Beer in growler form is a great way to enjoy a freshly brewed beverage at home. Growlers are an excellent way to store and transport beer, but even the best growlers won’t keep your beer fresh forever. If you’re buying beer in bulk or want to save some for later, there are a few tips and tricks to ensure your beer lasts as long as possible.
With the uKeg 64 and uKeg 128, your favorite craft beer can last weeks instead of days! But if you’re looking to make your beer last even longer, here are a few tips on how to keep that special craft brew in optimal condition. Put these tricks into practice when filling your uKeg growler and enjoy delicious beer for as long as possible.
Check out which beer growler is right for you and learn more about making your beers last longer.
What is a Growler?
Long before bottled beer was available in supermarkets – the only way to bring beer home to enjoy was to get your container to the pub and have it filled with draft beer. Perhaps it was the sound of carbonation escaping on the way home, but the term “growler” came to mean a glass jug or large container that could be filled with draft beer.
A beer growler (and its newer cousin, the crowler) allows you to enjoy fresh, sometimes rare, beer from a small brewery right in your home. Beer growlers are typically made of glass growlers, but stainless steel and ceramic options are available.
How To Store Beer In A Growler To Maximize Freshness
Growlers are great for taking your favorite beer on the go, but they can be tricky to store properly. The beer can become flat or lose its flavor if not stored correctly.
Fortunately, you can use some easy tips and tricks to ensure your beer stays fresh and delicious when stored in a growler.
Let’s look at how you can store beer in a growler to maximize freshness.
1. Clean Your Growler Regularly
The first step to keeping your beer fresh is ensuring that your growler is clean. Any bacteria or residue from previous batches of beer can ruin the taste of your beer, so it’s important to wash and thoroughly rinse your growler regularly.
For a thorough clean, use a bottle brush and vinegar solution to remove any stubborn stains or grime. If you’ve been using your growler for a while, consider replacing it entirely—the longer you keep a growler without changing it out, the more likely it is that any flavor imparted by previous batches will affect the taste of future beers.
It is essential to make sure your growler is clean before you fill it with beer. Not only will this help prevent bacteria from contaminating the beer, but it will also ensure that any residue from the last time you filled the growler does not affect the flavor of the new batch of beer.
To clean your growler, fill it with hot water and add a few drops of mild dish soap. Allow it to soak for a few minutes before rinsing it out with cold water and letting it dry completely before filling it with beer.
2. Store Your Growler Cold
Beer should always be stored cold—warm temperatures can cause flavors to change and spunkiness to develop quickly. Make sure you keep your beer in a cool place and avoid leaving it in direct sunlight for extended periods; doing so could cause oxidation, which would ruin the brew’s flavor and reduce its shelf life significantly.
Once you have filled your growler with beer, it is essential to store it in the refrigerator as soon as possible. If the brewery or bar uses a carbon dioxide filling method, you can expect fresh beer for even longer. When you get your growler home, put it in the refrigerator to keep the beer cold.
Storing your beer in a cool place such as a refrigerator also helps preserve its flavor by preventing unwanted bacteria from forming on top of the liquid. Additionally, if you plan on storing beer in your refrigerator for an extended period, ensure that other strong-smelling foods don’t overpower its aroma, as this can also affect its taste.
3. Keep It Capped Tightly
Once you have placed your beer in the refrigerator, ensure that the cap on your growler is sealed tightly so that air does not get into the container and oxidize the beer or cause bacteria growth on top of the liquid. You may also want to consider using an airtight beer storage container, such as a mason jar or plastic container if you plan on storing your growler for an extended period (more than two weeks). This will help keep oxygen out and allow you to enjoy fresh-tasting craft brews longer!
4. Keep Your Growler Full
It’s also essential to ensure that there isn’t too much air inside your container when storing it away. Make sure you fill up your growler before putting it away to preserve its flavor – or finish your growler within a day or two! Oxygen reacts with beer over time, breaking down the compounds that give each type of brew its unique flavor profile; thus, having more oxygen inside the container will significantly decrease its shelf life.
So make sure that you fill up your bottle before putting it away! This will help preserve its flavor until you’re ready to enjoy it again!
5. The Art Of Proper Growler Bottling
Storing and transporting beer in growlers can be a great way to enjoy craft brews for an extended period, but it also requires a bit of knowledge and finesse to ensure that the beer stays as fresh and flavourful as possible.
Following these simple tips will help you get the most out of your growler and ensure that you can enjoy delicious craft beer whenever you want!
3 Factors Affecting Beer Life in a Growler
1. Type of Beer – Fresh beers (hoppy beers and pale ales) should be consumed. They’ll quickly lose their delectable qualities. Sours and barrel-aged beers, on the other hand, will last longer.
2. Type of Growler – There are two types of growlers: pressurized and non-pressurized (screw top or swing-top gasket). The carbonation and flavor notes will last longer if your growler is pressurized.
3. Opened or Unopened? – The clock begins to tick once you open it for the first time. Introducing fresh air (oxygen) will speed up the fermentation process that is already underway. And the loss of carbonation will quickly turn your beer flat.
Related: How to Keep Beer Cold While Camping
Conclusion
Beer growler storage requires know-how and attention to detail to get the most out of your beer. Ensure you clean your growler correctly before filling it, store it in the refrigerator, keep the cap tight, and fill it up before storing.
Beer lovers should also consider the type of beer and growler they’re using; fresh beers will last shorter than sours or barrel-aged beers, and pressurized growlers will help preserve carbonation and flavor longer than non-pressurized.
By following these tips, you’ll be able to enjoy the freshest possible beer and avoid wasting any of your precious brews. Cheers!