Moving Houses - How to Handle Fermenting Beer?

[eljefe]

I apologize for posting a question that has certainly been asked, but I searched a couple of different ways and did not find the right thread.

I am moving to a new house in two weeks. The new location is about 5 miles from my current house but requires going up and down multiple hills and taking several 90+ degree turns. I have a dubble and triple in fermentation buckets. They have been fermenting for about 4 months and I need to move them.

I contemplated keeping them in the current buckets but taking out some of the vodka from the air lock.

I also considered racking them to a cornie keg and pressurizing them with CO2.

I can see pros and cons for both approaches, but I was wondering/hoping someone has insight into which is the better approach.

Thanks

 

[mike20793]

I moved about a month ago. I did not risk moving fermenting beers from one location to another. It was just too risky moving them in the car, so I bottled them and transported them that way. That was no problem. Sorry, I don't know if that helps any.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

Is there a reason why you are not prepared to just package the beer for serving?

 

[eljefe]

Is there a reason why you are not prepared to just package the beer for serving?

Great question. I have two kegs already goin so no room for more. In addition, i would like both the dubble and triple to age a few more months. That being said, I would sacrifice aging for bad beer any day.

 

[befus]

Wery, wery carefully.

 

[ChessRockwell]

Great question. I have two kegs already goin so no room for more. In addition, i would like both the dubble and triple to age a few more months. That being said, I would sacrifice aging for bad beer any day.

Dude, BOTTLE IT!

Those delicious belgian styles can further age in the bottle, and already be nicely packaged for christmas gifts, etc!

You crazy keg people, forgetting that beer goes in bottles

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

4 months? A dubbel and a triple don't need that long to ferment.

Either way, if you want them to age longer, they can age inside a corny as well as they can inside your fermenter. I'd say rack them today and hit the keg with just enough pressure to seal it, move them, and then allow them to continue their aging process inside the corny until you are ready to serve them.

 

[TheCatman]

I moved a full fermenter about a month and a half ago. I just gave it an extra two weeks to settle back down at the new place before I bottled. From what I've tasted so far, it's one of my best brews to-date.

 

[Revvy]

4 months? A dubbel and a triple don't need that long to ferment.

It's not FERMENTING that long, It's conditioning. A beer ferments ONLY for as long as it needs to, the time AFTER that is conditioning. And yes, a Tripel usually conditions for a minimum of 6 months....At least it should.

eljefe, keg it or bottle it....Get it into a closed vessel with co2. OR you could tr flooding it with co2 and plugging the airlock with something for the journey.

 

[user 115818]

I ran into the same issue. I racked it to a carboy, put it in a milk crate for a solid base, wrapped it in a blanket to keep out light, and buckled it in the passenger seat. I gave it some time to settle while I unpacked. Seemed not to be a problem. Two more weeks and I'll crack the first bottle.

 

[Xpertskir]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_y-_B0AG-m.../armored+truck+with+bog+grille+(roo+bars).jpg

 

[runbad]

^ha

 

[Dawgs47]

Seems to me that your worry is oxidation from the beer splashing while you move it. I would keg it because the yeast cake is not adding anything good anymore. As has already been, said it can condition just fine in a keg. I would purge the keg with CO2. However, I also think you would be fine moving it after this amount of time in the fermentor, since your bucket should have been purged of oxygen during fermentation. There is no problem with beer splashing around with CO2. I would rather condition in a keg though, since buckets do allow a small amount of oxygen through during longer conditioning periods.

 

[Rivenin]

i ran into the same issue with a saison and no time to carb (GF kicked me out rather quickly lol)
so i taped the airlock onto the carboys. threw it in the back of the uhaul, made sure it was secure and a few weeks later, i carb'd it up in the keg, all was fine, and it must have been a 20 mile move as well, freeways, quick turns, quick stops beer is hardier then you think.
obviously that really isn't the corect way to do it, bottle/keg if you can quickly or purge the carboy with CO2

 

[AmandaK]

I moved in May of last year, and moved 2 lambics, a Flanders Red, a Belgian Dark Strong, a Belgian Dark Strong with Brett L, and a tripel with me.

I didn't do anything special, the move destroyed the pellicles in the sours and my airlocks sloshed all around (StarSan), but the beers were just fine, the pellicles even came back. In fact, several of them won trophies, ribbons and medals... so I think moving beer is just fine.

 

[eljefe]

Thanks for the great advice. I am looking into the armored truck option. Understandably this is the most critical part of the move. Forget the furniture, dishes, photos, all that is important is preserving the beer.

 

[PA49erFan21]

I'm actually moving in about 3 weeks myself. B/c of this I have not brewed for this reason..........transporting. I have a wit I just brewed about 2 weeks ago and looking to rack into secondary so it will be ready for the New Home party we'll have.