Prime in a growler?

[strandedvandal]

Noob question,

Received a Beer Demon for Xmas, and I have several brews planned already, so I am thinking about bottling resources. I have a few growlers (far too many if you ask my wife) and I am wondering if it is possible to prime in them instead of the 1l plastic bottles? Also, is the ratio of priming sugar consistent over volume? So as a simplified example, if 1 oz of beer needs 1 grams of sugar, does 64 oz need 64 grams? Or should I just follow the instructions and use the plastic bottles?

Thanks,

SV

[Inkleg]

Growler are not designed to hold pressures of beer that is carbonating only beer that is carbonated. The 1 liter plastic, 12 or 22 oz glass bottles are safer bets. I've seen the results of a 12 oz bottle bomb, would hate to see a 32 or 64 oz one go off. When I bottle I line a empty cardboard beer case with a garbage bag and put my bottles in it to carb at room temperature for 3 weeks. If one were to go off it makes clean up a lot easier.

Kinda Sorta with your 2nd question. Your best bet is to use a priming calculator. Screwy Brewer has a good one, so does Brewers Friend.
Along with volume the max temperature reached during fermentation come into play when bottle priming.

Happy brewing,

[strandedvandal]

Thanks Inkleg!

[Chuck N]

Actually, I don't think the growler would explode. It just wouldn't carbonate. Most growlers I've seen have wide mouths. That makes for too much pressure on the wide caps and they would allow the pressure to escape as it built up.

[Inkleg]

Old thread, but read the 6th post. With a good seal it will hold pressure and it could go off.
I'm now searching for the picture the guy posted of where his growler went BOOM, it ain't pretty.

[Crazy Climber]

I can attest, first-hand: a growler CAN explode when used for carbing.

I used a growler when bottling, twice. First time - success. Second time - boom. What's worse, I was out enjoying lunch with friends when it exploded, leaving SWMBO to deal with the mess. 64 ounces of beer oozing out of the spare bathroom closet, all over the floor, amid shards of glass...she was none-too-pleased with my hobby that day!

[Chuck N]

The caps must be heavier than I thought. I tries carbing in a Pom pomegranate bottle once. Really cool looking bottle. Not built for carbonation but I figured it would hold up due to its shape. The beer never carbed. The wide cap couldn't maintain a seal well enough to hold in the pressure.

[DaYooper]

If you are simply looking to bottle larger batches of beer so you dont have to remove as many caps, a 2L bottle that previously held something carbonated will work fine. I use those for tailgating and never had an issue.