brew-travel-ferment?

Has anyone out there brewed a batch at a friends house and then traveled (with your wort) back to your house to let it ferment?
If so, any suggestions? (pitch yeast after arriving home; keep it very cold until just before pitching yeast?)

I will be going to a friends house this weekend, we may brew on Saturday, then I'll come back (200 miles) on Sunday morning.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Yes, I've done it.

Use the seat belt, as it will hold the fermenter in place nicely. (And, no, I'm not kidding). Otherwise, it's just like doing it at home.

Check out the no chill method of fermenting. In essence you put your wort into a plastic cub, corney key, etc. make sure the boiling hot wort coats all of the interior space - thereby sterilizing it- and pitch your yeast when you ready - right after your trip in 2 days or even 2 months.


-John

Pitch it and keep the AC on. Constant motion will help the yeast out anyway. Be sure to put the lid on tight. Easy day!

I have done this several times. I pitch when I get home.

i brewed on a saturday in Philadelphia, chilled and split into two batches (a PA friend took 5 gallons and i took 5 gallons) and i put mine into a 6 gallon bucket with an airlock (it was all i had to fill the hole on the bucket lid) i then covered the whole thing in a trash bag just to avoid any other debris getting onto the fermenter... i traveled home to Connecticut monday and pitched monday night.

no infection, because i was crazy paranoid about sanitation, and honestly it became the best beer i have made to date. That was about 185 or so miles. Be on your Sanitation game and you will be fine.

I do this OFTEN. But exchange "friend" with "work, when I work a Saturdays" and that would be more accurate.

I transport mine in kegs super easy, super safe.

The knowledge shared on this site never ceases to amaze me.

Now I definitely will brew on Saturday and I'll fly it back on Sunday (I'm a pilot).

One last question, do the plastic fermenter buckets hold up fine with the boiling wort? Would it be better to bring my glass carboy?

Thank you much.

bCash said:

One last question, do the plastic fermenter buckets hold up fine with the boiling wort? Would it be better to bring my glass carboy?

Click to expand...

That's a no! to both. Plastic will be very soft and glass could shatter. Let it cool. It doesn't need to be 70 but 140 is much better than 200+.

i would go plastic for ease of mind when traveling. glass doesnt hold up as well when being knocked around. but like itsme said, it needs to be cooled at least some before putting into a bucket

Yeah, there is no reason to do the no-chill method in this situation. As long as you do your normal sanitation, it'll be fine.

I've done it a couple times. I have one batch that I need to bottle soon that I brewed at my in-laws place. I brewed, chilled, and pitched the yeast. And we didn't go home for a couple days. Just beware, getting jostled around while transporting can lead to some pretty vigorous fermentation. The batch I have waiting for bottles was starting to slow down a bit, then I put it in the car and drove it home (only about 40 minute drive). That night, it got as close to an air-lock blowout as I've ever had.

Don't forget to bring some bungs and tape.

I've done it before too. We each pitched the yeast after cooling the wort, sealed up our buckets/carboys and then brought them back to our respective houses. It worked great. We figured the extra sloshing around would just aerate the wort a little more.

make sure to put a light proof bag over the fermenter, don't want it to get skunked off the bat.

Cool the wort and pitch as normal. There is no reason to wait to pitch, or not to cool the wort. It'll be fine.

Kralizec said:

make sure to put a light proof bag over the fermenter, don't want it to get skunked off the bat.

Click to expand...

I could be wrong but theres nothing to skunk until you pitch... All he'll have in the fermentor is hopped sugar water, it isnt until the yeast starts doing its thing/has finished that there is something that can be damaged by uv light...

Edit: i am wrong, proof below

skunking has nothing to do with yeast and everything to do with hops.
Hops are definitely in the beer when its done boiling.

Ok, so now it sounds like I do the whole process as I normally would at home, and just carry back with me (carefully) the next morning with no worry. Correct? This is sounding easier and easier as yall go on.

Kralizec said:

skunking has nothing to do with yeast and everything to do with hops.
Hops are definitely in the beer when its done boiling.

Click to expand...

brew wiki said:

MBT is created when wort or beer containing isomerized alpha acids, which are extracted from hops by boiling and contribute bitterness to beer, is exposed to certain wavelengths of ultraviolet and blue visible light. In the presence of light, one iso-alpha acid, isohumulone, reacts with the riboflavin present in wort or beer to form MBT.
Because the reaction is specific to hop acids, mead, wine, and other fermented beverages that do not contain hops may be safely exposed to light.

Click to expand...

i stand corrected. :smack: