Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Out of the Mouths of Others, part 5: How long does that Growler Last?

Maybe I shouldn't complain; afterall, it drives a bit of search traffic to my site. But, really? Why is it so important to know how long a growler stays fresh? Okay, fine, I suppose if you're wondering how long can you leave it unopened before it goes "bad," then that might be a fair question. Y'know, maybe you're transporting it on vacation or to a friend as a gift...fine. And in fairness, the topic was covered in these parts back in the wee early days around The Brew Lounge, when Adam used to be part of the show. But, really...seriously? We're not talking about a full 15.5 gallon keg here. We're talking 62-68 ounces here people. But yet, I sometimes get dozens of visits a day to The Brew Lounge from people asking questions of Mr. Google or Mrs. Bing about the growler...its history, the size, and the longevity of an open growler. Maybe it's the sight of me and countless others toting glass jugs around more than ever that have people curious. Here's a tip for you: Drink it...now. And if you can't drink it in the first night after it's filled for you at the bar, it better be gone within 48 hours. It's that simple. And, if you can't drink a whole 4 pints by yourself over the course of two nights and if you have no one to share it with, either cook with the remainder or don't buy the growler in the first place. Next thing I know, you'll be asking how many people a 750ml bottle of beer is meant to be shared with! (Unless it's over 8% ABV, I think you know the answer!) What about you? Do you often waste a growler because you can't finish it before it "turns?" Do you only buy growlers when you know it will be drunk that night or the next or have a few people to share it with?

6 comments:

Steve D. said...

I've never wasted a growler because I couldn't finish one. Typically I'll fill a growler or three if I know I'm having friends over that night.

If I'm filling one for myself I usually finish 2 pints that evening and 2 pints the next. Having the ceramic topped growlers does help keep the second night's beer tasting better.

Though I don't quite know why you seem upset at people for asking you about this topic. Surely you can understand that for some people having a fresh growler of beer from a brewpub is a treat. They want to make it last as they very rarely have it so they're curious as to how long it'll stay fresh once opened.

sholland said...

I would just add, for the benefit of Mr. Google and Ms. Bing, that a tightly capped growler can easily last 4 weeks or more until it is opened. Once it's opened, drink up.

Adam said...

If you open it an pour any of it, then you'll need to start drinking it.

If you don't open it, then feel free to keep it for many weeks.

Of course, that's assuming somebody filled it up close to the top. Oxygen would be the culprit here.

Mark said...

Grrr - have trouble finishing up a growler in one to two days - share it with a friend/buddy/spouse/neighbor/delivery person/someone/ME!!

Bryan Kolesar said...

Ah, Steve...if I'd master the art of use winkies, smileys, and other er emoticons, you'd get the gist that I wasn't really upset...rather finding a bit of surprise and humor in the amount of people searching and winding up at The Brew Lounge for a topic that I never quite took so seriously....dat's all :)

and p.s....Marck, you're right...sharing is the operative word to make these jug things disappear most quickly ;-)

Tracey said...

I'm appreciative of your thoughts.
FTR, we're buying a growler for my BIL in Chicago and taking it to him. We were wondering if we had to go a couple of days before our trip or if we could go a week and a half before. This was very helpful so that we don't have to take our little boys 2 hours away before a really long road trip.