Crowler tips for maintaining carbonation

Just drink 32oz.

 

Last time I did that with a 64oz. Growler, it was 12% ABV. I was on my ass!

 

There is no good way to maintain carbonation once opened unfortunately. Unless you have a source of CO2 gas and a keg.

The CO2 in the beer wants to equilibrate to the CO2 pressure in atmosphere, and once opened the gas is constantly leaving liquid and entering air. If you pour the beer into a container and close it the CO2 will just migrate to the headspace. Once you open the container the CO2 is gone to atmosphere. More headspace allows for more gas to escape, so the smallest fraction of space is desirable.

There is also the problem of oxidation, which happens fairly quickly. Once oxygen is exposed to beer, the O2 molecules begin to migrate into the liquid because again, the gas want to equilibrate only this time from atmosphere to beer.

But the colder the liquid the more gas it can hold, so if you open a can and want to save some for later, put it in the fridge. Even for a little while it will slow down the migration of CO2 gas to atmosphere.

Of course everyone is telling you to drink it all. You going somewhere Zippy?
Cheers

 

The mason jar will work somewhat. This is why I dislike crowlers.
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Bill, if you slowly poured half of the crowler (i.e., 16 ounces) into a 16 ounce jar, how well would this work as regards retaining carbonation?

I recognize this method doesn't 'fix' the oxidation problem.

Cheers!

 

Once the can is opened the gas is going to begin leaving. You might be able to pour a still glass, that is to say beer with no foam, but that is not helping the other 16 ounces. But sure, as little agitation as possible helps.

If you get the beer down to around 32F it will look flat in fact because the gas molecules are not escaping but rather stay dissolved in the liquid. This is why really cold beer tends to make you feel bloated (well, maybe not you, but people in general). That is really the only thing that can be done without a source of CO2.

One other point, whatever you do don't use a wine capper with the pump. This removes air which is great for wine but it also removes everything else, including the CO2 present in atmosphere. The pump does create a vacuum and it does not select O2 gas only. So the CO2 dissolved in the liquid now wants to equilibrate in into a CO2 defficient atmosphere (headspace) and even more molecules will leave the liquid, faster, to fill the void.

Cheers

 

If youre going to do this on a regular basis buy a capper, caps and empty bottles. I have had decent success when splitting 750s....

 

They are talking about pouring half into a 16oz mason jar and quickly sealing it for later consumption.

 

I’d say drink 16 oz, and then store the remaining 16 oz in your stomach.

 

If I purchase a crowler, I make sure of the the set of circumstances I'll be in when consuming it, and the environment I'll be at, so that I will drink the entire content.

Otherwise, I'll get a growler.

 

Personally never had a problem drinking 32 ozs but I never buy crowlers that are like 10% and above. Friend was just saying how it was hard drinking a full 32 oz crowler of 8% beer, I was thinking really? I guess I do have a drinking problem.

 

Yes. I know. My post is prety clear and the the response is the same. The beer doesn't care if it is sealed in a mason jar or not. It is still losing carbonation. My advice is to minimize headspace in this instance, and it is not really any great solution.

 

Yeah score a 4 pack of Grolsch and you're there!!! The worse part is if the beer is really foamy it spews out and it is hard to top the bottle up.

 

Yeah, I had a 16.5% crowler once and without bothering to do the math I drank it in a sitting. Luckily I was sitting. That's the equivalent of an 8.8 pack of Bud.

In general, when I have a crowler, I think of it as two 16oz beers which I'll drink within 6 hours of opening. I just stick it in the fridge and make no effort to seal it. I much prefer 32oz grumblers/growlettes, but even there you should finish it within 24 hours of opening.

 

I have been wondering about this also. I guess this means I will just have to drink 32 ounces. Darn.

 

The stronger it is, the less you'll notice the reduced carbonation. Or care.

 

You can tightly wrap open crowler with plastic wrap,at least 2 layers, immediately after pouring, & secure it with a tie or rubberband.

What I've done for growlers that get flat/flattish before I'm done with them, is open a can of a beer with a similar taste profile, preferably milder, & mix them.If the flat(ish) beer is much better, then a 1:5 ratio is usually enough for adequate carbonation, with the better beer's flavor pretty much intact. Or at least compatible beer. First time I did that was because a cold set in after I opened it, but before I finished the first glass. Couldn't smell or taste much, & it was 4 days before I felt better.

I've even done that with fully-carbonated beers that are less-than-great. Each can cover the flaw(s) in the other beer, & create something better than either.

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