Kickstarter: The uKeg Pressurized Growler for Fresh Beer

GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian

A 64oz or 128oz steel growler with CO2 pressurization to keep beer fresh and to pump from the built-in tap. In fact, force carbonation should be possible for homebrew. That's great for me since I don't brew enough to warrant the usual force carbonation system homebrewers use.

http://kck.st/1nlr23N

Totes getting one. If Icrontic had a fleet of these, maybe we'll avoid more growler grenades like that one time we wiped up a saison along with our tears.

UPSLynxJBoogaloogeorgehWagsFTWoni_dels
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Comments

  • SignalSignal Icrontian

    This seems like a simple solid design. Why has no one done this and why is this not in my fridge?

    WagsFTW
  • RyanFodderRyanFodder Detroit, MI Icrontian

    Cleaning that looks... fun.

    UPSLynx
  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian

    Main issue here is that I think it's going to be tough having this filled in most locations. Growler laws suck in most states because >booze. California only recently changed the law to allow non-labeled growlers to be filled wherever you choose (meaning if you went to Stone brewing, you had to have a Stone branded growler to be legal). However, it's still up to the location's jurisdiction whether or not a growler you bring in can be filled. As much as I love the idea of this product, I don't think breweries in California would fill it :/

    georgeh
  • DontCallMeKelsoDontCallMeKelso Kelso 'The Great Asshole' San Jose, CA Icrontian

    I ordered mine... don't even care about Cali law, I think it's gonna be cool.

  • mertesnmertesn I am Bobby Miller Yukon, OK Icrontian
    edited November 2014

    @CannonFodder said:
    Cleaning that looks... fun.

    No, it doesn't.

    ...actually it shouldn't be any more difficult than a normal growler or a coffee pot with a pour spout.

    GargJBoogaloo
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian

    Id get one to house my Craft Birch Bear

  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian

    Cleaning doesn't look too bad. As long as you run water through it when you're done, the sight tube shouldn't need disassembled very often.

    @UPSLynx said:
    Main issue here is that I think it's going to be tough having this filled in most locations. Growler laws suck in most states because >booze. California only recently changed the law to allow non-labeled growlers to be filled wherever you choose (meaning if you went to Stone brewing, you had to have a Stone branded growler to be legal). However, it's still up to the location's jurisdiction whether or not a growler you bring in can be filled. As much as I love the idea of this product, I don't think breweries in California would fill it :/

    Since the law has changed, any brewery that won't fill growlers besides their own isn't run by chill bros and doesn't deserve your business. Craft brewing culture has been very strong and non-adversarial since its inception, and we as patrons should insist it stays that way as it becomes a bigger industry and non-chill bros try to get into the business. At any rate, this growler doesn't have any other brand's label on it and it's a totally unique design, so hopefully it doesn't cause a problem.

    @Signal said:
    This seems like a simple solid design. Why has no one done this and why is this not in my fridge?

    I found these, but they don't look nearly as cool.

    JBoogaloo
  • mertesnmertesn I am Bobby Miller Yukon, OK Icrontian

    @UPSLynx said:
    California only recently changed the law to allow non-labeled growlers to be filled wherever you choose (meaning if you went to Stone brewing, you had to have a Stone branded growler to be legal). However, it's still up to the location's jurisdiction whether or not a growler you bring in can be filled. As much as I love the idea of this product, I don't think breweries in California would fill it :/

    AT LEAST YOU CAN GET GROWLERS FILLED

    JBoogaloo
  • SignalSignal Icrontian

    @Gargoyle said:
    I found these, but they don't look nearly as cool.

    What I like about this is that it will keep beer fizzy. I only refill growlers when I know there will be other beer drinkers because I don't usually drink a whole growler of beer in one night so flat beer.

    JBoogaloo
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian

    $100 growler huh?

  • midgamidga "There's so much hot dog in Rome" ~digi (> ^.(> O_o)> Icrontian

    @mertesn said:
    Lolklahoma.

    Should be good for your own stuff though.

  • CrazyJoeCrazyJoe Winter Springs, FL Icrontian

    @mertesn said:
    AT LEAST YOU CAN GET GROWLERS FILLED

    I know right? Growlers are still illegal in Florida.

  • d3k0yd3k0y Loveland, OH Icrontian

    How can growlers be illegal? It is a friggin glass bottle.

