How long is beer in an unopened growler good for? – If you keep your growler unopened and sitting in the refrigerator, it can last anywhere from one to two weeks. Pressurized growlers can last two weeks or longer. Once you have opened the growler, it should be consumed within a couple of days for the best flavor.
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How long will beer last in a sealed growler?
How long do crowlers stay fresh Before Expiring? – On average, a glass growler keeps beer carbonated and tap-worthy fresh for about three days, After that point, it begins to degrade due to oxygen intake and UV light. The most significant advantage that crowlers have over growlers is that they keep the brews they contain fresher for longer.
- While how long crowlers last before expiring depends on how you care for them, they remain fresher for longer than the glass alternatives.
- Due to the filling process and aluminum, crowlers can keep your beer at its original quality for up to a month with proper storage— a stark difference as compared to the glass containers.
As long as you keep the cans from excessive jostling or impact and store them in a temperate area, they’ll allow you to safely transport or save your favorite brews until you want to break them out.
Do unopened growlers need to be refrigerated?
How long does a growler last? – An unopened and sealed growler can last anywhere from 2-5 weeks. It is best to refrigerate growlers as well because while their caps are designed to be fairly airtight, they are still not meant to sit for very long. Since they are often filled with fresh beer and they aren’t sealed like canned or bottled beer, their quality will diminish a bit with each day.
Will opening a growler make the beer go bad?
With craft beer still booming, loyal connoisseurs need new ways to transport their precious liquid to and from destination breweries. Voila! The beer growler is here for your beer storage and transportation needs. So just what is a growler? Read on and discover everything you need to know about beer growlers.
- Growlers are containers used to transport and store beer that is typically purchased from a retail store, restaurant, brew-pub or brewery poured from a keg through a tap system.
- They are often made from glass, stainless steel or ceramic materials, which help preserve beer for a period of time with minimal degradation.
The preservation length can vary lasting from a couple of days upward to a couple of weeks or more depending on certain optional features available with some models. Preservation length is also determined by your retailer’s ability to vacuum pump your growler with CO2 prior to filling it with your beer of choice.
- Growlers afford the drinker the “straight from the tap” drinking experience that can be taken on the go.
- Straight from the tap is often a preferred drinking experience compared to beer from a can or bottle.
- Growlers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, which is fitting given the origin of the growler has its own varied roots.
For those unfamiliar with the growler’s lineage, here is a short history lesson. One theory claims two-quart, galvanized pails were used as early as the late 19th century to transport beer between the local pub and home. As the beer sloshed and CO2 was agitated, a “growling” sound could be heard as gas escaped around the lid. By the early 20th century a term, “rushing the growler,” emerged to describe how children would take a growler to a bar, have it filled, and then transport it to, most often, their father’s workplace in time for lunch. Variants of this story suggest that the workers would be so hungry by the time the growlers arrived, their stomachs were “growling.” Here, a young lad “rushes the growler” to its destination – which was most often a father’s place of employment.
In the same era, another story was that when “nickel beer” was the standard cost for a pint, those who wanted a pint to-go would use their two-quart growler but only have a pint poured into it. As often would happen, there would be a disagreement between the bartender doing the filling and guessing how much to pour and patron doing the buying, thus causing some “growling” between the two.
Between then and now there were several more iterations of the growler, including the modern-day, 64-ounce glass jug, which is credited to Charlie Otto, owner of Wyoming’s first draft-only microbreweries, Otto Brothers Brewery (now Grand Teton Brewing ).
In 1989, Charlie was looking for a way his patrons could bring his beer home, and it was his father who remembered the growlers from the time of his youth. Charlie stumbled upon half-gallon glass jugs, which were similar to moonshine jugs, and had his brewery’s logo silkscreened on the front, and the rest is recent history.
While the common glass growler is much the same as it was in 1989, growlers do continue to evolve, but each one’s purpose remains – transport beer from brewery/brewpub/bar to some other place, and keep beer from going bad for a reasonable amount of time.
- But how does that happen? Bottling and canning lines are designed to fill their respective vessels with beer for longer shelf lives.
- With growlers, the expectation is consumption will follow within days, so fancy counter-pressure systems are not as necessary with filling a growler.
