Once pressurized, the uKeg will hold bubbles for the whole time it keeps the beer fresh, thanks its keg-style tap that dispenses liquid without releasing the airtight seal. "I looooooove the GrowlerWerks uKeg," says The Spruce Eats General Manager Emma Christensen, an experienced homebrewer who's written three books on the topic. "It's easy to transport to a party or tailgating or whatever, and I also use it for carbonating things like kombucha or apple juice for DIY sparkling cider." Christensen has two uKegs of her own, both in the larger gallon size. For a travel-friendly, strong, metal version, it remains tough to top the Hydro Flask Vacuum, known for its strength, usability, and fun color choices. We've removed the relatively popular Stanley Classic, however, over concerns about the durability of its lid. Those who love the brand might consider the Stanley Go, instead. It has a sturdy handle and is safe for the dishwasher, so it is easy to use from start to finish. If your budget is a factor, there's also the Coleman Stainless Steel. It was designed for easy handling, even in cold weather, and its attached lid should be hard to lose. VPR cap: automatically regulates pressure to optimally carbonate beer. Choose desired carbonation level, from zero (off) up to 15 psi. The last component of the growler is the handle. Glass and ceramic growlers almost always have a ring style handle, while stainless steel growlers might not include one at all. The handle eases pouring the beer and carrying it while in transit. What Your Growler Can Do The Taylor Swift of growlers, the glass version is everywhere and is perfectly consistent. You’ll want a darker shade in the glass to protect your beer and maybe even a custom tote or sleeve of some kind to avoid damage. You can go with the standard version, but unless you’re in a jug band, we suggest something with a little more style (and perhaps some European flair), like the one above.

More common these days, if not mandatory, is to use a foot-long tube to bottom-fill growlers. This keeps the beer from being agitated on the long journey from the tap to the bottom of the vessel and releasing its CO2 prematurely. Some finer beer bars will go as far to purge the oxygen from a growler with CO2 before filling to reduce the risk of oxidation.The most basic glass growlers offer no insulation at all—you have to store them in the fridge until you're ready to serve the beer. Others are vacuum-insulated like a Thermos and can keep cold beer cold (or hot coffee hot) for hours or even days on a camping trip. In general, better-insulated growlers are more expensive. Growlers of beer will stay fresh for several days (some say up to 10 days) if left unopened. Once opened, however, leftover beer will be flat within 36 hours at best. If a growler is filled with a full counter-pressure system, it is possible for the beer to remain fresh for up to several months. Of course, beer in growlers is susceptible to the same perils as bottled and canned beers. Keep away from sunlight, store cold if possible, and store upright. Simply put, the use of a growler is to transport draft beer from breweries and bars to the comfort of one's own home. They are designed to be airtight to keep the beer as fresh as when it is poured directly from the draft. The benefits of the growler are plentiful. While their popularity waxed and waned in the past century, the resurgence of home brewing and the craft beer revolution have consumers considering growlers once again. The obvious advantage is that a growler allows you to take beer on the go. If you cannot commit to purchasing a keg of beer, but you demand a large volume, this is the best option. Also, some beers are only available on draft at a brewery. This is usually because the beer is a small batch or seasonal brew. This allows the consumer to have the brewery experience outside of the establishment.

If you're going to take the time and effort required to make your own beer at home, you ought to keep that beer in pristine condition. That's what the luxury uKeg is all about, with the ability to maintain your homebrew's freshness and bubbliness for weeks. It also lets you precision-carbonate your beer by dropping in a standard CO2 canister and dialing up the pressure you want from 0 to 15 PSI. (You could use a nitrogen canister instead, for a putting a creamy head on a dark beer like a stout.) There's even a gauge on the outside of the opaque container that lets you know exactly how much brew is left. As the name suggests, it's kind of a keg in growler size. Joshua M. Bernstein, the author of this piece, has penned five books on the subject of beer, as well as articles for The New York Times, Wine Enthusiast, Men’s Journal, and Imbibe. He interviewed three beer experts for this article. Fancier growlers offer better seals that can keep the beer protected for weeks or even months, with taps or other systems that dispense the beer while keeping it protected. These nicer models might allow you to attach a CO2 canister to add carbonation to your beer, just like in a soda maker.

