The Crowler

Since you asked:

I do buy crowlers of beer, but not often. I don't get growlers filled often either. Any quality jump from growler to crowler due to light and seal is 100% a non-issue for me. Buying beer in either vessel isn't about keeping the beer at its best quality, it's about convenience... and crowlers are simply more convenient than growlers so they win. You're already compromising the product by getting either filled, and the time-frame between the fill and consumption is tight.

By me, if you opt for a crowler instead of using your growler, the store charges you an extra $1.50 since they are supplying the can. I can't blame them... the store sells way more crowlers than growlers so why should they take the hit? Still, an extra $1.50 is nothing to sneeze at over the course of many fills, especially considering that it's technically an extra $1.50 per serving.

Just an anecdote - The last time I bought a crowler, the keg kicked before the the crowler was completely filled. The employee gave me two bucks off the full price and told me to drink it sooner rather than later. I brought it home in the evening and opened it the following morning. It was completely flat. I can be fine with low carbonation, but in this case I definitely wasted my money.

Back to crowlers "winning," I almost never get a growler fill now... but I prefer pint sized ball jars at places that fill them over both options and get those filled much more frequently than getting a crowler. This isn't due to an environmental concern, but rather due to my preference of 16oz over 32oz.

 

Coming soon:


Headspace is still an issue after the first pour, but that's the same as any growler.

 

Sixpoint already used a Ball-manufactured can with that closure for their Bengali IPA. Their so-called "Silo" can held 24 ounces and, obviously, was not a growler in the sense of being filled "on demand", since it was filled at the brewery.

 

Love crowlers over growlers for most any/all reasons. Even with the can markup costs, it usually seems crowlers are still about equal in price per oz compared to growler fills (just my observation, maybe I'm wrong here).

IMO, I wish any brewery that isn't doing regular bottling or canning of the beers, provide a crowler option, especially for the brewery-only releases that many times are the best beers made by x brewer.

My frustration recently with some of the local/smaller brewers I've visited recently, is that the few brewers that have crowler machines, have pretty lame beers I don't want really have interest to take home/share with others (or pay $10 for 2.5 beers of some 5% avg. pale ale/brown ale) and the really good local/small brewers and beers I really want to take home to share with others don't do crowlers. Ugh.

 

“I love that they fight …oxygen”.

That is certainly the case once the crowler is sealed. I have never witnessed a crowler being filled but I would wonder how much air (oxygen) is introduced during the packaging operation. A high quality canning line would perform a double CO2 evacuation of the can during the canning operation and place the can top onto beer foam. Do crowler stations mimic this aspect?

The fundamental issue is Total Packaged Oxygen (TPO). Does anybody have values for TPO for typical crowler fills?

Cheers!

 

I think crowlers are an improvement over growlers. They are more "secure".

 

https://www.oskarblues.com/crowler most who use the crowler machine are supposed to purge the can with C02 before filling, but as with everything the quality of the fill resides with the person filling it. And for the silo cans I believe @Sixpoint mentioned in another thread that they quit using them due to oxygidation issues https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/resealable-crowlers.421064/#post-4797960

 

I haven't seen them purged before filling, so I just assume there's a boatload of TPO in there anyway; keep it chilled and drink it asap! The cap does seem to go on over a collar of foam, though, so I'm sure that helps.

I will add that I have had them sent to me, and the beer seemed fine. Very good, even.

 

I'm a big fan, the places I buy crowlers from don't charge extra for the crowler can (yes, I know that it is included in the price) so it feels like a good deal.

I enjoy the fact it is drop proof and I never have to clean one, growler cleaning can be one of the less fun parts of drinking craft beer.

Overall, a big improvement. I think the 32 Oz size is perfect, it isn't tough to drink two pints of almost anything. It can be slightly rougher for stuff over 10 percent, but then you save it to drink with a buddy or just decide you're going to get it hard some night. I think a smaller or larger crowler would likely be a waste.

 

I like them in general, but have had mixed results with the aspect of waiting longer than a standard growler to drink them. Could have been human error/technique of the person filling them though.

 

Were those particular crowlers stored at refrigerator temperatures (e.g., 40 degrees F)?

Cheers!

 

You did not note any effects of oxidation?

I drank an old(er) bottle of Firestone Walker Union Jack a few days ago at a bar and while it was "drinkable" (i.e., I drank the beer) is was sub-optimum with noticeable hop fade and thereby an increased malt presence. I did not order a second bottle of this beer but instead ordered a beer on tap instead.

Cheers!

 

The only thing I don't like about the crowler is it's not resealable. Some nights I don't want to take 32 oz to the dome.

 

Hah! So howler = half growler? I hadn't heard that before. It's funny, because I have one. (Although it's really 1L)

 

You ordered a bottled Union Jack at a bar? Please tell me what you did with the real JackHorzempa and why have you assumed his identity?

 

Big fan of the crowler. I like them because you have more time before you drink them. Cuts down on how many unused Growlers end up sitting at home. I typically don't remember my growlers when I go places.

 

On vacation with my wife in Cape May NJ. I thought it was the best selection of the limited selection of the bar. It turns out that Cape May Honey Porter (on draft) was the 'better' selection.

Cheers!