- However, a good brewery or beer bar will take care when filling a growler.
More common these days, if not mandatory, is to use a foot-long tube to bottom-fill growlers. This keeps the beer from being agitated on the long journey from the tap to the bottom of the vessel and releasing its CO2 prematurely. Some finer beer bars will go as far to purge the oxygen from a growler with CO2 before filling to reduce the risk of oxidation.
- Growlers of beer will stay fresh for several days (some say up to 10 days) if left unopened.
- Once opened, however, leftover beer will be flat within 36 hours at best.
- If a growler is filled with a full counter-pressure system, it is possible for the beer to remain fresh for up to several months.
- Of course, beer in growlers is susceptible to the same perils as bottled and canned beers.
Keep away from sunlight, store cold if possible, and store upright. It should go without saying, but keeping growlers clean is very important. It is best to rinse them as soon as they are emptied, scrubbing with a long-handled brush if available, and allowed to dry upside down so no moisture is left sitting at the bottom. Growlers have two very important benefits for a beer fan. One, they provide a way to source seasonal, limited beers that likely are not distributed. Secondly, the growler itself is something personal, as if a statement about one’s brewery allegiance or taste in art or one’s lifestyle.
- Growlers are used again and again.
- They travel, they get passed around, they get admired.
- Handmade growlers, like this one from Carlburg Pottery, are growing in popularity.
- In the burgeoning world of new growlers, there are ones that double as art pieces, like those handmade at Carlburg Pottery,
- This company’s commitment to making ceramic growlers, flasks, bottles, and cups stems from a movement to get away from mass-produced glassware, harkening back to vessels as they were before refrigeration.
Ceramic growlers will keep beer colder longer, especially if set out at a party, and they protect the beer from being light-struck. For the lovers of good beer and technology, uKeg makes a vacuum-insulated stainless steel growler with a pressure regulation cap that holds a small CO2 cartridge.
Functioning like a very small keg, the growler will keep beer under pressure and fresh for up to two weeks. With this setup, there’s no need to drink all the beer in one night. For the ultimate adventurists who need to bring beer outdoors, there are a myriad of choices. Boasting extreme durability and insulation, growler brands in this category include HydroFlask, Klean Kanteen, Stanley, Miir, and YETI.
Most of these growlers are priced between $50-$100. Several beer enthusiasts have tested these brands for temperature and pressure retention and posted their results online. A growler, or a collection of growlers, will open up a world of new beers being brought to new experiences.
- By design, a growler is beer-to-go, and where that beer goes is nearly limitless thanks to the availability of interesting and technologically-advanced growlers.
- However, if it is just one or two beer fans enjoying a dinner or a game and a growler, that is just fine too.
- TWO GROWLERS TO CONSIDER FOR BEER QUALITY PRESERVATION AND PORTABILITY: DrinkTanks Classic Growler This growler functions as a personal mini keg with the help of DrinkTanks’ auto-regulating keg cap.
All DrinkTanks growlers are fully vaccuum insulated, so you can put either hot or cold liquids in it and it will keep them piping hot (for 12 hours) or fully chilled (for 24 hours). Learn More Here FOR BEER QUALITY PRESERVATION AS A MINI-KEG: GrowlerWerks uKeg 128 Copper-Plated The uKeg 128 pressurized growler available in a bright copper-plated finish for a true, old-fashioned brewery look. The uKeg 128 is a mini keg in the size of a full-gallon growler, keeps beer cold, fresh and carbonated for two weeks.
Can beer go bad if sealed?
Does Beer Go Bad In The Fridge? – Yes, both opened and unopened beer can go bad in the fridge. In a refrigerator, an unopened bottle or can of beer can last up to two or three years. However, an opened bottle or can will generally only be good for a day before the oxidation destroys all the good flavors.
Can beer in a growler get warm?
Growler 101: Keep it cold, drink it soon It ain’t easy being a growler. Handled with care, a growler will reward you with fresh, cold, ready-to-drink craft beer. But mistreat a growler and you might as well pour your money down the drain. “Beer in a growler is like milk from the market,” says Dogfish Head Quality Control Manager Rebecca Newman. We now sell growlers at our Rehoboth Beach brewpub and Milton brewery. Prices vary, depending on your off-centered ale of choice. Growlers, typically reusable 64-ounce glass or ceramic jugs, are made for takeout draft beer. In most places, you can pick them up at brewpubs, but more states are allowing retailers to sell growlers, too.
