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Help me help myself...with growlers

Northern Brewer General
#1

Overall, really haven’t been a fan of beer from growlers. Not to be picky, but the carb is never right. I’ve had commercial beers from growlers, and homebrews, and none are nearly as good as out of the tap, or even a bottle-conditioned bottle, poured.

I got one of these on homebrewfinds for $25 (still available).

http://www.amazon.com/Lifeline-7500-Sil ... B00AZMICOY

Long and short, the thing is awesome. I took mine to a brewday at my buddy’s house, just filled with ice water to maintain some semblance of hydration. Forgot about it, and by the time we were chilling the beer, there was still ice in it, no condensation on the outside.

I am going to try to take some beer to my in laws this weekend. I have put the growler in the fridge, am planning on turning my PSI way down, and shoving a picnic line in the growler, and filling from the bottom. Anything else I can do to make my beer more like it is from the keg out of the growler?

#2

Will your new growler hold CO2 pressure? I would wonder about the cap. If so it looks like a great, unbreakable mobile beer container.

Filling from the keg wise. A counter pressure bottle filler would be the best but pricey and a little slow. You can try using some vinyl tubing shoved into a regular tap or piece of broken racking cane into a picnic to fill from the bottom.

#3

I mean I have a beer gun, but didn’t really feel like assembling that whole rigamaroll…

so to attach a piece of racking cane, do people use the hard plastic part or the tubing? Just kind of shove the tubing onto the spigot of the picnic tap?

On the pressurization, it is supposed to hold it as well as any growler. A lot of them just have a tin screw on cap, this one at least has a gasket.

#4

I use growlers occasionally and don’t have a problem with retaining carbonation…it is not uncommon for me to fill a growler or two, go to work (work requires living away from home for 4 days) and open the beer sometimes on the 3rd night with no discernible loss of carbonation.

Do you use the two part plastic caps? They have worked well for me…compared to the paper or film lined caps that do not work as well.

#5

[quote=“darthmorgoth”]I use growlers occasionally and don’t have a problem with retaining carbonation…it is not uncommon for me to fill a growler or two, go to work (work requires living away from home for 4 days) and open the beer sometimes on the 3rd night with no discernible loss of carbonation.

Do you use the two part plastic caps? They have worked well for me…compared to the paper or film lined caps that do not work as well.[/quote]

I’ve usually just used the metal caps that come with the glass growlers (in NY, gas stations have started having growler/craft beer filling stations!)…

The 50/50 SS growler I have has this plastic screw on cap with a rubber gasket on the inside. seems to get a decent seal…but no, I haven’t used the two-part plastic caps. I’m guessing you mean these?

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/38-m ... -caps.html

The attached cap for the 50/50 seems to be of a similar design as this.

#6

Yep; Kinda coincidental the OD of the hard plastic bottling part is the ID of the picnic tap… Tubing works just as good for me as well, just make sure hose is long enough to touch bottom of growler. I leave pressure as is, put growler in a bucket, overfill, quickly put cap on, and then rinse off.

#7

[quote=“darthmorgoth”]I use growlers occasionally and don’t have a problem with retaining carbonation…it is not uncommon for me to fill a growler or two, go to work (work requires living away from home for 4 days) and open the beer sometimes on the 3rd night with no discernible loss of carbonation.

Do you use the two part plastic caps? They have worked well for me…compared to the paper or film lined caps that do not work as well.[/quote]

Yeah, I agree. I have opened growlers weeks later, and still had a well carbed beer.

#8

[quote=“Pietro”]I mean I have a beer gun, but didn’t really feel like assembling that whole rigamaroll…

so to attach a piece of racking cane, do people use the hard plastic part or the tubing? Just kind of shove the tubing onto the spigot of the picnic tap?

On the pressurization, it is supposed to hold it as well as any growler. A lot of them just have a tin screw on cap, this one at least has a gasket.[/quote]I agree with the PIA setting up the beer gun, in my case counter pressure filler. With the picnic tap I just shove the piece of racking cane inside the tap. It fits very snugly so it won’t leak or fall out. With a regular beer tap the vinyl tubing fits so tight I had to cut a small notch it it to get it started.

