Growler filling

[REV]

The first warning is when the growler goes "HISSS" when you open it. Probably not worth filling that one without a serious wash!

Those are the ones you hand right back before the cap is even all the way off. "Do me a favor, give that a smell would ya?" Love to see their faces, it's one of my small joys.

People sure are funny!

[beermkr]

Okay... drop the H1N1 and pink eye stuff.. it was an EXAMPLE. Oh and all our employees are required to wash to the elbows after each customer contact.

I like the triple sink idea and the exchange program. Also like the hand it back if it is funky.

Interesting point on the liability waiver. When we sell a keg in the state of VA it has to have this sticker that waives our liability for them serving underage drinkers with it. Do you think the growler would fall in the same category?

R/

[BeersmithMT]

Rosie,

That is exactly the instructions that we give our growler customers on how to maintain their growler. When we get customers that bring in nasty growlers, we do remind them about proper care - if they keep bringing them in, we just tell them no fill.

We do have a separate 3-bay sink set up behind the taproom bar just for growler washing. We mount a detachable jet bottle washer on the faucet for "power" rinsing.

I know it seems like a fair amount of resources just for growler filling, but because we make growler fills easy, fast, and clean, we fill alot of growlers. On track for about 30,000 1/2 gallon fills this year!

[REV]

I tell people to just rinse them out real good, no soap. I like to give it a dunk in the sani before filling.

I always replace the cap as well. I've watched people spend time cleaning a growler then put the old foul rusted cap back on it?

[pjbroyles]

We rinse every growler in the sanitizer sink prior to filling as well. If it stinks and it's ours we will exchange and give the lecture. If it stinks and is not ours, we will wash while they wait (and hopefully drink a pint or two) and then they get the lecture. We have had a few that we couldn't get clean enough to fill comfortable filling.

Pete

[LokeBrewSF]

If it stinks and is not ours, we will wash while they wait (and hopefully drink a pint or two) and then they get the lecture.

So, you're going to reward stupidity/laziness by washing another brewery's growler? (A growler that doesn't even represent your brewery, people may not even know that it is filled with your beer.)

When you sell a growler, give the talk on how to maintain it.

I usually just advise: enjoy, finish and immediate good hot rinse, invert until dry then reseal.

If someone brings in one of your brewery's growlers and it smells like crap, tell them to take it home and clean it. A quick rinse and sani is a fine idea, but if you start cleaning all the dirty growlers, people just won't care and no one will bring in a clean growler. If you have a strict policy that you don't clean nasty growlers, people will figure it out and will clean them before they visit.

The only customers of breweries are adults, treat them like it.

[pjbroyles]

So, you're going to reward stupidity/laziness by washing another brewery's growler? (A growler that doesn't even represent your brewery, people may not even know that it is filled with your beer.)

When you sell a growler, give the talk on how to maintain it.

We do, trust me.

If someone brings in one of your brewery's growlers and it smells like crap, tell them to take it home and clean it. A quick rinse and sani is a fine idea, but if you start cleaning all the dirty growlers, people just won't care and no one will bring in a clean growler. If you have a strict policy that you don't clean nasty growlers, people will figure it out and will clean them before they visit.

The only customers of breweries are adults, treat them like it.

I agree. Customer service is one of my pet peeves, and part of customer service is treating them like you want them in the brewery. An ass chewing and being told to hit the bricks misses the mark to me.