- Here at Dogfish Head, we offer growler fills at our Rehoboth Beach brewpub and at our Milton brewery.
- Just make sure your jug has the Surgeon General’s alcohol warning label.) So, why go with a growler vs.
- A bottle? A few reasons.
- If you’re going to a picnic or a dinner and want something nice and cold and ready to share, a growler is a good option,” says Rebecca.
Growlers are also good for small batches, exclusives and other beers that aren’t bottled or canned. And since growlers are refillable, they’re an environmentally friendlier choice, as well. But all that goodness comes with some potential pitfalls. The caps on growlers are not as airtight as the crown on a bottle, so they shouldn’t sit around for too long.
And once a growler is opened, you’ve got about 36 hours – maybe 2 days at most – before the beer goes flat. Two other enemies of growlers are heat and light. Carbonation is more volatile in warm beer, so when the temperature goes up, the carbon dioxide evolves, or escapes. Once it’s gone you can’t get it back.
Light, particularly through clear glass, will react with the hop compounds to produce a skunky flavor. (Hey, college was fun, but that’s one memory we can do without.) Also, keep your growlers beer-ready. Wash and dry the jug (and the cap) and don’t let it warm up just before a fill.
- Many places won’t fill a dank, dirty growler.
- So, if you’re traveling long distances, buying beer long before you plan to drink it, or hoping to make your haul last, it’s best to buy bottled beer.
- Since most craft breweries don’t pasteurize their beer, there’s no difference between bottled and draft.
- But, if you’re headed to a get-together and want to share a few fresh beers, a growler is the way to go.
“It’s fun to share and makes a great conversation piece,” says Rebecca. “How cool is it to bring a fresh jug of beer to a dinner?” : Growler 101: Keep it cold, drink it soon
How long does beer last unopened?
Beer Storage by Container – Aside from factors like temperature and the type of beer, it’s crucial to know how to store beer based on its container to ensure the beer remains fresh. A general rule is that the best-before date on any type of beer is an accurate guide. It doesn’t mean that the beer will immediately expire by that date but, instead, that the beer will decline in quality only after the listed date — assuming you store it correctly.
Kegs: The clock starts on kegs as soon as they get filled and sealed. Even an untapped keg is best to use sooner rather than later, so first-in, first-out is a good rule of thumb if you plan to store multiple kegs. Make sure to keep kegs in a cool, dry space and away from other foods. It’s essential to avoid freezing the kegs, since freezing the beer will likely alter its taste. Avoid moving them around too much, because that can increase the amount of foam that will spurt out when you tap the keg. Bottles and cans: Store packaged beer in a cool, dry place that isn’t freezing. For optimal shelf life of bottled beer, store beer at a temperature between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit and, if it’s a bottle, make sure it’s upright. You can prolong the shelf life of beer in cans and bottles if you keep them just above room temperature and just below freezing, but if there’s no way to establish that, storing unopened cans and bottles in the fridge or at room temperature is acceptable. Growlers: Keeping growlers upright and in cool, dark spaces is, once again, the best way to go. The airtight lid will ensure the beer remains fresh for several days, and can remain fresh even longer if the bar that filled the growler did so with carbon dioxide. Once opened, the beer will stay fresh for up to 36 hours,
These guidelines are more appropriate for draft and packaged beers. Homebrews and microbrews will likely have a shorter lifespan, even with adequate storage. The lifespan of open beer, regardless of its container, will be notably shorter thanks to the external factors it will come into contact with, like air, light and potentially bacteria as well.
Leaving unopened beer at room temperature will ensure it’s at its best for four to six months on average. After that, the quality will begin to degrade. For refrigerated beers, stored unopened, you have six to eight months of peak taste to take advantage of before the quality begins to slowly decrease.
It’s also crucial to maintain the temperature at which you bought the beer. For example, if you bought a six-pack straight out of a refrigerated case, you should put it in your refrigerator when you get home. The flavor of beer can change based on the glass in which you drink it.
How many beers in a growler?
What is a Beer Growler vs Crowler? Glass & Aluminum Bottle Sizes|What is a Beer Growler vs Crowler? Glass & Aluminum Bottle Sizes What is a growler? If you’re a beer aficionado, you’ve heard of the growler. Growlers are airtight glass, steel or ceramic jugs that provide patrons with a portable, refillable vessel that can be filled up with draft beer at your favorite craft brewery and taken on the go.
As the name might suggest, growlers are quite large in size and can transport a lot of beer—64 ounces, to be exact, or a little more than five bottles of beer—while half growlers (called howlers) can hold a respectable 32 ounces. Some herald growlers and howlers as a more mobile flavor-keeping keg. Indeed, what a time to be alive! So, what can make the new age of beer transport even better? In comes the,
But what is a crowler of beer? It’s the half growler’s aluminum twin. If you haven’t seen a 32-ounce crowler can of beer yet, you will – and you will love it. However, is one portable beer vessel a better option than the other? Both crowlers and growlers have their perks, so keep reading to find out which may be the better fit for your needs.
Why is it called a growler?
Beginning as early as the late 1800s, tin pails, pitchers, glass jars or jugs, or other vessels were used to carry beer home from the local pub. The most common was a 2-quart galvanized or enameled pail. These “growlers” supposedly got their name because as the beer sloshed around, it caused the carbon dioxide to escape and created a growling noise.
However, some sources suggest it was the constant conflict between the two parties – the bartender who’s filling a two quart pail with a pint of beer – and the customer looking for a full pail- which caused the “growling.” Prior to World War II, children would bring covered buckets of draft beer from the local pub or brewery to workers at lunch time or to their parents at dinner time.
This became known as “rushing the growler.” Adults also were “Bucket Boys” or “Kesseljunges,” a German term used in Milwaukee. The “Bucket Trade” was often attacked during the years leading up to Prohibition by the anti-alcohol “Temperance” movement that resulted in the 18th Amendment (the complete prohibition of alcohol).
- Laws were passed in many areas to outlaw the growler entirely.
- By the 1950s, the tin pail had been phased out and waxed cardboard containers with lids were being used.
- These looked like a cross between a milk jug and a takeout Chinese soup container.
- By the 1960s, however, most bars had switched to plastic and were allowed to sell pre-packaged beer after hours, so the concept of the growler slowly disappeared.
The lack of growlers continued until 1989, when Charlie Otto, owner of Wyoming’s first draft-only microbrewery, Otto Brothers Brewery, wanted to offer draft beer to go, but was not able to bottle the beer. Luckily for Charlie, his father still remembered the use of growlers and suggested that they give that a try.
However, the packaging needed to be updated, so Charlie began silk-screening his logo on half-gallon glass jugs, and thus, the growler as we know it today was born. In recent years, technological advances in glass and aluminum packaging (driven by the craft beer movement) have resulted in the ability for 32-ounce and 64-ounce growlers, in addition to 32-ounce crowlers (can growlers) to be filled at the point of sale in ways that will increase fresheness and maintain carbonation.
The quality of a growler filled today is lightyears above the tin pails of yesterday, allowing you to enjoy fresh draft beer at home just like you would at your local pub. In 2013, the state of North Carolina relaxed their growler filling regulations, allowing bars and retail stores to refill growlers for customers, meaning you no longer have to go to a brewery to get your growlers filled back up and paving the way for stores such as The Glass Jug to open.
Is 2 year old beer still good?
Yes—but its flavor will degrade over time. Beer is a perishable product that stales when it’s exposed to light, oxygen, and heat, which degrade the organic compounds that make beer smell and taste great. But even when its flavor is declining, it can be perfectly safe to drink.
Can you drink 10 year old beer?
Does Beer Expire? – Allagash Brewing Company A question we get often: does beer expire? Short answer, no. Beer isn’t like milk. With age, it doesn’t actually expire or become unsafe to drink. Old beer’s taste, however, will absolutely change. But stored properly, an old beer’s effect on your body won’t be different than a freshly packaged beer.
