create a blanket against oxygen, then cap it...I've keep beer fresh and carbonated in a swing-top 32-oz bottle for 2+ months. After opening it, you're on borrowed time...day to a day and a half tops and the beer will be flat. Some styles, that aren't as carbonated (some stouts) seem to stay OK for 2 or more days
     
  5. IceAce

    IceAce Pooh-Bah (2,220) Jan 8, 2004 California
    Pooh-Bah Society


    There is a reason that Garrett Oliver refers to the growler as, "The ultimate beer destruction device".

    http://www.newschoolbeer.com/2012/1...-and-worst-of-64oz-beer-to-go-containers.html

    As usual, you have to weigh the Pros and the Cons.

    • Most brewers don't purge the O² from growlers prior to filling, resulting in instant oxidation issues. Others, and I'm looking at you Noble Aleworks in Anaheim, do an excellent job of purging the vessel with CO² prior to filling.

    • The growler must be counter pressure filled, again to avoid exposure to air and reduce foaming issues.

    • Growlers must be 'capped on foam' to ensure no extraneous air has entered the bottle.

    • The empty space in the neck (called ullage) must be kept to a reasonable minimum. Although no ullage would seem to be preferred, there has to be a gap to allow for expansion of the liquid should it warm over time.

    • Caps must be air-tight. I prefer swing-tops, but have had issues with my stainless swing-top growler prior to doubling up on the rubber seals. Threaded caps should always be given an extra turn.

    • Next to oxygen, temperature and light are the two biggest enemies of beer. I bring a smallish cooler ½ full of ice so my growler stays cold and dark. Tossing a growler in the back seat of a car in Southern California truly turns said growler into a "beer destruction device".

    • Once home, the growler goes into the refrigerator until consumed and I'll usually double-check the screw cap one more time.

    • An opened growler is a commitment. Once pouring has commenced, the beer is not going to be as the brewer intended the next day. Plan ahead and share with a friend if you must, but never rate a beer out of a day-old, pre-opened growler.

    • An empty growler needs to be sanitized asap. Not tomorrow, not next Saturday...but now. I'll leave mine filled with sanitizer for 48 hours (no ullage) and then replace the sanitizer with clear water until the day arrives to go refill it.

    Crazy? Over the top? Obsessive? OCD?

    Maybe. But remember, my goal is to enjoy beer just as the brewer intended it. Since he slaved over that beer for close to a month, isn't it worth it to take a few minutes of our time to ensure that the brewer (and the resulting taster) isn't disappointed? :slight_frown:
     
  6. Nittybeat

    Nittybeat Initiate (0) Jan 28, 2015 California

    I always tell my customers to drink them asap.

    I've never held onto one for very long but I've heard customers tell me the beer tastes great after a few weeks but I don't believe it.
     
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  7. Davey-C

    Davey-C Initiate (0) Jan 9, 2016 New York

    Besides carbonation the other big issue is keeping growlers clean. As soon as I kick a growler I rinse well with water and store with CAP OFF. Then I rinse well before I fill. In the event the growler gets funky, it held a sour, or I will be filling and not consuming within a couple days I will go the extra mile and sanitize with Star-San and give a quick scrub with a carboy/bottle brush.
     
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  8. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    It is strongly dependent on how the growler is filled.

    The optimum growler fill is via a growler filling station where the growler is double purged with CO2 and then counter-pressure filled. This is essentially the same as a quality bottle filling line at a production brewery. A growler filled this way will last a long(er) time.

    For your viewing pleasure:

     
    PapaGoose03, jeffgott and IceAce like this.
  9. Ericness

    Ericness Zealot (622) Nov 21, 2012 Massachusetts

    These things are awesome. Saw one at Medusa Brewing here in MA and couldn't stop watching it.
     
  10. jeffgott

    jeffgott Pooh-Bah (1,791) Feb 15, 2015 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I am going to laminate these instructions @IceAce and carry them with me to all future Breweries where I may fill a growler, assuming they don't have cans/bottles available. These seem to be the best guidelines I've seen to date. Thanks

     
  11. slobes

    slobes Initiate (0) Jan 3, 2009 Massachusetts

    At Medusa, we've had reports of beer maintaining proper carbonation for periods longer than a month. With this machine, the biggest variable is the inconsistency amongst caps. We'll soon be switching to the plastic poly-seal format in hopes to see better cap "seal" consistency. Nonetheless, fresh beer should be had fresh!
     
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  12. Davidstan

    Davidstan Savant (1,083) May 24, 2014 Alabama
    Trader

    Yep, my experience with pressure flip cap growler is 3 to 4 days and you are good.. Past that you can see a decline. Haven't tried not opening it, whats the point :slight_smile:
     
  13. bylerteck

    bylerteck Grand Pooh-Bah (3,143) May 17, 2009 Canada (ON)
    Pooh-Bah Society

    We co2 purge our growlers and recommend drinking within 3 weeks of filling. Because they're screw cap they oxidize after that time.

    Draught growlers seem like a pain. Would you drink a pitcher 6 hours after you bought it?
     
  14. woodchipper

    woodchipper Grand Pooh-Bah (3,321) Oct 25, 2005 Connecticut
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Non-BA friends have come up to me proud to tell me they have their first growler. Sometimes accompanied by something like "yea, my brother in-law brought it down from some far place two weeks ago, would you like to try some next week?".

    Although not entirely accurate, I usually respond in terms anyone can understand- Think of growler beer like a gallon of milk.. when did you buy it?...when did you open it?... what does it smell like?..this is a perishable thing. Would you drink milk you bought 3-weeks ago?
     
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  15. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Is this the type of cap you are referencing?

    Cheers!

    [​IMG]
     
  16. thatoneguymike

    thatoneguymike Pooh-Bah (1,947) Sep 18, 2012 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah

    long story short (and one of my favorite to tell), a package of Treehouse growlers got lost along its merry way to my house by USPS and showed up 5 months later. They were still well carbed and delicious. Swing-top growlers, if it makes any difference, so I swear by those now.

    As always though, fresh is best, and I always consume growlers same day that they're opened.
     
    HopsAreDaMan likes this.
  17. Strangestbrewer

    Strangestbrewer Crusader (453) Oct 17, 2014 Oregon

    Get a brauler, had one last 5 weeks before I cracked it.

    But usually I consume in day of/next day and once it's opened it has to go.
     
  18. Moose90

    Moose90 Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2012 Washington

    [​IMG]

    These are the worst, they are a good enough idea, and look great. But I have had more growlers destroyed by these caps than I have had growlers saved by them. They either don't seal all the way and leak, or they get put on the threads wrong, over torqued, and end up destroying the growler to the point that there are glass shards everywhere and the growler gets drain poured and thrown in the trash. I will never use these again nor advocate that anyone use them.

    Just use the standard metal cap and drink your growler within 48 hours, it doesn't need to be difficult.
     
  19. Strangestbrewer

    Strangestbrewer Crusader (453) Oct 17, 2014 Oregon


    Weird, I love these ones, they keep for 1-2 weeks vs regular metal caps, never had any broken glass or anything.
     
    timotao likes this.
  20. timotao

    timotao Pundit (960) Sep 16, 2013 New York
    Trader

    I've never had a problem with these caps.
     
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