  • mertesnmertesn I am Bobby Miller Yukon, OK Icrontian
    edited November 2014

    @d3k0y said:
    How can growlers be illegal? It is a friggin glass bottle.

    It's not the bottles themselves. It's what you do with them. Oklahoma (and apparently Florida) do not allow "growler service". I cannot go to my local brewpub or liquor store and ask for a growler of beer to go.

    edit: I should clarify...I can go into a liquor store and purchase a factory-sealed growler if a particular brewery offers it. It's the filling of the jug that's a no-no here.

  • JBoogalooJBoogaloo This too shall pass... Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited November 2014

    Coming up I may swing for the 128oz dig. Seeing as how we have a few places here in the area that do the "foreign" growler filling, I'd guess that @tushon and @pragtastic‌ may be interested?

  • TushonTushon I'm scared, Coach Alexandria, VA Icrontian

    Meh. I've already payed for things I won't use much this year.

    JBoogaloomertesnGargBlueTattoo
  • georgehgeorgeh Canton, MI Icrontian

    I got a GrowlTap from Kickstarter that replaces a standard growler cap with a CO2 tap.

    Pros:

    • I don't need to drink an entire growler in one session to avoid oxidation (e.g "wet cardboard" flavor)

    Cons:

    • I don't buy growlers very often, my bottles and kegerator keep me pretty well stocked
    • Need to deal with CO2 canisters
    • Yet another thing to clean

    In my opinion, growlers are the last choice in packaging. Draft is best for maintaining flavor (assuming clean lines), followed by cans, followed by bottles. So I really only use my GrowlTap when there's something on tap that I want a few pints of but isn't available any other way.

    If you buy growlers regularly and don't drink them in a single session, I would say go for something like this to keep oxygen from spoiling your beer.

    SignalGargmertesnUPSLynx
  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian

    @georgeh said:
    I got a GrowlTap from Kickstarter that replaces a standard growler cap with a CO2 tap.

    Huh, never seen this before. Does it work on growlers with swingtops? How much use do you get out of one canister?

    I don't do growlers very often myself, but a big reason for that is being annoyed that I can't finish a growler by myself in one night and hating the thought of an awesome draft beer (like Pliny the Elder) going crap so quickly.

  • LincLinc Owner Detroit Icrontian

    If the Woodbridge Pub sold growlers, my life would be different.

    @georgeh said:
    followed by cans, followed by bottles.

    I was with you and then you went and invalidated all your opinions forever.

    georgehSignalJBoogaloo
  • georgehgeorgeh Canton, MI Icrontian

    @UPSLynx‌ said:
    Huh, never seen this before. Does it work on growlers with swingtops? How much use do you get out of one canister?

    I don't do growlers very often myself, but a big reason for that is being annoyed that I can't finish a growler by myself in one night and hating the thought of an awesome draft beer (like Pliny the Elder) going crap so quickly.

    It only works with standard "jug" growlers, so awesome swingtops are out. I figure 2-3 growlers per canister, but I'm not keeping close track. And I'm with you on getting frustrated at finishing a growler in one night, that's why I backed their Kickstarter.

    @Linc said:
    If the Woodbridge Pub sold growlers, my life would be different.

    Michigan law changed at the beginning of 2014 to make it possible for bars to sell growlers, they just need to get licensed. I feel like the Woodbridge patrons would make it worth their while to do so, I'm kind of surprised they don't already. I believe Grand Trunk fills growlers, and of course HopCat will.

    @Linc said:
    I was with you and then you went and invalidated all your opinions forever.

    In what way is a bottle a better package for beer than a can? Cans are opaque, so hop flavors don't get lightstruck (AKA "skunky"). Cans are better at preventing oxygen from entering than bottles. Pretty much the only way I can see bottles being superior is that homebrewers can reuse them. What benefit am I missing?

  • LincLinc Owner Detroit Icrontian

    @georgeh said:
    What benefit am I missing?

    Weight, classiness, and mouth feel. Cans just bother me. :zombie:

  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian

    Simple solution: pour beer from growler, bottle or can into pint glass. +1 Classiness.

    +2 Classiness if you started with a can.