How does that work? The wort—or unfermented beer—is basically Pasteurized by the brewing process, effectively killing off any unwanted organisms. Once the beer is fully fermented, it creates an environment in which the types of pathogens or bacteria that can cause harm aren’t able to survive. This is due to the combination of alcohol, the beer’s low pH, and the antimicrobial activity of hops.
There are quite a few other microbes that can live in these conditions, but they’re not harmful. This means that in a properly brewed and packaged beer, you’ll just find the beer’s ingredients and a teensy bit of air. That tiny amount of air is important.
There’s no way to package a beer without a miniscule amount of oxygen sticking around. At our brewery, we measure this amount in parts per billion. With time, that oxygen inside every bottle, can, or keg, changes the beer. This is called “oxidation” and is responsible for a range of flavors. Some beers will develop a stale, cardboard-like flavor, accompanied by a note of sherry.
More malt-forward beers can develop a sweet, bready, and even toffee-ish flavor. In a beer of ours called —a bourbon barrel-aged Tripel—we’ve noted some of those pleasant toffee and almost caramel-like flavors developing with age. A beer’s “hoppiness” will also dissipate with age.
Hop aromas in particular are notoriously time-sensitive. The bitterness hops impart in the beer will stay in the mouthfeel, but any of those piney, citrusy, or floral hop aromas that characterize a hop-forward beer won’t stick around in an older beer. But what about skunky beer? Light is the culprit there.
Beer ages poorly under any ultraviolet light (thus why a term for properly aging beer is “cellaring” or keeping it in a dark place). Brown bottles and aluminum cans are both effective at blocking out light. But beer in a clear or lighter-colored bottle will develop that signature “skunk-like” flavor if left out.
Another, different staling agent is heat. The higher the heat, the faster the staling. Heat doesn’t create a specific off flavor itself (unlike light). Instead, it acts to speed up the process of oxidation. Our lab actually uses a warm fridge to simulate age in our beer, to get an idea of how it will hold up with time.
Intentionally aging beer is an entirely different subject, and one that’s worth a blog post of its own. But long story short, if you enjoy beer, you’ll want to drink it closer to its release date. It’s the best way to taste the beer as close as possible to the way the brewer intended.
Why did my growler explode?
Consumer Education, Post-Filling Quality –
Draught beer is a lot like bread, best when enjoyed fresh. Growlers should be opened within 24-72 hours of filling, and should be consumed promptly within hours after opening (enjoy responsibly). In cases where growlers have been pre-filled, ensure your growler has been filled that day for optimal freshness. Brewery studies show that beer quality begins to suffer almost immediately after filling. Within 24 hours, carbonation, mouthfeel and the hallmark flavors of your favorite beer brand degrade, and within 72 hours stale flavors become obvious.
Growlers should be opened within 24-72 hours of filling, and should be consumed promptly within hours after opening.
Keep filled growlers cold and dark. Remember: An increase in temperature will increase pressure and could cause a growler to burst; and light can damage beer by skunking. Growlers should be thoroughly cleaned, sanitized, rinsed, and allowed to air dry immediately after emptying. After cleaning growlers should be stored with the lid unsealed.
Filled growlers can shatter or explode if allowed to warm or freeze, especially if they are overfilled. The internal pressure of a filled growler warmed to room temperature (68F) or in a hot car (90F) may be as high as 2.0 atm (29 psi) or 3.7 atm (52 psig) respectively.
only use growler containers specifically designed for packaged carbonated beer, and ask the container supplier to verify that the pressure rating is equal to or greater than the pressure from carbonation in the beer being filled. Many containers currently in use are not designed for carbonated beverages. if filling by counter-pressure, know the pressure rating of the system used and ensure the system includes shielding between the growler being filled and people nearby in case of failure do not overfill a growler. Always leave 5% headspace or fill to the manufacturers recommended fill line if one is shown. for growlers with threaded screw-on closures, consider using plastic rather than metal closures; plastic closures may vent more readily if over pressurization occurs; if using metal closures you may wish to discuss this issue with your supplier. keep filled growlers cold and dark, and never allow a filled growler to warm or to freeze, due to potentially hazardous shattering. visually inspect every growler before filling. Do not fill glass or ceramic growlers with cracks or chips, those which have been engraved, or older growlers with pitted or unsmooth glass surfaces, as the pressure strength of these growlers will be significantly reduced.
