Refusing to fill a growler

Do they tell you how they expect you to clean the bottle? When I have to clean one, I rinse it multiple times with hot water right after pouring the last glass, then I put in some soap and hot water, put the cap on, shake the hell out of it, then rinse it with hot water several more times, and then let it dry a day or two before capping it. Should I be using a brush?

 

I don't think they really care how it gets cleaned, as long as it's clean. I find thorough rinsing right after emptying and draining/drying upside down works fine. The problem comes when you let it sit with beer residue for more than a day or so. If that happens, more work will be needed.

 

Yup. This ain't rocket surgery folks.

 

An important quality control measure, and really the last opportunity the brewery has to ensure a quality product is being presented. From a business standpoint, I'm 100% in agreement with the policy.

 

I used to do that. I had three boxes with separators that held six 64 oz. growlers each, so 18 at all times, but that was back when breweries used to insist that you use their growlers. I did it because I never knew where I'd be.

And then one day I went to Iron Hill in Media, PA and I didn't happen to have one of their growlers on-board. I tried to get them to fill one of my other growlers but they refused. I told them that I didn't want the extra growler because I had so many, I'd just end up recycling it and I didn't want to do that - the best way to recycle is to re-use!!!

Well they wouldn't go for it even after I'd told them that I was a brewer and showed them my business card and said I wouldn't let the state police know (not that that was an issue) and that if they stopped me outside I'd claim it was a yeast sample but they still said no claiming that it was the law - although I'm sure it was not as I'd already spoken with PA LCB personnel and state police several times and they didn't seem to think the law read like that (and in fact the brewery that I worked for didn't follow that rule - and in fact, at the time, many breweries would fill someone else's growler without hesitation).

In the end they did not give in, but they offered me a free growler which I took (it was not about the money), and it was was fairly shortly recycled. In fact, all of their growlers were recycled. I didn't review that beer because I was just so aggravated by the stupidity of the whole thing, and I never bought a growler of beer from them again. More importantly, I basically stopped frequenting them. Prior to that I would hit one of their stores every month or so with my family for either lunch or dinner, and since then... around 2003... I've only been by there by myself (with one exception) to any of their locations about 5 times in total.

But I've gotten off-track. That incident put such a bad taste in my mouth for the filling of growlers that I basically stopped doing it, and I've only recently (2015) gotten back into it with the smaller 32 oz. bottles. But if a brewery says they won't fill anything but their own growler, like Tired Hands, I won't be going there.

 

I feel it also comes down to attitude and how busy a place may be. Turning away a customer is pretty much the last thing you ever want to do. That's why I mentioned there's a tide turning and unless it's the owner accepting of these bartenders actions, there are other measures one could take.

There are certainly some douche bags who expect things handed to them, including cleaning dirty growlers. Some places may not be equipped for any sort of cleaning.

Then there's the crowd element. One cannot reasonably expect a bartender to spend 5 minutes cleaning a vessel out if they are busy. Now if they aren't, I call into question, laziness. There's friendly scolding and there's just rude denial of service. I've seen both.

There is that shift away from customer service too. I was at trillium fort point on a non busy Sunday a month back and I could tell they were used to this fast paced in and out sort of service. First question they ask, do I want cans or growlers. I didn't know. I didn't know what they had available either. They were kind of rude about me wanting to browse and not knowing exactly what I wanted. There's an on/off switch these breweries need to teach their workers about.

I also get they have to deal with douche bags for hours on end. I saw it first hand at foam. They have their growler policy listed online. Nothing too crazy but there are those that expect things handed to them. Especially at the price some of these buys are going for.

It's a tricky beast. And the customer no longer needs to be catered to at a lot of these more popular places. We are disposable. If your small and grinding, every customer matters imho.

@NeroFiddled that reminds me of my time in VT last month. Three different places had their own policies on growler fills. One insisted it was federal law that I had to use their growler. Other places were more open. One place insisted that the government warning label be visible and legible. Others didn't inspect things too much. I only took two growlers home that whole trip. Big ol hassle

 

Lots of good comments so far. I think no matter how clean a used glass growler is the establishment should offer a new cap. Even with Starsan and scrubbing those things can look bad. I think the elastomer seal absorbs shit that cannot be removed.

