Crowlers taking over!

[DarkVader2]

About a year ago, I bought a 64-ounce-capacity Ukeg which as I'm sure most of you know is a growler you can pressurize to keep beer carbonated for two weeks or more. There are only a few brewpubs in my immediate area and since my taste in suds is preferentially limited to dark ales I can't always find a brew that I want to buy 4 pints of.

When my wife and I travel, we always carry the Ukeg along and try the food and suds at different brewpubs. Even when I've got a stash of my own recipe porter on hand if I find a different porter recipe, brown ale, or stout I like, I'll fill it up and take it home for later consumption.

I like to limit myself to one pint at a time for really good brews so I can taste the "liquid gold" several times without having to return to the brewpub which may be far, far away in the rearview mirror.

Now to my problem: I recently went to a new brewpub in my area. When I got there, I drank a couple of really nice brews, and then asked them to fill the Ukeg. They said they only sold beer to go in 32-oz crowlers and refused to fill my growler. I then went to a second brewpub that used to fill growlers and they also have switched over to the crowlers. Maybe there's a bit less waste, with the crowlers vs growlers since they usually fill growlers to overflowing to minimize O2 pickup. However, I'd be willing to pay a reasonable premium to get the flexibility of drinking a pint at a time.

What are you experiencing in your area?

Do you consider this to be a problem like I do?

Your comments please!

 

[Minbari]

Buying only a quart at a time seems silly.

All the pubs around me, that will fill growlers, will fill 64 or 128 oz

 

[Craigerrr]

Buying only a quart at a time seems silly.

All the pubs around me, that will fill growlers, will fill 64 or 128 oz

In case you weren't aware, Crowlers are 32oz / 950ml cans.
They are a bit of a commitment when you open one, you can't "put the lid back on".

 

[Craigerrr]

I have heard locally that some craft brewers discontinued filling growlers.
It could be a combination of having issues with complaints of carbonation, oxidization, or even infection.
If infection, they can't control how clean someone's growler is, so that could be a point of contention with the customer.
It could also be a cost benefit thing, filling growlers is time consuming and ties up taps, where they could fill cans during off peak times, and maybe even with a filling line. Prefill the cooler with cans for quick sale before opening each day, no lineups at the taps, happy cusotmers.
Except the ones holding their empty growlers, thinking WTF of course

 

[Minbari]

In case you weren't aware, Crowlers are 32oz / 950ml cans.
They are a bit of a commitment when you open one, you can't "put the lid back on".

ahhh, thats not better.

 

[Zambi]

I've never been in any pub where you could take beer home, except in a standard bottle

 

[Sandy Feet]

They do both here with the 32/64 options. I actually have a 32oz growler that I like. The thing with the cans is they keep longer than your standard growler. Yours has Co2, but many do not.
I have no idea why they will not fill yours UNLESS it is a limited release or UNLESS it is on Nitro. Otherwise, that is probably dipshit management as they should have a way to price it with the bigger batches.

 

[Sunfire96]

We fill growlers, but have discussed discontinuing on many occasions. We only fill growlers if it's a brew on tap that we don't have 4packs of in the fridge. If it's in cans then that's how you have to buy it, no growler fills.

 

[Minbari]

I just don't see why? If I order a pitcher, you have to fill it, right?

 

[DarkVader2]

We fill growlers, but have discussed discontinuing on many occasions. We only fill growlers if it's a brew on tap that we don't have 4packs of in the fridge. If it's in cans then that's how you have to buy it, no growler fills.

What would be your rationale for discontinuing growler fills other than perhaps the freshness issue? As I said in my original post, my reason for the buying the Ukeg is that I can fill it at a craft brewery or brewpub hundreds of miles away from my home (which I've done many times) and then enjoy a pint at a time over two weeks or more. I'm willing to accept a minor degradation from O2 pickup if necessary, but normally can't taste it in the dark ales I prefer,

Many of the places I patronize are small craft brewers, that if they can beer at all, package only their most popular brews. And several area brewpubs offer a discount for takeout beer in growlers -- in many cases it's an additional sale they otherwise would not have made. But I did run into one recently that used to fill growlers , but now is going to the crowler machine only for one 32 oz can at a time. Sure I can pour it into my Ukeg and then enjoy it over time without having to drink 32 ozs at one setting.

I'm in Indiana and realize that laws governing sale of alcoholic beverages vary widely in other states.

Just interested in your take on it.

 

[Sandy Feet]

We have some weird laws, especially about distribution, but 32s and 64s to go are very legal. I kind of agree if enough of the certain beer is produced.

 

[Craigerrr]

I just don't see why? If I order a pitcher, you have to fill it, right?

I think there are a couple of thought processes going here, pub/bar for one, and craft brewery the other.
I have never seen a pitcher option in a craft brewery, but have obviously in pubs/bars, more of a novelty in a bar though I think.
I use to get growlers filled regularly, but that, to me anyway, was a bit of novelty as well.
I prefer if they have cans to purchase them, stays fresher longer, and you don't have to commit to drinking the full 64, or 32 when you open it.
I also am noticing that I am starting too many sentences with "I"...
The OP I understand though has the pressure growler, and I get wanting to fill that, but it is their business how they sell their beer.

 

[Minbari]

I think there are a couple of thought processes going here, pub/bar for one, and craft brewery the other.
I have never seen a pitcher option in a craft brewery, but have obviously in pubs/bars, more of a novelty in a bar though I think.
I use to get growlers filled regularly, but that, to me anyway, was a bit of novelty as well.
I prefer if they have cans to purchase them, stays fresher longer, and you don't have to commit to drinking the full 64, or 32 when you open it.
I also am noticing that I am starting too many sentences with "I"...
The OP I understand though has the pressure growler, and I get wanting to fill that, but it is their business how they sell their beer.

I is good, lol

I have a stainless growler with gas port. So I can pour and glass, charge and not worry about it.

 

[Sunfire96]

I like that we serve growlers. I think it's an important staple of the craft beer industry, even if it's just for nostalgia's sake.

That being said, pouring growlers causes far more spillage than pouring the equivalent volume of glasses. If they aren't filled properly, the beer will oxidize within 2 days. Once they're open, you have maybe 3 days before it goes flat. If it gets too warm the glass can explode. If it's in sunlight, the beer can become light struck. You can't put nitro beer in a growler, it will immediately go flat. You cant put beers with unfermented sugars in growlers due to the risk of yeast fermenting in the growler and creating a CO2 glass bomb. It's a terrible way to transport draft beer (unless you have a fancy ukeg).

Cans are easier to fill, waste less, cost less, the beer lasts months instead of days, and the consumer gets more beer. It's a bit of a no brainer from the taproom's perspective.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

I was going to ask why. Thanks for the answering my question before I even asked .

 

[Sandy Feet]

Forgot about the waste aspect.