How long does beer last in a sealed bottle?
What is the shelf life of beer? – The shelf life of beer will depend on the container and location of storage. If stored properly in a refrigerated area, bottled beer will last up to six months. If stored in a warm environment, bottled beer can spoil in three months. Other containers, such as crowlers and growlers have shorter shelf lives.
How long can beer stay fresh in a crowler?
Why the World Needs More Crowlers—Wait, What’s a Crowler? “What the hell is a Crowler?” That’s what went through my head after my friend in California said that he was going to send me a couple Crowlers from his local brewery about a year ago. At the time, I considered myself pretty well-versed in all things craft beer.
I assumed that he was talking about a common glass Growler, pointed out his typo, and told him not to send me anything because they’d leak all over the plane. He assured me that he said what he meant and that large, machine-sealed, aluminum cans do not leak on planes. My interest was piqued. Alex Lau It’s 2016 and craft beer is everywhere.
At this point, you’ve probably had a beer poured from a growler. Maybe you fill (and refill) your own growlers regularly, or maybe your annoying friend always brings one filled with a “double dry-hopped black IPA that is so-sublime-and-life-changing-seriously-you-need-to-try-it-it’s-bitter-but-its-malt-backbone-totally-keeps-the-hops-in-check” whenever he shows up to your apartment (apologies to my friends).
The growler has permeated today’s beer culture so far that you can have made for your groomsmen. But what about when that specialty craft brew you crossed five states with goes flat in the fridge? Or gets too shaken up in your backpack? Or breaks on the bus ride home? Enter: The Crowler. Prohibition Pig Brewery’s Crowler machine in action.
Photo: Francis Stellato Francis Stellato Essentially, a Crowler is a giant, 32 oz. can. These oversized containers can be filled on any ordinary tap line, but the catch is that you have to have a Crowler sealing machine to cap it. There are over 600 machines being used in America, more and more breweries are offering Crowlers as a takeaway beer option (though there are only a handful of companies making Crowler machines).
In the current craft beer landscape, brewers and beer drinkers alike as the premium in beer packaging, and it makes sense that this trend would grow—quite literally. Mom, where do Crowlers come from? Most beer drinkers credit Oskar Blues’s Dale’s Pale Ale as the pioneering brew of the canned craft beer movement, which the Colorado-based brewery has been canning since 2002.
If there was a brewery to expand on the opportunities that canning brews had to offer, these guys would be the ones to do it—and they did. “We get off on pushing the limits, doing things differently, and the Crowler is another step of innovation to take advantage of what the can package has to offer from behind the bar,” explains Jason Dan, the head of the Crowler program at Oskar Blues.
They worked with Ball Corporation, a manufacturer that produces machines that seal steel food cans (and those things called Ball jars) and modified the existing seaming machine to seal Ball’s new 32 oz. to-go beer cans. Jeremy Farmer After implementing the machines at their breweries and tap rooms, OB decided it was time to get other breweries involved, making Crowler machines available for purchase by other beer makers.
Helping the competition may seem a bit counterintuitive, but craft beer truly is a community. Albeit, sometimes a community that loves to argue about hops in forums online—but a community no less. According to Dan, more than 400 Oskar Blues Crowler machines and 1.3 million Crowler cans were sold in 2015, a 1000% increase in sales from 2014.
Buying the blank cans in bulk and slapping on their own sticker labels makes it convenient for breweries to adapt their designs to the Crowler and explains why such a staggering amount of cans were sold. Other companies, like Dixie Canner Co., have developed Crowler machines for their clients including Cigar City Brewing and Sierra Nevada Brewing.
Whether your Crowler is coming from an OB machine or a Dixie canner, the result is the same. Fresher, longer-lasting brews. “More beer, more accessible, in more places,” says Dan. Why should I be drinking beer out of a can, again? Photo: Courtesy of Stone Brewing Courtesy of Stone Brewing Beer’s least favorite things are UV rays and permeating oxygen.