 

Are you convinced that all PLCB officers were/are on the same page when telling beweries and brewpubs what was/is legal and what was/is not?

The main reason some beer clubs will not ship to PA is an ambiguity in the interpretation of the law over whether you or I as the purchasers would be the guilty parties for receiving beer on which no PA taxes had been paid or the beer club would be the guilty parties for having shipped the beer on which no PA taxes have been paid to us in the first place.

 

If they said yes, and he chose to have a pint while he waited for the fill, I wonder if he'd complain if it was served in a dirty glass?

 

Absolutely not. Law is always interpretation.

 

I always found it interesting (puzzling) how places like Whole Foods wanted "everyone" to start using growlers when in reality they were bringing tons of people into the fold who knew (1) nothing of sanitation, (2) drank a beer, capped it, and 2 weeks later complained the remaining beer was flat (3) unless they are stocking the right beers (draft only, or stuff like 2hearted that has great keg pricing), the customer would have been much better off $/oz just getting the 6pk.

It's like they were selling 'growler use' not the actual beer inside. I have a bunch of growlers and hardly ever get them filled, unless I'm at a brewery. The 'fancy' grocery stores like WFs and Mom's... the prices are way worse than just getting 6pks or even bombers, and it's russian roulette on if the random $12/hr employee is going to pour the beer I asked for, much less get it filled adequately with minimal air exposure. WF's I don't even bother anymore, Mom's does get good stuff in and I will probably start getting growlers again during football watching season (glass growlers are useless during pool/fishing season).

/blog

 

My WF just opened a bit a year ago, in a town that is fairly "growler savvy" to start with, so, grains of salt. WF seems to a good job filling growlers, but where they stand out is with their crowlers. Good rotating tap selection, and anything on tap is a $7 crowler. But, while I've never gotten a growler fill there, I tend to pay attention, and their employees seem adequately trained and competent to me.

 

People seem so offended at any request to follow rules or guidelines. And no freaking manners. I just don't get it.

Bring in a clean one or get another one or go without.

Next......

 

In Vermont it's up to the individual brewers whether or not to fill anyone's glassware. The exception, growler fill stations or secondary vendors in general, are obligated by law to fill only their own licensed glassware. In my personal experience, I'm aware of only one brewer who only fills their own glassware and that's Drop In Brewing in Middlebury. Hell most of the time I'm using growlers from out of state brewers in Massachusetts or NH to fill at Vermont breweries. I believe the presence of the government warning label is a state regulation.

 

North Carolina seems to be the wild wild west on growler fills but more and more breweries are filling only their own and some just EXCHANGE their growler. This actually works well as a clean/sanitized growler is given every time and there is no wait. They put it back for cleaning with the glasses and promptly fill a clean one.

I still don't see why it is so hard for folks to thoroughly clean a growler after use if they are going to ask someone to fill it.

 

If you have enough time to drink the beer, you have enough time to clean it when your done. I, like many, clean it as soon as I finish the last pour. I use a few drops of dishsoap and make sure I get the whole growler before rinsing thoroughly. Brewers can and will refuse to fill dirty growlers in Vermont. Many will just exchange it if it's one of their's.

 

Just because you cleaned it doesn't mean I won't clean it. However, consider this. I need to be able to guarante no matter what I am pouring into a clean vessel. Standard health practice. Using sanitation solution and hot water. However I will then rinse back out with only cold water. You gotta understand some people are the worst cleaners. If I open the growler and it hisses from built carbonation.... thing is filthy. Some people will bring a growler they cleaned days ago, but left in the car. Don't matter. It's dirty.

And I understand how you may feel. You think I don't trust you. I do, but I also know I'm not going to be at fault if you got sick. I'm doing what I can to prevent this.

If you feel slighted against I'm not sorry. I've sometimes run a growler through a dishwasher before even pouring into because it was so filthy. Be glad I didn't charge you $3.50 or more like some places do!

 

I will clearly replace caps if the cap is visibly worn, looks mold infested (which scares me thinking this person never cleaned it and was drinking mold), or if when I attempted to clean it the appearance didn't change.

Other than that I won't replace one.

 

"Hey man. Like with the bowl on my bong. I like residue."
"Yeah. Pretty sure that is not the same thing here."

 

I want to say when Maryland brought back growlers the LAW said that only clean growlers can be filled.