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Growler keep-carb cap
Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 4:21 pm
by RubberToe
I (used to) rarely buy 1.89l growler fills because I don't drink them before going flat. Now that you-know-who opened his fucking brewery and I wouldn't mind not wasting a growler of DIPA, I got thinking.
How much PSI will a growler safely hold?
I made a carb cap. I know it won't do much for keeping a beer from oxidizing but it should help maintain the carbonation as I enjoy it through the week.
Parts:
- 3/8" JIC male cap. Hydraulics section of Princess Auto. Is this aluminum?
- Ball lock gas post.
- Poppet.
- Ball lock o-ring.
-Thread tape.
Put the 3/8" cap into a vice and drill a 1/4" hole through it. Clean it up. Drill a 1/2" hole through a growler cap. Place ball lock o-ring over the JIC cap, all the way down to the nut. Thread that through the bottom of the growler cap. Don't forget to thread tape it. Place poppet on top. Thread on ball lock post. Tighten with 1/2" socket and 7/8" (or whatever size yours is) wrench on the post.
Test for leaks with low pressure.
Drink some beer, cap the growler and hit it with a few PSI to keep it from going flat. Don't blow up your growler! I did my test with gloves and goggles.
Enjoy!
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Sent from the brew timer.
Re: Growler keep-carb cap
Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 4:37 pm
by Swine
That looks slick!
I should imagine the growler can take 10psi at least.
What would the pressure be in a bottle when you carb it with priming sugar? I have to think more than 10.
Please post results, I would be interested, and likely have all the bits already.
Re: Growler keep-carb cap
Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 9:34 pm
by jtmwhyte
I have one that I made with a bicycle tire valve and a growler cap. I have all of my co2 accessories on quick disconnects, so I just added a tire inflation chuck to mu accessories.
Re: Growler keep-carb cap
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 10:39 am
by GillettBreweryCnslt
It's been brought up before, but while 99% of the time you can pressurize a glass growler without issue they are not designed to take much more than a few PSI. With glass you have varying areas of thickness which can lead to instability. Just saying, please be careful.
Re: Growler keep-carb cap
Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 12:14 pm
by mr x
It's funny that CSA/UL hasn't dealt with this. Seems to me that somebody is going to get sued one of these days....
Re: Growler keep-carb cap
Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 9:12 pm
by sleepyjamie
village brewery in calgary sells growlers across alberta in stores. they are pressurized.
Re: Growler keep-carb cap
Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2015 10:16 am
by NASH
The vessels (amber growlers) are specifically designed to hold beer or other carbonated beverages. I was told by an American manufacturer they test to 3 bar. That's about 45 psig. The old skool clear growlers of the 90's are not designed for carbonated beverages and are not pressure tested. Nobody makes claim of pressure ratings because of the nature of glass having possible flaws, bubbles, cracks etc therefore they're not liable. Just be careful boys and gals!!
Re: Growler keep-carb cap
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 4:22 pm
by MitchK
Do you think your setup could be modified to work with an 8g cartridge on the underside of the lid?
Basically looking at doing a DIY version of this with a stainless steel insulated growler maybe?
http://www.growlerwerks.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Re: Growler keep-carb cap
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 5:05 pm
by RubberToe
I wouldn't put anything under the lid. Using a MFL fitting I think you attach a CO2 cartridge.
Re: Growler keep-carb cap
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 5:08 pm
by RubberToe
PS - Watch out for leaks. Mine's leaking but I know where so I'll fix it when I get around to it.
Re: Growler keep-carb cap
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 6:34 pm
by mr x
Exploding, leaking beer jugs prompt recall
A Calgary brewery has offered to replace its big ‘growlers’ with six packs, saying the combination of unpasteurized beer, active yeast, and being left on the shelf too long presents “an increased risk to the consumer.”
CALGARY—A Calgary brewery is recalling its jug-style beer bottles following reports that some of them are leaking and even exploding.
Village Brewery says it is pulling all of its 1.89-litre bottles known as growlers from store shelves.
It will also permanently stop using that size to bottle its beers.
It’s not the first time the brewery has had to recall its growlers.
It did so in March 2014 because of a defect originating with its glass supplier.
The company is telling retailers to stop selling the growlers and is offering six-packs to customers who are being asked to dispose of the jugs.
“We no longer feel confident that our growlers consistently meet our quality specifications and have made the difficult decision to cease production of this container,” brewery co-founder Jim Button said in a news release Tuesday.
He said the brewery’s unpasteurized beer has a shelf life of three months, or longer, but it needs to be kept in a dark and refrigerated environment. He also said unfiltered beer can become more carbonated as time passes because it contains active yeast.
“The combination of unrefrigerated growlers, active yeast and extended time before opening of the growler create a quality-control issue that is out of our control and is an increased risk to the consumer,” Button said.
“Our first concern is for the safety of our customers who may be at risk the longer the growlers remain on the shelf.”
Village Brewery beers will still be available in kegs and 330- and 650-millilitre bottles.
http://www.thestar.com/business/2015/09 ... ecall.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Re: Growler keep-carb cap
Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 6:05 pm
by MitchK
I wish there were a better way than growlers to buy beer from the local micros... I like the 750ml refillable swingtops north brewing uses but obviously you need two to even come close volume wise to a growler.
Re: Growler keep-carb cap
Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 6:26 pm
by Keith
Buy a keg. Have it on tap. Problem solved
Re: Growler keep-carb cap
Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 12:48 am
by MitchK
yeah, that works for my own stuff, but how many microbreweries would fill a corny keg if I showed up at their door with one?
I am drinking my weizen out of a keg right now actually and having draft beer at home seems both marvelous and perhaps a little too easy to overindulge with at the same time.
I wish microbreweries would be allowed to sell you a pint to sit in the shop and drink rather than having to go through the whole separate pub license stuff. Half the time I just want to try a style I haven't had before and walking there, carrying the beer back to my apartment, and pouring myself a glass there is just so much more effort if I just want to try a pint of something.