The fun aspect of the NutriChef keg is that is gives you lots of control over the level of carbonation, with the ability to pump up to 30 PSI into the contents. That lets you play around with existing beers in fun ways, like cranking up the bubbles in a brown or amber ale to make it more refreshing, or using a nitrogen canister to put a rich, creamy head on a light lager. The uKeg is double-insulated, but that can only keep its contents cold for a few hours at a time. If you're using it for longer-term homebrew storage, you'll probably want to keep the whole thing in the fridge. But keep in mind that most uKeg customers (beer drinkers, non-homebrewers) will use the uKeg to keep their growler beers from going flat. That’s the big problem with growlers, and this gadget solves it. The basics of brewing beer, or a beer-like substance, is achieved by a grain's sugar creating a fermentation process which produces yeasts. The yeasts carbonate the substance giving beer its characteristic suds. Given the wide array of the processes, large varieties of beer existed in ancient times due to the relative ease of brewing.

Establishing a rapport rooted in shared enthusiasm for quality brewing, I aim to guide you through the salient features of the uKeg, making this review a cornerstone in your decision-making journey. Start by opening all the lids and seals, and give everything a thorough rinse with hot water. A light scrub with a sponge or a bit of dish soap might be necessary, but liquid beer doesn't tend to leave very much residue behind. After rinsing, leave everything open until it dries completely. If you seal up the growler with water trapped inside, it can cause mold or rust. Some models are dishwasher-safe (or have certain dishwasher-safe parts), but you shouldn't put any growler in the dishwasher unless the manual says you can. Easily the most stylish, the ceramic growler screams handmade and bespoke. This duo from Orvis is earthy and eye-catching, perfect for a road trip but handsome enough for your pantry or tabletop. They’re outfitted with airtight steel toppers and come in a pair of sizes, both the standard half-gallon growler as well as the howler, or half-growler. Not necessarily. You should definitely keep your beer growler indoors and out of the sun, but it doesn't have to be in the fridge at all times. Many beer aficionados enjoy their brews best at about 55 degrees, which is not quite fridge-cold but definitely cooler than room temperature.Carbonation-enabled growlers often give you control over the exact pressure of CO2, which lets you set the texture of the bubbles in the beer. A pressure of 10 to 12 PSI yields the normal level of bubbles you'd expect in a can of domestic lager, while higher pressure makes tiny, aggressive bubbles that can be more refreshing, and lower pressure makes a silkier beer. (You can also use nitrogen canisters in place of carbon dioxide to get the creamy head that's classic on a beer like Guinness.) Keeping beer around 55 degrees is best for preserving its flavors and aromas, especially if you’re enjoying a beer with nuanced hop flavors," Ketcham says. A wine fridge could be a good option if you really want to get deep into beer tasting, or you could take your growler out of the regular fridge an hour or two before you want to drink it. Absolutely, the uKeg pressurized growler is an excellent gift for someone who appreciates beer, especially craft or homebrewed varieties. The uKeg’s ability to keep beer fresh and carbonated for an extended period makes it a standout choice among gifts for people who like beer. Bottling and canning lines are designed to fill their respective vessels with beer for longer shelf lives. With growlers, the expectation is consumption will follow within days, so fancy counter-pressure systems are not as necessary with filling a growler. However, a good brewery or beer bar will take care when filling a growler. The primary difference between the Growlerwerks uKeg 64 and the Growlerwerks uKeg 128 is their capacity. The uKeg 64 holds 64 ounces of beer, while the uKeg 128 holds 128 ounces.