I'll be shipping my first growler trade today. They ate 750ml flip top growlers. I have some good ideas on how to get them there safely (zip tie top shut, tape, Styrofoam shipper) but I just wanted to get some tips grounded in experience. Thanks!
You cannot be enough of a lunatic when shipping growlers. I shipped one this week where taped the top, wrapped the whole thing in a towel (you can get junk towels for amazingly cheap), put that whole thing in a taped up trash bag, and packed in a box of packing peanuts before sealing.
Shipped my first growler out on Tuesday. Hasn't arrived yet but I went to extreme lengths to guarantee it's safety. First, both of mine were screw on lids so that is a bit different, but I taped the hell out of them. I then cut 15" pieces of 6" PVC and duct taped one end shut and put an inch or so of peanuts down. Then Placed bubble wrap in the growler handle to keep that from breaking, following by a wrap with small bubble bubble wrap. Then a layer of large bubble bubble wrap. Put some large bubble bubble wrap on the tops and bottoms and gently slid it in the canister. Two layers of wrap on the growlers I had made it fit perfectly snug in the tube. I then filled with peanuts and duct taped the top shut. Placed that in a box full of peanuts and other beer and then double boxed it. So I made 2 growlers, a 750 and 2 six packs weigh 39 lbs, but short of fedex detecting what's in it or spearing it with a forklift, I feel confident the contents will make it unscathed.
As someone who has successfully shipped 200+ growlers, I've learned a thing or 2. Don't make a huge deal out of it being the main one. It's really not any more different than shipping bottles. 750ml swing tops are actually the best and easiest as they are no different than a typical regular 750ml with the added benefit of being thicker and more sturdy for re-use. The main thing to make sure the cap is on properly and the swing arm is taped well (I use electrical tape) so that it doesn't pop out by accident. For the large 64oz screw tops (I generally avoid shipping them, though), make sure the cap is tight and tape it with electrical tape. The rest, I follow my exact packing process described here: http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/tips-for-newbie-on-trading.177530/#post-2413609
