Safe to move/drive-with fermenters immediately after pitching yeast?

[Ishouldbeking]

Hola! My brew partner and I are currently fermenting our first batch (all-grain Black Butte clone), but I have a question that I couldn't find a ready answer to by searching.

We live in Los Angeles and neither of us has any outdoor brewing space, so our current situation has us driving down to my buddy's parents house in Palos Verdes (about 45 minutes away) to do the cook in their backyard. Their place is set up well for brew day, but leaving our fermenters in their workshop is problematic for two reasons: (1) it takes up a fair amount of space in his Dad's workshop, and (2) we can't be there to monitor the fermentation or make any adjustments if something goes awry.

So my question: is there any reason we couldn't do brew day down there, pitch the yeast, then drive the fermenters back to Los Angeles? Any recommendations or advice would be very helpful!

 

[IrregularPulse]

I brew once a year or so with a buddy about an hour away. No issues at all. I actually brew, chill, close and drive home, then pitch at home. The ride home only oxygenates. That's good in this stage.

 

[stratslinger]

No reason I can see you couldn't do that.

There's also no reason you couldn't brew there, drive home, and then pitch once safely at home.

I've done both, granted with only about half to two thirds as long a drive home.

 

[fletchsj]

In May there is Big Brew, where people all over the country and possibly the world head to their LHBS and other facilities to brew as a group. All brewing their own batches. so on May 5th thousands of people all over the country will be doing what you are currently doing. It works just fine

 

[Ishouldbeking]

Oh, awesome! So chilling to temp, but waiting to pitch the yeast til we get home would be the best option? So assuming we've got two carboys full of wort (we do 10 gallon batches), would we simply use closed stoppers in the carboys during transportation?

 

[stratslinger]

With a 45 minute drive, it really wont make a difference whether you pitch before or after you get home. Either way, you'll be contributing to the aeration of your wort, which can only be good at that stage.

And yes, if you have a closed stopper, that's your best bet to use during transportation.

 

[Ishouldbeking]

Thanks for all the help! Can't wait to get going on our next batch in a few weeks...

 

[fletchsj]

With a 45 minute drive, it really wont make a difference whether you pitch before or after you get home. Either way, you'll be contributing to the aeration of your wort, which can only be good at that stage.

And yes, if you have a closed stopper, that's your best bet to use during transportation.

or buy a couple lids without holes drilled in them. replace once home...

 

[helibrewer]

The vibration from driving actually helps to settle out the trub

 

[AdamPag]

dude, you better lock that carboy up tight, the last thing you want is your ride stinking of wort for the next 10 years

 

[TyTanium]

PS - Nice job asking this ahead of time. I applaud your forethought.

 

[ScottSingleton]

I've done this plenty of times. I just use a solid stopper on the carboy and pitch once I get home. Hell I've even waited overnight to pitch when I drove back from a Big Brew about 4 hours away. Was too beat to decant the starter so it waited until the morning. No problems whatsoever.

 

[Ishouldbeking]

dude, you better lock that carboy up tight, the last thing you want is your ride stinking of wort for the next 10 years

Yeah, we'll probably figure out a way to wedge it in tight. Maybe use some cardboard or bungee cords, whatever locks it down.

 

[Ishouldbeking]

PS - Nice job asking this ahead of time. I applaud your forethought.

Thanks! I wish we had thought of this before we did our first batch, which is currently fermenting in my buddy's dad's workshop, where it's taking up half of his usable table space. I kinda feel like a jerk, but whatcha gonna do.

 

[hwilshusen]

dude, you better lock that carboy up tight, the last thing you want is your ride stinking of wort for the next 10 years

And what would be wrong with that?

 

[Revvy]

I group brew all the time and drive my fermenters home soon after yeast pitch. If it's that day, I wouldn't worry about it. I'm more worried if it's been a couple days and you have more alcohol in there than wort. Then I would worry about oxidation.

 

[helibrewer]

Yeah, we'll probably figure out a way to wedge it in tight. Maybe use some cardboard or bungee cords, whatever locks it down.

If you can find a plastic milk crate they work great for stabilizing carboys.