Wholesale 5l Demijohns?

[happygoblin]

Morning all,

Colin here from the Happy Goblin Brewery in Sydney. I've been thinking about starting to sell beer in 5L jugs, coz I figure it's a sensible sort of volume, rather than wasting time with tiny little 330mL bottles. Anyone know of a wholesaler in Sydney that supplies such things? I know BrewCraft up in Brisbane has them, but ideally would like to get them from somewhere less than 1000km away!

Cheers
COLIN

By the way, am I mad? Will people buy 5L jugs of beer? I know I would, but to be honest, I'm not normal people......
seeya

 

[ausdb]

Morning all,

Colin here from the Happy Goblin Brewery in Sydney. I've been thinking about starting to sell beer in 5L jugs, coz I figure it's a sensible sort of volume, rather than wasting time with tiny little 330mL bottles. Anyone know of a wholesaler in Sydney that supplies such things? I know BrewCraft up in Brisbane has them, but ideally would like to get them from somewhere less than 1000km away!

Cheers
COLIN

By the way, am I mad? Will people buy 5L jugs of beer? I know I would, but to be honest, I'm not normal people......
seeya

Is this for over the counter sales or prepackaged? as 5L is a lot to consume in a short space of time. Colonial in WA are selling 2L growlers and a have a refill program in place if you take it back to the brewery, Give Randall the enamel animal a PM and he may be able to point you in the direction of the supplier.

 

[Lukes]

Colin,
Lobethal Bierhaus in S.A also do 2 ltr Growlers.
You could contact them to find out if they imported them or not.

- Luke

 

[happygoblin]

Would be on the shelf in the bottlo, with the option of returning the jug with refund. Imagine people would buy to take to a party rather than to drink at home...

 

[Fents]

I reckon its a great idea if the 5L is priced right.

 

[happygoblin]

Be around the same price as those little Heineken kegs, and a bit tastier if I may say so myself.....

Sounds like 2L is a fairly popular volume as well, and I know Cospak, who I usually get bottles from, supply 2L screw top bottles. Might have to look into that as well...

 

[kook]

I wouldn't buy a 5L jug personally. A 5L pressurised minikeg yes, but a jug is much more likely to become oxidised.

Growlers (64oz / 1.9L) are perfect as they can be rinsed, filled and reused with ease due to the wide open neck. The volume is more likely to be consumed in a single sitting too.

 

[Fents]

those heini's kegs are sooooo not priced right tho!

 

[Cortez The Killer]

Why not move to longies first?

Or magnums - like potters do?

330ml to 2L is a big jump

5L is even bigger

I personally can't see a market in 5L

Cheers

 

[joshuahardie]

Colin,
Ill just start by saying, that I would prefer not buying beer in a 5l glass demi john, cause at a max i would only be drinking 1l on my own in a sitting. But I would gladly buy longnecks, champane bottles, magnums, and maybe the occasional 2l, as they are more suited to my drinking volume

anywho...that is me, I was thinking about what John.Q.Public would do.

I think price will be the contributing factor.

We may be different, but when I mention to people that I just purchaced for instance
A potters magnum for 25
or a murrays wine bottle for 18
or even a chimay stubbie for 9 they practiacally faint.

but they are the same people who don't mind parting with $40 for a heiny keg, when they know and can work out that a case of the stuff is cheaper, because they see party keg written all over it and know it will last more than one sitting if needs be.

So basically from that I can assume that people will buy something if they percieve that they are getting value for money. With the heinekken, they are paying 8 dollars a litre, using the above as examples they are working out about $20 a litre.

So in summary I guess any of the above sizes will work, but sales to more than just us dedicated minority will probably be based on value for money.

Can't wait to try some of your beers Happy Goblin.

 

[MHB]

The 5 L demijohns arent pressure rated; the clip down stoppers won't hold pressure either.

I would not recommend this option, try your Yellow Pages for Packaging Consultants, I have found them useful in the past.

MHB

 

[brettprevans]

Be around the same price as those little Heineken kegs, and a bit tastier if I may say so myself.....

Sounds like 2L is a fairly popular volume as well, and I know Cospak, who I usually get bottles from, supply 2L screw top bottles. Might have to look into that as well...

cospak selling 2L bottles? not pressure rated that I can find. Hell Id be bottling with 2L bottles if they were pressure rated.

5L is too big. 2L I recon there is a market for. definite market for magnum sized (1.5L)

 

[newguy]

Here in Canada quite a few microbreweries and brewpubs offer their beer in 2l plastic bottles. Same thing as 2l pop bottles, only brown in colour. Sales of the 2l bottles are relatively good, but the 5l mini-kegs (almost always German imports) don't sell very well at all. I think the volume is the issue, as others have already stated. 2l = 6 beer, 5l = 15 beer. Most people can easily drink 6 beer in a sitting, only those keen on regurgitation would attempt 15.

Also bear in mind the trend among young micros to package their beer in large containers. As time goes on, they almost always revert to the standard 330 or 341ml bottles. Sales of these standard size bottles seem to be much higher than larger ones.

 

[amita]

gday, I reckon go the 2 liter option, somebody who likes to drink more, can always purchase 2 or more and you will pick up trade from curios people . I reckon it will be a nice novelty to take to a party, as well as drinking one on your own.
good luck with it,
cheers amita

 

[leeboy]

I know this isn't the states but the micro breweries over there have had a lot of success with the growler program. They are usually a 1/2 gallon over there in my experience which is just over 2 L. Fantastic because they pull it straight from the tap and top you up for take away. Would also work well in the bottle shop also I guess. Just have to concentrate more on packaging i guess. I do love the 2 L growler option, it is great for 1 person. Any more than that and you need to start thinking about who else to drink with you and that might cut your market scope a little I believe
Lee

 

[kook]

I know this isn't the states but the micro breweries over there have had a lot of success with the growler program. They are usually a 1/2 gallon over there in my experience which is just over 2 L.

I think you're getting your US and imperial gallons mixed up. 1/2 US Gallon (64oz) = 1.89L

 

[leeboy]

yeah I'm sure I am getting it wrong. US... imperial... why does the US have to do everthing their own way, ie loverbond (spelling??). Anyway my view of 2L growlers supports everyone elses thoughts that 5L is too big

 

[501]

Most people can easily drink 6 beer in a sitting, only those keen on regurgitation would attempt 15.

What only 15 ??
that's not that much send me a 5L and I will report on this.
ps your beer sound nice HG

 

[brettprevans]

cospak sell 1.5L magnums (S685AG- 1.5 Litre Champenoise) at"
Pack Qty: 500
Price per 1000: $5,030.10

so $5 per bottle. seems a little expensive so I dont know how much a 2L pressure tested bottle would cost you...

 

[tk75]

When is someone going to make a soda-stream type vessel for homebrew??!! There is the "Beer-Chiller" from BigW but it doesn't use CO2. If someone manufactured a vessel such as the Soda-Stream but with refridgeration...it would open up a whole new market.
Something like a mini bar fridge with all the fittings to attach a soda-stream CO2 bottle...a tap could also be fitted(included)...then the breweries could just fill an industry standard 5L keg and sell these to the public...??????
An idea such as this would also allow for consumers without the room(and capital) to have their own homebar's with beer on tap.

Personally I like the idea of having 5L kegs as 18L for one person is a lot of beer to have sitting around for any length of time...hooked up to the gas/tap that is...