Long distance brewing, how can I make this happen?

[Evan_L]

So my brother and sister in law are going to drive up to CT from Florida for a visit mid October. They both love good beer and are really interested in brewing. We plan on brewing together when they are up but shipping a case or two back to them seems ridiculous...that and i'm sure that if they got more hands-on at home they would not only enjoy the results more but probably get hooked...my ulterior motive .

So we have a few options, all with pros and cons, and I can't decide what's the best course of action. Making decisions when you are biased and the outcome depends heavily on the circumstances is not such a good spot to be in...so help me out. Anyone have any similar experience with any of these options?

1. Brew together, I finish it and ship it down.
Pros: They get to see the process through yeast pitching.
Cons: Cost of shipping finished beer, they won't feel like they had much to do with the resulting beer.

2. Mash in CT, boil 1/2 together, send 1/2 of the wort with them to finish (with appropriate equipment; buckets, wing capper etc.. of course)
Pros: They get more hands-on and the result is more than 50% their efforts, cheaper than shipping.
Cons: Oxidation from splashing in a bucket in a car for 1000 miles?, more risk that they have problems with finishing it (though my bro is a pretty smart guy and I feel he could handle it without help), risk of infection..although they would still boil at home so not much of a concern.

3. Mash, boil, and pitch yeast just before they drive off.
Pros: Less worry about them having issues with boiling.
Cons: Uncontrolled temps as they drive back, oxidation as the drive will be so long that it will have started fermentation before they arrive home, increased risk of infection as they need to keep it safe during the drive.

I'm leaning on #2 right now. Can anyone suggest issues I have not thought of , your own experience with a similar situation, or more ideas? Is this even a realistic goal considering the length of the drive?

 

[Yooper]

How about this? Brew a batch three weeks before they come. Brew the same beer when they arrive. Bottle beer #1 in a day or two, so they can "see" the whole process and what the finished beer looks like, including taking hydrometer readings.

You keep batch #2 for yourself, but they take home batch #1 and try it in three weeks.

 

[thatjonguy]

how about this? Brew a batch three weeks before they come. Brew the same beer when they arrive. Bottle beer #1 in a day or two, so they can "see" the whole process and what the finished beer looks like, including taking hydrometer readings.

You keep batch #2 for yourself, but they take home batch #1 and try it in three weeks.

+1

 

[Evan_L]

So basically #2... mash with them, then split and boil my half, they get to see through pitching and then we bottle the batch I did three weeks prior. Cool, I like it, awesome idea Yooper! Should the wort be ok during transport? I would think it will slosh around a bit and oxidize?

 

[Yooper]

So basically #2... mash with them, then split and boil my half, they get to see through pitching and then we bottle the batch I did three weeks prior. Cool, I like it, awesome idea Yooper! Should the wort be ok during transport? I would think it will slosh around a bit and oxidize?

I wouldn't send them home with wort. I'd make the batch three weeks before they arrive, then make the same batch with them. Then, bottle the batch you made three weeks earlier, and send them home with the bottles. You keep batch #2, since it won't be done while they are visiting.

 

[Evan_L]

Gotcha. Ok, that sounds very viable! I hope they pick a good beer to make, or i'm stuck spending two brew days on this It did feel like I was overlooking a simpler way to get this done...just couldn't for the life of me, figure it out lol.