Moving Sour Beer - Moving?

kinkothecarp · 01-13-2012, 12:01 AM

I have a lease which is for only a year, and I'm planning on moving in after its done (I'm six months in). So, this means I'll be moving in six months. However, I really love sour beer - especially things like Monk's Cafe Sour and Supplication (these aren't in the same league, but they've got the same subtle sour-ness level I think - although Supplication's is brilliantly layered). I hate New Belgium's La Folie because it's too sour and unbalanced (thoughtless?), but some of their less sour beers are really nice. Anyway, I wanted to do a blended sour red, so I was planning on two five gallon batches. I would ferment and sour them, blend them, keg half, and brew another batch for blending with the part I didn't keg. I hope to always have an old batch with a new batch being blended.

I suppose my real question is how hard is this stuff to actually physically move to another location? Can I just jostle around a carboy? It'll be in the same town, but it'll be moving along an old brick road.

Gritsak · 01-13-2012, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kinkothecarp

I have a lease which is for only a year, and I'm planning on moving in after its done (I'm six months in). So, this means I'll be moving in six months. However, I really love sour beer - especially things like Monk's Cafe Sour and Supplication (these aren't in the same league, but they've got the same subtle sour-ness level I think - although Supplication's is brilliantly layered). I hate New Belgium's La Folie because it's too sour and unbalanced (thoughtless?), but some of their less sour beers are really nice. Anyway, I wanted to do a blended sour red, so I was planning on two five gallon batches. I would ferment and sour them, blend them, keg half, and brew another batch for blending with the part I didn't keg. I hope to always have an old batch with a new batch being blended.

I suppose my real question is how hard is this stuff to actually physically move to another location? Can I just jostle around a carboy? It'll be in the same town, but it'll be moving along an old brick road.

This topic has come up in the past, and is actually the reason i've put off buying a barrel. Jostling around carboy is not a good idea. Since you keg, your best bet is to transfer everything to kegs before you move. You can still blend/age in kegs.

WineIsRed · 01-13-2012, 02:59 AM

Yes I've seen this come up, but I've never seen a very good explanation as to why. All I've seen is some mention of the risk of oxidation – which seems to me very easily avoided.

Is there another reason for not moving carboys? Is stirring up the trub an issue? Maybe disturbing the pellicle is a problem?

I may be in a similar situation soon...

deputyandy · 01-13-2012, 10:55 AM

Moving a full carboy, especially a glass one, is pretty cumbersome. I believe it is possible to move a carboy without seriously affecting the beer (i've actually read that SOME oxygen is helpful to the souring process, although in very small amounts). I think people don't move carboys in general is because it's cumbersome, and the oxidation/chance of breaking or damaging the carboy is too high. Especially if you have some long-fermenting beer in their like a sour, it'd be a heartbreaker to have to drain it.

Gritsak · 01-13-2012, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deputyandy

Moving a full carboy, especially a glass one, is pretty cumbersome. I believe it is possible to move a carboy without seriously affecting the beer (i've actually read that SOME oxygen is helpful to the souring process, although in very small amounts). I think people don't move carboys in general is because it's cumbersome, and the oxidation/chance of breaking or damaging the carboy is too high. Especially if you have some long-fermenting beer in their like a sour, it'd be a heartbreaker to have to drain it.

A low level, slow transfer of oxygen, e.g. the amount a wooden barrel provides, is considered beneficial. A carboy sloshing around in the back of a vehicle is another story. With a keg you can purge with co2 and provide an oxygen free environment while moving.

weremichael · 01-15-2012, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kinkothecarp

.... I hate New Belgium's La Folie because it's too sour and unbalanced (thoughtless?)...
I suppose my real question is how hard is this stuff to actually physically move to another location? Can I just jostle around a carboy? It'll be in the same town, but it'll be moving along an old brick road.

OUCH on calling La Folie thoughtless. I personally like the very acetic character and find La Folie very good. I do live less than an hour from New Belgium and notice that it changes throughout the year when it is on tap. I guess it depends on the foudres/barrels that are in the mix.

By jostling around the carboys you will probably introduce some O2 into the mix. If you have acetobacter in your beer, it will turn to vinegar (a la La Folie). +1 to Gritsak You could purge the carboys with CO2 right before moving them and that might reduce the vinegar taste.

kinkothecarp · 01-15-2012, 06:27 PM

So, could I in theory brew a Flanders recipe, pitch Roeslare into it (WYeast 3763), let it ferment for seven days in a carboy, move it to my keg and then seal it, purge it, and let it be for a year or two? Is it that easy? Of course, I would be moving it during this year, but it'd be in a sealed keg.

Gritsak · 01-15-2012, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kinkothecarp

So, could I in theory brew a Flanders recipe, pitch Roeslare into it (WYeast 3763), let it ferment for seven days in a carboy, move it to my keg and then seal it, purge it, and let it be for a year or two? Is it that easy? Of course, I would be moving it during this year, but it'd be in a sealed keg.

Yes that would work fine. Only adjustment i would make is to rig an airlock on the keg. When you need to move, remove the airlock, purge and seal the keg. Once you're at your new place, put the airlock back in place.

stevehollx · 01-15-2012, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gritsak

Only adjustment i would make is to rig an airlock on the keg.

That's key, since you still have about a ~20 point gravity drop on a sour after primary fermentation.

**dwarven_stout** · 01-15-2012, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevehollx

That's key, since you still have about a ~20 point gravity drop on a sour after primary fermentation.

...this heavily depends on what you're actually brewing.