Beer Gear: Kickstart your Growler!

So, you didn't make it into the BRÄULER FreshCap™ Kickstarter Campaign by The Zythos Team back in October of 2012.  Nuts...

You can't wait for their next Kickstarter to launch the TapCap™ system because Uncle Bucks Birthday is just around the bend...  But you want to get him something similar...  I mean for pete sake the man taught you to appreciate craft beer!

Well you Sir are in luck!  Feast  your eyes on these inventive modern marvels!  Act quick and you can help fund these creative projects and be the first Hoser in your area to get your mitts on one!  Just remember... these aren't 99¢!!!



The TapIt Cap: The beer growler's best friend 
by Robert Scott

The Perfect Beer Drinking Vessel and Private Keg! 

by Drink Tanks

Beer Gear: Portland Growler Company

What do you get the man with a passion for beer? Something to put it in!

Most of you who spend time at your local brewery probably have growlers and bullets to spare, but this one is different. The guys at Portland Growler Company have made a very nice product. These are hand poured ceramic growlers that have been slip caste  inside and out. With a very strong flip top style cap that keeps any gasses from getting in or getting out (you can replace the top if you wear out the ring) this growler keeps beer fresher, longer.

I got this one for my most recent birthday. It is sleek and sexy. The growler is also nice and heavy which lets it hold the temperature of the beer better than the standard glass growler or the stainless steal growler that I have. It is opaque so you do not have to worry about light spoiling your beer.  This is the best growler I have ever had the pleasure to use.

The only issue with this growler is that it's so nice, that I don't want anyone putting stickers on it. The growler doesn't have the surgeon general warning and other information that you need by law, so chances are someone is going to have to deface your new toy.

Because these are handmade, they can take a little while to get to you. The wait is worth it. Go get you one!

I give this a solid 5

BREWniversity: Growler Care

Growlers are one of the best ways to get fresh local beer from the brewery to your house, but they have to be taken care of correctly. If you don't treat your growler right, it won't treat you right.

After you finish drinking the delicious beer from your growler, you should wash it out with warm water and NO SOAP. Soap will cause issues with your beer when you refill the growler and it can possibly give you a serious case of intestinal distress. You should use the same warm water and wipe the cap out with a paper towel or clean cloth, then rinse with hot water again. Turn the growler upside down and allow it to dry thoroughly  Do not put the cap back on it until it is totally dry (or just don't put it back on). If you put it back on and the growler has not fully dried you can start to get mildew or mold.

If you happen to take your time before washing your growler, you may get something growing in there. This is bad, there will be a unique aroma coming out of the growler, and it won't be good. If it happens to you, clean the growler out with a little bit of bleach mixed with warm water(or sanitizing acid used in brewing if you homebrew). Cap the growler and shake it up to try and loosen anything that may be clinging. Then rinse it out again. If you still can't get it out, a bottle brush should reach into the bottom of your growler allowing you to get a better scrub.

As long as you rinse it out well and let it dry you should not run into these problems.

Beer Gear: Hydroflask

Hydro Flask

Similar to the food grade steel of The BRÄULER™, but not as modular... The catch? Keeps anything hot for 12hrs. or cold for 24hrs.!

Take back your growlers! No more smashed glass growlers! No more good beer lost in transit!  Light?  Never going to see my beer!

So you are telling me that I can hit the Brewery up in the morning and keep my beer cold till I get home after work and/or from picking up the kids?!  Come one, come all!


You can checkout Hydro Flask's website direct or support your local Indiana Breweries and check out Bier Brewery to snag one!

My 2 Cents:
I have been using mine since I snagged one from Bier Brewery  earlier this year.  I must say it is kinda awesome if not downright temperature resistant!  I stacked it up against the The BRÄULER™ that  Streetcar Bistro and Taproomis is selling out of its taproom.  I think it is almost as good as the BRÄULER™.  I think the Hydro Flask excels at giving you the flexibility to pick up and enjoy your beer cold within 24hrs is a big plus for me.  It really excels when I am on the go and trying to fit in the end of the day beer run for that new limited release beer right after work, but not having the time to take it home before hitting the gym.  If you are like me in this respect, this is the growler to go with!

O-Dawg: 4.5 heads!

Beer Gear: The BRÄULER

BRÄULER™

This is what happens when Engineers get drunk...  in a bar...  that has a brewery in the basement...

Take back your growlers! No more smashed glass growlers! No more good beer lost in transit! Light?  Never going to see my beer! AIR?!  Never going to touch my beer!

Modular, CO2 charged, my god they even have plans for TAP growlers!  Come one, come all!

Keep an eye on Kickstarter.com for their TapCap™ system.  It is as good if not better than their last Kickstarter for the FreshCap™ CO2 injection system.

They don't sell them individually... yet... BUT you can checkout their clients breweries to snag one!

If you want to support Indiana Breweries, check out Tin Man Brewing CO's online shop to snag one!  They are based out of Evansville, IN!  Show them some love as they start up their carry out Growler Fills this December!

My 2 Cents:
I have been using mine since I snagged one from the Streetcar Bistro and Taproom  earlier this year. I must say it is kinda awesome if not downright indistructable!  I stacked it up against the Hydroflask that Bier Brewery is selling out of its taproom.  I think the BRÄULER™ has the edge due to the modular accessories, deep threads for the cap to grip and seal completely,  and easy to grab'n open cap.

O-Dawg: 5 heads!

Beer Gear: Growler Carrier

This is the new carrying case from Sun King. It's like a six pack for growlers. This thing is strong, robust and well put together. It is not insulated, which is my only real complaint about the carrier. I would still take one of the soft coolers that holds two if I was running around the town, but this guy has style and panache. I dig it.