All summer I use 1 or 2 liter seltzer bottles for going out on the boat and just tap the beer down the inside until full and quick put on the top. They get used up the same day so not much fear of going flat and like your SS growler can’t be smashed.

#9

[quote=“Pietro”][quote=“darthmorgoth”]I use growlers occasionally and don’t have a problem with retaining carbonation…it is not uncommon for me to fill a growler or two, go to work (work requires living away from home for 4 days) and open the beer sometimes on the 3rd night with no discernible loss of carbonation.

Do you use the two part plastic caps? They have worked well for me…compared to the paper or film lined caps that do not work as well.[/quote]

I’ve usually just used the metal caps that come with the glass growlers (in NY, gas stations have started having growler/craft beer filling stations!)…

The 50/50 SS growler I have has this plastic screw on cap with a rubber gasket on the inside. seems to get a decent seal…but no, I haven’t used the two-part plastic caps. I’m guessing you mean these?

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/38-m ... -caps.html

The attached cap for the 50/50 seems to be of a similar design as this.[/quote]

yep, those are the ones…not that I wouldn’t buy one of those SS growlers, but never had a problem using those caps.

#10

If you’re dealing with a picnic tap, I’ve discovered tubing from my bottling wand fits over it perfectly. Then you can just dial the pressure low enough for the bottling wand’s valve to handle (about 3psi), set the tap in the “stuck on” position, and bang off a whole six pack nice and easy.

#11

Ok, so it seems for everyone before you, by “racking cane” they of course meant “bottling wand”. I was a bit confused as to how a huge autosiphon thingy was going to help me.

So also what you are telling me is my blichmann beer gun was a complete waste of money!

#12

I’ve admittedly only been kegging for a couple months so maybe there’s something I haven’t discovered yet, but as it stands right now my desire for a beer gun more-or-less evaporated as soon as I thought to give the bottling wand a shot.

Might have to do with motives. I’ve only been doing it to take homebrew to parties, so I haven’t been too worried about oxygen exposure or anything like that. I think I would end up wanting a beer gun for bottling anything that needs to stay in good condition for a while - bottling a couple to send to a competition, store in the cellar, something like that.

#13

My wife just bought me one of these.http://www.williams-sonoma.com/m/produc … l-growler/

#14

I used to use my ss racking cane shoved into my picnic tap. It worked pretty well for consumption generally within a few hours/days. I got a Blichmann beer gun for my birthday a month ago an it’s pretty sweet. I never would have spent that kind of money on my own. As for growlers, my favorite is the Hydroflask

Keep beer super cold, maintains carb, etc. Also received as a gift as they are rather price but worth it IMHO.

#15

No double-walled vacuum insulation? mmmhahmph. :wink:

after using the bottling wand method, I’m thinking about selling my beer gun! Also chilled the growler to the beer temp prior to dispensing.

#16

I got two of these for my birthday. And so far they have really kicked ass.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BJH ... mbrefin-20

They were even cheaper when I got them.

Took one to the beach on Saturday, just for water this time. Didn’t keep it in the cooler. But the water was still cold even six hours later while sitting outside at the beach. Was really impressed.

I am a fan.

#17

The bottle that is linked is an amazing deal. My wife bought me a different insulated growler for Father’s Day, and it was $45. I wish we had seen this one sooner and saved $20. She’s going to order me one of the cheaper ones too so we can compare.

I think this will be great for taking lots of cold water to the garden, and also for beers on the go. Thanks for the link!

#18

The white version just went down in price. $24.07

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BJH ... mbrefin-20

26.04 for the plain stainless steel

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AZM ... mbrefin-20
#19

The only issue with the stainless growlers is knowing if they are filled. If it’s foaming there really is no way to know if you are completely filled or not. Not really an issue with home brew that will be consumed in a few hours, but I don’t think I would let it go more than 48hr. I don’t think I’d want a brewery short changing me either, though plenty of people are getting them filled there now.

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