Growlers and crowlers: taking taproom beer home
Taking fresh beer home sounds simple. The catch is that draught beer starts to fade the moment it leaves a pressurised keg. Here is how to keep it tasting the way it did at the bar.
What they are
A growler is a reusable container, usually glass and often amber, filled from the taproom tap. Common sizes are around 1 litre, 1.9 litres (the American 64 ounce jug) and 2 litres. Stainless steel and ceramic versions exist too. You bring it back, the brewery fills it again.
A crowler is a large aluminium can, typically 946 ml (32 ounces), filled at the counter and sealed on the spot with a small seaming machine. It is single use and goes into recycling afterwards.
Whether a taproom may sell beer to take away at all depends on the state and the licence. Rules vary across India and change, so ask the brewery rather than assume.
Why takeaway beer fades
In the keg, beer sits under carbon dioxide pressure with almost no oxygen. Once it is poured into an open container, two things start to go wrong. Carbon dioxide escapes, so the beer goes flatter. Oxygen gets in, so flavours start to fade and stale. Hop aroma is the first casualty, which is why a hazy IPA suffers fastest.
Our guide to oxidised beer explains the wet cardboard and sherry notes that follow. Warmth speeds all of this up dramatically.
How the fill makes a difference
Not all fills are equal. The simplest method is filling straight from the tap, often with a tube to the bottom of the growler to reduce splashing. It works, but it picks up oxygen and loses some carbonation.
A counter-pressure filler is better. It purges the growler with carbon dioxide, fills it under pressure and caps it with the beer still sealed from the air. Crowlers are usually purged with carbon dioxide before filling and seamed quickly, which gives a similar result.
On a brewery floor, oxygen pickup at packaging is measured in parts per billion. A splashy open growler fill picks up far more than a canning line does. That gap is the whole reason a growler keeps for days while a can keeps for weeks.
How long it keeps
These are rough guides, assuming the beer stays cold throughout:
- Open-filled growler, unopened: drink within two or three days.
- Counter-pressure growler, unopened: up to about a week.
- Crowler, unopened: often two to three weeks in the fridge.
- Any growler once opened: the same day, or the next at the latest.
Ask the taproom how they fill and what they recommend. Lagers and stouts tend to hold up longer than heavily hopped beers.
Getting it home cold
Heat is the enemy. In most of India the drive home is the riskiest part. Carry an insulated bag or a cool box with ice packs. Do not leave a growler in a parked car, where the inside can get far hotter than the air outside. Put it straight into the fridge when you get home and keep it upright.
Clear glass growlers let in light, which can make hoppy beer smell skunky within minutes. Amber glass, steel or a crowler avoids the problem.
Looking after a growler
Rinse your growler with hot water as soon as it is empty, then let it dry upside down. Beer left to dry inside grows mould and leaves residue that will spoil the next fill. Avoid scented washing-up liquid if you can, or rinse very thoroughly, because soap residue kills foam.
Many taprooms will refuse to fill a dirty growler. They are right to. Some rinse it for you. Check the seal on swing-top caps now and then, since worn rubber lets carbonation leak.
Tasting at home
Pour into a proper glass rather than drinking from the growler. You will smell more and the beer will look as it should. Compare it with how you remember it at the bar. If it seems flatter or less aromatic, that is the fill and the journey, not your memory.
Noticing that kind of change is a useful skill. Once you can taste the difference between a fresh pour and a beer that has started to fade, you can judge a growler fill, a can on a shop shelf or a pint at a bar more confidently.
Common questions
How long does beer last in a growler?
Unopened and cold, two or three days for an open fill and up to about a week for a counter-pressure fill. Once opened, drink it that day or the next.
What is the difference between a growler and a crowler?
A growler is a reusable jug, usually glass. A crowler is a single-use 946 ml can sealed at the counter. Crowlers usually keep longer.
Can I take beer home from any taproom in India?
Not always. Takeaway rules depend on the state and the licence and they change, so ask the brewery.
How do I clean a growler?
Rinse with hot water as soon as it is empty and dry it upside down. Avoid leaving soap residue, which damages foam.
