Why did my growler go flat?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by mfowler314, Aug 28, 2015.

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  1. mfowler314

    mfowler314 Devotee (375) Aug 12, 2015 New York

    So a week or so ago I went to my local brewery and got two half growlers. The first one I opened (just a few hours later) was not flat but the second one (opened a 2 days later) was totally flat.

    This week I went back to the same brewery and got two more half growlers - one of which was the same beer that went flat. This time... the second growler (same beer that went flat last week) is not at all flat after two days. So what went wrong the first time?

    The second time I watched carefully when they filled the growlers and they used a tube and then filled directly from the tap to overflowing. Not sure about the first time. Both times I put the growlers in a cooler for the 1 hour drive home but the first week I had an ice pack in the cooler and did not on the second week.

    Any ideas???
     
    PatrickCT likes this.
  2. SammyJaxxxx

    SammyJaxxxx Initiate (0) Feb 23, 2012 New Jersey

    The top wasn't on tight enough?
    The growler was dirty or soapy?
     
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  3. nc41

    nc41 Initiate (0) Sep 25, 2008 North Carolina
    Trader

    I've had growlers from HF that lasted 2 weeks easy. I over bought and at that time I don't remember a limit, but I had 8. Bad caps I'd suppose, not sealed tight enough would be my only guess, I've seen a few variation on those cheap white caps too, one has a little plastic fitting which cinches up tight as a drum. I like the HF flip caps better they're tight as hell.
     
  4. pinyin

    pinyin Savant (1,119) Sep 19, 2013 New York

    were they flip top 32 ouncers? sometimes the gaskets on the flip top go bad and can leak co2.

    in your case though, probably an improper seal.

    i always tighten the caps on my 64's because the bartenders always leave them too loose.
     
  5. Givemebeer

    Givemebeer Savant (1,219) Apr 6, 2013 Vermont

    Did they leave a little head at the top? If not that could be the problem.
     
  6. JrGtr

    JrGtr Pooh-Bah (1,775) Apr 13, 2006 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah

    My guess is that either it was a bad keg or the top wasn't on tight enough. I long ago got in the habit of tightening the cap again myself when getting growlers. I've kept them for ages with no noticeable loss in carb - including a BB stout that I kept for over a year. (It was fantastic when I finally got around to it.)
     
  7. MostlyNorwegian

    MostlyNorwegian Pooh-Bah (2,236) Feb 5, 2013 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah

    Nothing kills a growler quicker than a bad seal.
    p.s. your growlers are all overfilled.
     
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  8. mfowler314

    mfowler314 Devotee (375) Aug 12, 2015 New York

    The second time it looked like they did leave a small amount of head at the top - so not sure if they were overfilled (I'm new to this growler thing so don't have experience to assess that). The first time I did not really pay attention to the condition... I just assumed all was good but found out later that things were not fine with the second one. I *think* I recall - but can't say for sure - that the one flat growler had more space at the top when I first opened it than the others have had. So... amybe they didn't fill it up enough? At least I know now that this won't happen every time and maybe that one flat growler was an anomaly. I guess I'll just have to keep going back to collect more data!!! I'll keep watching how they fill, I'll self-tighten the cap, and I'll pay attention to how much space ends up at the top and if it is head or not. Thanks for the replies!
     
  9. ShanePB

    ShanePB Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2010 Pennsylvania

    A lot of places I go fill to the brim and I have had no carbonation issues. I would suspect an improper seal.
     
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  10. mfowler314

    mfowler314 Devotee (375) Aug 12, 2015 New York

    These were screw ons... plastic cap with a little plastic cone-like thing protruding from the inside of the cap.

    Sounds like the consensus is that the top was not screwed on tightly. You can be sure that I'll tighten the cap myself in the future!
     
  11. jrnyc

    jrnyc Grand Pooh-Bah (3,012) Mar 21, 2010 New York
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    You may want to find a new brewery or have a little chat with them as a brewery should be experts at filling growlers.
     
  12. tillmac62

    tillmac62 Pooh-Bah (2,859) Oct 2, 2013 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    Sounds like gas leakage from the cap.
     
  13. rgordon

    rgordon Pooh-Bah (2,701) Apr 26, 2012 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    It does. But your description sounds like a medical condition or a car problem analysis. "Damn, you've got a gas leakage from the cap!" Cheers and sorry about that!
     
    algebeeric_topology likes this.
  14. RBCORCORAN

    RBCORCORAN Initiate (0) May 18, 2009 Massachusetts

    I always crank the cap as tight as I can get it when they hand it to me. Most places fill a lot of growlers in the course of a day and some times they don't really tighten them.
     
  15. NickTheGreat

    NickTheGreat Maven (1,470) Oct 28, 2010 Iowa
    Trader

    The plastic coney thing is better than just the flat metal caps. I'm guessing it wasn't tight. Try again and report back! :grinning:
     
  16. monkeybeerbelly

    monkeybeerbelly Initiate (0) Dec 6, 2012 New York

    wait I'm confused

    is it better to fill a growler all the way to the top or leave some headspace?
     
  17. PatrickCT

    PatrickCT Grand Pooh-Bah (3,776) Feb 18, 2015 Connecticut

    It has been answered here but something like this can never be said enough...tighten your own caps. This happened to me once with my firs tree growler purchase.
     
  18. paulys55

    paulys55 Initiate (0) Aug 2, 2010 Pennsylvania

    Cap on foam is my preference. The foam will go away eventually but it will be CO2 in the headspace and not air. I don't know why but I'm not a fan of when they fill the growler to the top with no foam and cap right on the beer, you don't see bottled beer that looks like that.
     
  19. BigStein88

    BigStein88 Savant (1,059) Nov 5, 2007 New Hampshire
    Trader

    Finding a new brewery would be a bit extreme over one flat growler, but certainly mention it to the brewery and see what they do about it. Almost certainly a bad seal. Most growlers, be it the flip top or screw on (when they make a proper seal) should last weeks...and probably longer.
     
  20. mfowler314

    mfowler314 Devotee (375) Aug 12, 2015 New York

    Thanks all for the replies and advice. As I said... the second time I went I did not have this problem so it was surely an anomaly. I'll tighten caps myself from now on.

    Also... the brewery has gladly offered to give me a free one next time I'm there. So all is good in my beer world!
     
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