Growlerwerks have created more than just a growler!
A few weeks ago, you may remember that we reviewed the impressive uKeg 64oz pressurised growler from Growlerwerks.com - well, we were fortunate to be able to speak to the founder of Growlerwerks Shawn Huff and we pitched a few questions regarding the Growlerwerks story...
What was your inspiration for creating the uKeg?
"A love of good craft beer and the desire to make the experience better. I'm from Oregon, and a lot of people here love the variety of amazing craft beers made by our local breweries and served on draft. As you know, draft beer is the premium product, but glass jugs don't preserve beer for more than a few hours, and not everyone has a keg system at home, As an engineer, I set out to solve the problem of being able to bring draft beer home and enjoy it over time."
There are many home brewers among our members - how can the uKeg fit in to their lifestyles?
"Being able to brew beer as people have been doing throughout history is one of those simple pleasures in life.
The uKeg is essentially a mini keg system that fits inside your refrigerator. It comes in 1/2 gal or 1 gal sizes. So it can be a very useful tool for homebrewers. For people who don't have a keg system at home, the uKeg can be used to force-carbonate your homebrew in 3 days instead of waiting 3 weeks to bottle condition, which also involves adding more yeast and sugar to your recipe.
If you do have a full keg system at home, then the uKeg is a perfect tool to transport your homebrew to share with friends. Fill one or two uKegs up and bring to a dinner party or to watch a game. The uKeg will preserve your brew the way you intended it -- at it's best -- by keeping it carbonated and cold, and protected from oxidation."
How did the design of the uKeg evolve from when it was first conceived until it was released?
"At first "lightbulb" moment, I thought we needed a pressurizing system for a standard glass jug. Then, after some product testing that involved safety glasses, we quickly realized that glass jugs are not safe pressure vessels. What we needed was an integrated, unibody container that was made of durable food-grade steel. A real piece of equipment that was both versatile and user friendly."
Would you consider adding more options for the finish, such as different colours / custom logos as an option?
"Yes absolutely. We are primarily focused on producing the best and highest quality container for your draft beer. We can also do some things to keep it interesting. For example, later this year we will release uKeg bar mats and also custom tap handles. Crafty people can make their own custom tap handles with custom logos as well (standard tap adapter and custom tap drawings are available on our website). In the future we would like to offer more options for the exterior finishes."
Do you have any plans for further product releases in the future?
"We have some ideas for new beer products that we will formalize in 2017. However, our main goal is to complete fulfillment of rewards to our Kickstarter Backers who supported and pledged to our Kickstarter campaign. Our Backers provided the funding needed to turn the uKeg idea into a product. We will remain focused on delivering uKeg rewards to our Backers through 2017."
You can visit the Growlerwerks website at www.growlerwerks.com
Also, check out the Pub Sheds review of the uKeg 64 if you haven't already:
