Moving to India -- Help me prepare

I'm a relatively new brewer and have really enjoyed it so far. I'll be moving to India in November for work and am hoping to continue brewing while abroad. In preparing for the move, a couple of questions came up.

(Note: I will be able to receive packages while overseas but not liquids. These shipments can take up to three weeks after leaving the US.)

1. If I pack a large number of extract or mini-mash kits in my initial household shipment, how long will the ingredients (LME, DME, grain) last before degradation of quality? Would they survive the transit 1-2 month journey (via sea-container) to India under non-climate controlled conditions? Once in India, what conditions should I store them in to preserve quality?

2. Even if I am able to pack some extract kits in my household effects, I'll eventually have to switch to using DME and grain though periodic mailed shipments. I'm concerned, however, that hops will not fare will in the mail. Will hops survive the 2-3 weeks in the mail (under harsh temp conditions)?

Thanks for any advice that you can provide.

Well here is what I did.... Moved from Arlington to Bulgaria.

I bought the large items I knew would not fit in the mail system. Hint get a bigger pot now! Get that 10 Gal Rubbermaid and parts for a MLT...
I shipped all my gear via HHE.
I downloaded tons of Podcasts via FIOS while I still had it.....
I researched any local (to Sofia, Bulgaria) breweries and made friends.
I now AG instead of DME and love it.

I ship my speciality grains and dry yeast via APO.

If you really need Starsan find someone going back CONUS and have them carry it or have a friend in the states triple pack it in big ziplock bags (sometimes tough to find!) and mail it to you.

Depending on where you are going in India your biggest challenge may be fermentation control and find a way to boil your wort.

I am not 100% sure on this but I am pretty sure that homebrewing is illegal in India. They had/have issues with people making some sort of hootch that can have antifreeze and/or battery acid in it, if I remember correctly.

I am not saying you are up to no good but CYA as to not end up on the wrong side of some horrible mess...

GL!

I think if one would stick with DME, pelletized hops in the mylar bags, and dry yeast, everything would come out well. As stated by a previous poster, my greatest concern in a place like that would be my heat source to do the boil. Also, getting good water in the quantities necessary to brew might be a concern. Some of these things might be a roll of the dice, depending on where you end up. After arriving, it would be possible to survey the new environment and come up with other possibilities.

That's a good point re: water. Just don't try to use Ganges water!

Boiling wort? They have electricity in India, especially for ex-pats.

That said, I was considering a job in India a while ago and I decided it would probably be the end of homebrewing. You may be more dedicated to the hobby than me (probably not) or more stubborn (maybe), but I think it makes less sense if it is a huge struggle.

rico567 said:

I think if one would stick with DME, pelletized hops in the mylar bags, and dry yeast, everything would come out well. As stated by a previous poster, my greatest concern in a place like that would be my heat source to do the boil. Also, getting good water in the quantities necessary to brew might be a concern. Some of these things might be a roll of the dice, depending on where you end up. After arriving, it would be possible to survey the new environment and come up with other possibilities.

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I think Rico is right, that the DME, hops and dry yeast should be fine. I would add that your specialty grains should be fine, too. One caveat - I would think hard about how to package the DME and grains to be sure that air and moisture do not get in during the long boat ride/shipping.

And good luck on your move - that sounds very exciting! Being an expat would be an extraordinary experience, I'm sure, and I hope its a great adventure for you.

I would also make sure to eat as much naan bread as possible and would probably try making a naan bread beer because the stuff is just that good.