Crowlers – Any Experience or Advice?

Regional Forums United Kingdom and Ireland
1

Several years ago, I read about BrewDog introducing crowler machines so that customers in their bars could get beers, which are on tap, canned to take away. Never gave it any more thought until after Collabfest ended.

Have you any personal experience of using crowlers? Do beers canned in this way stay fresh or at least drinkable and if so for how long?

Do BrewDog have crowler machines in all or most of their UK bars? Are other craft beer bars in UK using crowler machines?

I do not recall this subject being discussed in RateBeer forums, at least not in the UK forum which is the only forum I regularly read.

John

2

They seem to be catching on more. A couple of the new bottle shops that have opened in South London and the one in Windsor make it part of their selling points. Then there’s this:

http://www.ghostwhalelondon.com/beer-club/crowler-club/

But I’ve never noticed one at a BrewDog.

3

Thanks. Interesting that some bottle shops are starting to use them.

Regarding BrewDog, I do know that the Clapham BrewDog bar has one. It prompted the post. It was being used during Collabfest last week but it only really registered with me afterwards. Guy walked in, ordered several beers, drank one and the others were canned for him, only took a few minutes and he was gone.

I’m not a frequent BrewDog bar (or any other craft beer bar) user these days but I’ll look and ask on future visits.

John

4

They are very common in the US and have largely replaced growlers in many places. I have generally found that the beer stays fresh for at least a week, but each brewery will give you a different timeframe of how long they think the beer will be good. They are largely a better option than growlers.

5

Not something I look out for but Brewdog Sheps Bush has one

6

Both Warpigs and Mikkeller CPH Airport have crowlers. Experience wise had a couple from Warpigs, quoted 7 days, had 1 around 10 days later and was still fine.

7

I like crowlers and the beer seems fresh to me. I have never gone past two weeks before consuming based on advice I have received.

8

I find the carbonation is often lower for a crowler, but that can sometimes be the case with a growler too compared to bottles/cans.

9

A crowler is just a can. But the person operating the equipment may not be as quick as a canning line process. I’ve always been happy with them, xpt for having to down a quart at a time. Fingers xd for pint crowlers.

10

I’ve only had a couple, but they’ve worked well. In a 6-days-apart side-by-side, recently, the crowler beat the fresh pour of a very juicy IPA hands down: https://www.ratebeer.com/beer/pipeworks-infinite-citra/750155/51287/ (on my scale 3.5 = “ooh, that’s good”, 3.7 = “oh, that’s very good”)