    SignalUPSLynx
  • georgehgeorgeh Canton, MI Icrontian

    @Linc said:
    Weight, classiness, and mouth feel. Cans just bother me. :zombie:

    If you are drinking straight from a bottle or can, well I don't think we're going to see eye-to-eye on what objective criteria for packaging superiority is. I assume that in any beer comparison it's going to be poured into a glass[1]. I had a friend tell me that he didn't care for the beer I recommend him, Dogfish Head's 90 Minute IPA. Turns out that he was drinking it straight from the bottle (I guessed that, since who doesn't love 90 Minute?). I told him to pour another one into a glass, and just smell it for a minute before drinking it. He loved it!

    Here's a fun demo of how much smell affects taste that you can try if you have any Skittles leftover from Halloween: close your eyes, pinch your nose closed, grab a random Skittle from the bag and put it on your tongue for 10 seconds. Try to guess the flavor (I couldn't taste anything when I've done this in past beer demos). Then open your nose and realize how important smell is to flavor.

    You can't smell beer in a bottle or can so I didn't add any comparisons for drinking straight-from.

    At the same time, one thing worse than drinking your beer straight from a bottle/can is being the guy who refuses to drink a beer because you don't have proper glassware. I'm not advocating never drinking straight from the container, just saying that your default should be a glass.

    Plus, you don't want to miss out on the amazing can-only beers (I can list my favorites if anyone wants to be bored with beer recommendations).

    1: Aside: should I start a "post your glassware" thread or is that too beer snobby? I hate the snobbyness of beer lately but love some of my glassware.

    SignalGarg
  • @Gargoyle said:
    A 64oz or 128oz steel growler with CO2 pressurization to keep beer fresh and to pump from the built-in tap...

    I need dis.

    @georgeh said:
    I got a GrowlTap from Kickstarter that replaces a standard growler cap with a CO2 tap.

    I need dis.

    @UPSLynx said:
    I don't do growlers very often myself, but a big reason for that is being annoyed that I can't finish a growler by myself in one night and hating the thought of an awesome draft beer (like Pliny the Elder) going crap so quickly.

    ROBERT MILLER: Report to southern Ohio. Bring Pliny the Elder. My body is ready.

    @georgeh said:
    1: Aside: should I start a "post your glassware" thread or is that too beer snobby? I hate the snobbyness of beer lately but love some of my glassware.

    Do it. Icrontians do things just because they're awesome, not because of snobby.

    GargUPSLynxgeorgeh
  • LincLinc Owner Detroit Icrontian

    @Gargoyle said:
    Simple solution: pour beer from growler, bottle or can into pint glass. +1 Classiness.

    @georgeh said:
    I assume that in any beer comparison it's going to be poured into a glass

    We fill the ICHQ dishwasher everyday with glassware as it is. If we're not concentrating on the beer, we take that one for the team. :crazy:

  • WagsFTWWagsFTW Grand Rapids, MI Icrontian

    I'm really surprised this is the first time someone has come up with this idea. But, I wish he could have come up with a more affordable design. But damn, he didn't really need a kickstarter...did you see how much money he raised (growlers sold) already?!

  • mertesnmertesn I am Bobby Miller Yukon, OK Icrontian
    edited November 2014

    Considering you get a stainless steel growler, it really isn't that bad of a deal. There are some other products out there such as the GrowlTap that are less expensive but require glass carboys.

  • Just guna throw this out there.... for those of you in stick-in-the-mud states that don't allow filling of growlers which didn't come from the place filling them, could you not just fill one of their growlers, transport it home and pour it into the uKeg?

    I may just have to purchase myself either a uKeg or a growl tap. My favorite grocery store just put in a beer and wine bar (yay for getting a buzz on while grocery shopping!) and they fill growlers. I'm about to become even more reviled than I already am on here.... I don't like beer, but they always have a couple taps with various kinds of hard ciders. I'd love to be able to take a growler of Flannel Mouth home with me and have it stay nicely carbonated and delicious. Somehow, hard cider is just better when it comes from a tap as opposed to coming from a can/bottle.

    WagsFTW
  • SignalSignal Icrontian

    @ardichoke said:
    Just guna throw this out there.... for those of you in stick-in-the-mud states that don't allow filling of growlers which didn't come from the place filling them, could you not just fill one of their growlers, transport it home and pour it into the uKeg?

    Yes, but the problem is that you have to buy a growler from every brewery.

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