Cans offer protection from both, whereas glass bottles and growlers let light touch your beer, and even if you can’t see or hear it, they let oxygen both in and out of your beer through small gaps in the cap, flip-top, or screw-on. But don’t worry—there’s a cure. “Aluminum packaging helps keep our beers fresher for longer and maintains the quality by creating an absolute barrier to light and oxygen, preventing off-flavors from developing,” says Chris Carroll, of San Diego’s Stone Brewing.
For IPA-heavy breweries like Stone, keeping hops in their most flavorful state is of the utmost importance. If you’ve ever cracked open an IPA only to find a malty, bitter mess, you’ve been the victim of damaged hop oils. Crowlers also keep the beer fresher for a longer amount of time than a growler does.
The typical growler keeps beer fresh and carbonated for about three days before it really starts to degrade. Crowlers keep their brews fresh for about a month, unless you decide to play football with it. The seal, pack, and go aspect is a big one for Hardywood Park Craft Brewing in Richmond, Virginia.
“Craft beer drinkers are our best ambassadors, and Crowlers offer an extended “shelf life” allowing our fans to take our beer further,” explains Hardywood’s Matt Shofner, “If an out-of-town visitor finds something they really want to take home, they may need more than five days to travel home and share a taste of Hardywood with their friends and family.
It’s important that what they taste is a true representation of the product, and those cases the Crowler can deliver.” Photo: Matt Shofner/Hardywood Matt Shofner/Hardywood “I’m big on form following function,” says Chad Rich of Prohibition Pig in Waterbury, Vermont, and with Crowlers, he can control the environment in which his beer is consumed as tightly as he possibly can.
“Once they open it, they have to commit to it, and that’s another huge thing for me. Knowing that the beer is going to be served fresh and as we intend to serve it.” The Crowler gives breweries serving their beer exclusively on tap at the brewery, like Prohibition Pig, a completely sanitized container to fill with their beer, unlike a reusable growler, that if not cleaned properly, can harbor leftovers from previous fills.
Brewers are obsessed with cleanliness in all stages in the life of a beer. It’s all about control and Rich realizes that and acts on it, “I don’t want unfavorable reviews on the beer. I want my beer to be presented in the best possible manner.” Andy Tullis And then there’s the portability angle of the can versus the glass growler.
In states like Oregon, craft beer is synonymous with the outdoors. “We live in a place where biking, hiking, paddling, skiing, and snowboarding are part of everyday life,” explains Kate Fleming-Molleta, of Oregon’s Boneyard Beer. “Crowlers are much lighter and easier to pack in and out on these types of adventures.” The Crowler is the answer for the active beer drinker’s adventuresome woes.
Beer Drinkers and Crowlers, a Love Story Craft beer enthusiasts like Crowlers. Well, most craft beer enthusiasts. Those who don’t must have their reasons. Maybe they’re non-conformists. Maybe a Great Uncle died in a freak Crowler filling accident (my condolences). Maybe they’re allergic to aluminum. Regardless, after polling 160 Beer Advocate users, I found that only 15% of them didn’t have any interest or didn’t have a great experience with Crowlers.
If my stats don’t stand up to your rigorous mathematical standards, take it from the breweries themselves. At Boneyard Beer, 64% of customers are choosing Crowlers in which to take their beer home, and the percentage is rising every month. At Stone, about 40% of customers are using Crowlers, which is a staggering amount for a brewery that helped fuel the popularity of the glass growler over the past five years.
Stone also reports that its Crowler usage is increasing with each month. At Prohibition Pig, the amount of Crowlers sold is “substantially more” than the amount of Growlers being filled. Chad Rich at Pro Pig says that he actually needs to get rid of a few of his own growlers that are sitting and taking up space.
Francis Stellato When it comes down to it, craft beer drinkers are a stubborn breed. Although tastes vary and brewing mentalities can differ, there is one overarching importance that binds all craft beer enthusiasts. They, well, we, care about the quality of our beer.
Freshness and intact flavor profiles are mandatory. We want to drink the beer in the exact manner that the brewer intended for us to drink it, and over the past year or so, brewers and tap houses have started to adopt a packaging system that caters to that exact need. Somewhere between a 24oz. Tall Boy and a Forty lies the future of your craft beer consumption.
