Driving with wort in car

[mstew1987]

Hi all,
I need some suggestions. I want to brew a pale ale this upcoming weekend. I want to go to my parents house to use their gas stove and then bring the wort back to my house as soon as I pitch it , it's about a half hour away. Any good suggestions on keeping the wort room temp for the ride back? I'm thinking a blanket wrapped around the bucket and putting some heat on in the car. Any other suggestions? Thanks!

 

[TallDan]

Hi all,
I need some suggestions. I want to brew a pale ale this upcoming weekend. I want to go to my parents house to use their gas stove and then bring the wort back to my house as soon as I pitch it , it's about a half hour away. Any good suggestions on keeping the wort room temp for the ride back? I'm thinking a blanket wrapped around the bucket and putting some heat on in the car. Any other suggestions? Thanks!

Well, personally, I'd wait to pitch yeast until you get it home. Not a real big deal either way, but then you really don't have anything to worry about with temperatures.

Regardless of when you pitch the yeast though, I wouldn't worry too much about the temperature change in the car for 30 minutes. I helped a guy on his brew day last spring and brought a full carboy home and it was about a 30 minute ride. No real temperature change with it. I just kept the car at a comfortable temperature for me. I did keep it covered so that I didn't get a lot of sunlight on it though.

And as an added bonus, the extra sloshing around in the carboy doesn't hurt for wort aeration.

 

[mstew1987]

Very true! Thank you very much!

 

[zachattack]

And the bumpy car ride will help aerate the wort!

 

[Fathand]

Not sure what you are planning to transport it in but I've traveled with wort numerous times in my car. I prefer to ferment in buckets so with the extra headspace and the buckets secured there is less risk of spillage.

 

[McGarnigle]

Just an FYI, an ale pail doesn't officially count as a passenger for the purposes of the carpool lane.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

Be sure the pail is in the back seat and the front seat is slid back on top of it as far as it will go. And be sure to bung up the airlock hole. Wort is a real b*&&^ to get out of the carpet.

 

[mstew1987]

Very true. Good thing I have a crappy car lol

 

[GrogNerd]

also, once yeast is pitched, it's technically "beer" and if you're pulled over, you might have to explain to a gung-ho LEO about the 5-gallon open container

it COULD happen

 

[mstew1987]

Haha that would be hell of a story 🍺

 

[TallDan]

also, once yeast is pitched, it's technically "beer" and if you're pulled over, you might have to explain to a gung-ho LEO about the 5-gallon open container

it COULD happen

I considered the same thing when i initially responded, but then considered that it's probably a non-issue. Technically speaking, yes, as soon as yeast is in the wort, it is producing alcohol. However, for your wort to be considered an "alcoholic beverage", I believe it would need to be over 0.5% ABV, which it's unlikely to be within a few hours of pitching yeast.

Of course, yeast or no yeast, it's not likely to be a fun conversation with a police officer if they have some reason to believe that you're doing something wrong. Your best bet is to keep it covered, out of reach, out of sight, and drive carefully to avoid the situation all together.

IANAL, YMMV, RDWHAHB.

 

[eadavis80]

Yeah, no way it would be "beer" WITHIN 30 minutes of yeast pitching. I brewed at my brother-in-law's (an hour away) and drove home with the primary bucket int eh car - no worries. Relax and enjoy your brew day.

 

[fj605]

Buckle up! It's the law!

 

[balrog]

done this many a time. Doesn't hurt a thing. I will, from experience, recommend against driving at the end of fermentation to a friend's house to bottle, because the fantastically clear beer will *NOT* be clear when you get there.

 

[Roman1776]

I go to my dad's and we brew ten gallon batches (soon to be twenty ). And its about a half hour drive. But what usually do is cool it down there, and pitch the yeast when i get home. Unless i am going to stay there for a few hours then i pitch it there. I only put a blanket on it if its sunny out and what not. i never had any problem, through out all seasons of the year.
Hope that helps you out