Growler disinfecting

[Chef Shogun]

What's the best way to clean a growler? I ran mine through the dishwasher, which seemed to do a good job, but when I went to get them just now to head out to Old Dominion to have them filled, I checked and the seals were moldy! So, I have to call off the run, but what should I do to cleanse the growlers for the attempt tomorrow? Fill them with dilute bleach for the night then put them in the diswasher again?

[cdh]

Moldy seals? Just don't keep them in a damp basement. Lots of otherwise clean stuff grows mold in damp basements.

[Okbrewer]

A capful of regular bleach (no lemon-scented stuff, please!) in a gallon of water should be enough to keep your "jugs" clean, and you can soak the lids in the solution too. You could also go to your local home brew supply shop and pick up some iodophor (iodine based sanitizer) and mix a weak solution of that to store the growlers, with the lids on. That is how I store my carboys between batches of homebrew. The iodophor will not have the lingering scent that bleach leaves.

Also, I'm sure Old Dominion could spring for a new cap if you need one.

[Mayhaw Man]

When I had a brewpub (Abita) we always, as a matter of course, put new caps on the growlers. The liners in those things are some kind of paper and they always mold. The caps cost all of a nickel or so and when you buy a pallet of growlers, you get a ton more caps than you need-so just tell them to give you a new one. THey surely won't mind doing it for someone who is taking the trouble to be a repeat customer and is coming in schlepping a gallon jug to purchase some of their fine product.

[BrentKulman]

A capful of regular bleach (no lemon-scented stuff, please!) in a gallon of water should be enough to keep your "jugs" clean, and you can soak the lids in the solution too.  You could also go to your local home brew supply shop and pick up some iodophor (iodine based sanitizer) and mix a weak solution of that to store the growlers, with the lids on.  That is how I store my carboys between batches of homebrew.  The iodophor will not have the lingering scent that bleach leaves.

Also, I'm sure Old Dominion could spring for a new cap if you need one.

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Do you just rinse out with the iodophor solution or do you leave the solution in the carboys and growlers? If you leave the solution in there, do you fill them the whole way or to some lower level?

[Okbrewer]

I clean each carboy after use, and mix up a weak iodophor solution (about the color of iced tea or lighter) in the carboy, about a third of the way full. Your susposed to "have contact" with the surface to be santized, so ideally you would fill it to the top, but I periodically swirl the solution around so as to have contact with all surfaces. My carboys have screw caps but you can also seal the top with plastic wrap and a rubber band. Then before the next brewing session I empty the carboy and let it air dry, with the cap loosely sittiing on the top.

[Chef Shogun]

I pretty much just took the seal off the cap, cleaned it, dropped it back inside the growler, added a splash of bleach to each, then filled each to overflowing so the cap surfaces would be submerged. Those sat overnight, then I emptied them before work and put in the dishwasher so they'll be rinsed when I get home. The seals look ok now that they soaked, but I'll see if I can get new ones when I go.

There will be beer yet!

[jeffc666]

I have never done more than rinse the growler with hot tap water immediately after emptying it. I have never had a problem. Most of my growlers are the swing=top kind with the metal handle, ceramic lid, and rubber gasket. I have a few screwtops but rarely use them.