well I have completed the first stage(s) of my first extract brew. It was in the primary for a week and I have since racked to the secondary.
I have been collecting 12oz. pry off bottles to put the beer into when I get to that point. I also have 6 or so growlers in my collection. Does anyone bottle in growlers? If so can you re-use the caps and just sterlize them or are new caps needed? I was wondering if the growlers are strong enough to hold the beer while it is carbornating or are they more just devices to store beer in?
A big plus that I can see, is less cleaning and sterlizing of regualr 12 oz bottles.
Any thoughts or comments would be appricated. Thanks.
Could be completely wrong on this but I think I heard somewhere that growlers are a bad idea for carbing beer. Again, could be wrong and they may be fine but I seem to remember that.
Totally ghetto but I’ve carbed beer in 2-liters before with no ill-affect. If you’re looking for a cheap, easy, temporary solution that could be an option. Or just buy a 24 pack of appropriate bottles and drink them. There is no rush other than your desire to drink the beer.
I would not trust the growler to hold up to carbonating beer. Or the cap to seal properly.
As a minimum, bottle 1 beer in a soda bottle. Squeeze the O2 out and screw the cap on. As CO2 is produced the bottle will expand. No wondering what is happening in the glass bottles.
Do you have a good beer bar nearby? See if the bartender/waitstaff can save you some bottles. Especially 22oz bottles and swing tops.
You live in NY State? Do you have recycle shops that you might be able to get some bottles from for the price of the deposit?
A soaking in PBW or Oxiclean will get them clean. If they don’t come clean, return them for some others ones.
If it’s swing top growler, it could work. If you plan on drinking that much at one time.[/quote]
When I think of growler I think of that link above. If they are the giant swing top things though I’m sure those would work. I have a buddy that has twelve of them from Norhtern Brewer and bottles with those.