It’s made of aluminum, you can get it filled with some of the best beers in the world, and it’s called a Crowler. : Why the World Needs More Crowlers—Wait, What’s a Crowler?
How long does beer last in a stainless steel growler?
The Pros of an Insulated Stainless Steel Growler – If you’ve been using a glass growler up until now, you may be wondering, “are stainless steel growlers good?” An insulated stainless steel growler is going to last you a long time. More so, a stainless steel v acuum will keep your beer cold and your carbonation levels right.
Opting for a double walled, helps with durability and liquid temperature (To learn how vacuum insulation works, check out our post ). Dropping a stainless steel growler may result in a dent, but certainly not a shatter. An insulated growler is also going to keep your beer cold for a long time. Most stainless steel growlers will keep your beer (or other beverage) cold for 24+ hours, which means you can bring your beer on your next camping trip, hike, or road trip to the beach and enjoy it at the right temperature.
If you happen to have a growler that’s made with 18/8 medical grade stainless steel (like all of our ), it won’t retain the flavor of your last fill resulting in a fantastic tasting beer. This also means you can fill it with other contents such as kombucha or coffee (yes, insulated growlers keep hot drinks hot too).
Another benefit of using a stainless steel growler is the innovation in design. Traditional glass growlers haven’t changed much over the years, with many still boasting the same awkward handle used during the prohibition era. Many stainless steel growlers have swapped out the uncomfortable carrying handle for a more ergonomic, comfortable side handle.
Finally, stainless steel growlers are more versatile. If you’re not a beer drinker, you can still use this for other cold or hot beverages. The seal will help maintain carbonation, whether your transporting mix for your camping cocktails or champagne to celebrate the end of your hike.
Can beer in a growler get warm?
Growler 101: Keep it cold, drink it soon It ain’t easy being a growler. Handled with care, a growler will reward you with fresh, cold, ready-to-drink craft beer. But mistreat a growler and you might as well pour your money down the drain. “Beer in a growler is like milk from the market,” says Dogfish Head Quality Control Manager Rebecca Newman. We now sell growlers at our Rehoboth Beach brewpub and Milton brewery. Prices vary, depending on your off-centered ale of choice. Growlers, typically reusable 64-ounce glass or ceramic jugs, are made for takeout draft beer. In most places, you can pick them up at brewpubs, but more states are allowing retailers to sell growlers, too.
Here at Dogfish Head, we offer growler fills at our Rehoboth Beach brewpub and at our Milton brewery. (Just make sure your jug has the Surgeon General’s alcohol warning label.) So, why go with a growler vs. a bottle? A few reasons. “If you’re going to a picnic or a dinner and want something nice and cold and ready to share, a growler is a good option,” says Rebecca.
Growlers are also good for small batches, exclusives and other beers that aren’t bottled or canned. And since growlers are refillable, they’re an environmentally friendlier choice, as well. But all that goodness comes with some potential pitfalls. The caps on growlers are not as airtight as the crown on a bottle, so they shouldn’t sit around for too long.
- And once a growler is opened, you’ve got about 36 hours – maybe 2 days at most – before the beer goes flat.
- Two other enemies of growlers are heat and light.
- Carbonation is more volatile in warm beer, so when the temperature goes up, the carbon dioxide evolves, or escapes.
- Once it’s gone you can’t get it back.
Light, particularly through clear glass, will react with the hop compounds to produce a skunky flavor. (Hey, college was fun, but that’s one memory we can do without.) Also, keep your growlers beer-ready. Wash and dry the jug (and the cap) and don’t let it warm up just before a fill.
- Many places won’t fill a dank, dirty growler.
- So, if you’re traveling long distances, buying beer long before you plan to drink it, or hoping to make your haul last, it’s best to buy bottled beer.
- Since most craft breweries don’t pasteurize their beer, there’s no difference between bottled and draft.
- But, if you’re headed to a get-together and want to share a few fresh beers, a growler is the way to go.
“It’s fun to share and makes a great conversation piece,” says Rebecca. “How cool is it to bring a fresh jug of beer to a dinner?” : Growler 101: Keep it cold, drink it soon