Moving Cross Country With Fermenting Beer

[Cottonmouth]

I have two batches of beer that have been fermenting in buckets for five days and will be moving them from one coast to the other. Will they be okay sloshing around in the back of a uhaul truck for 3 days?

 

[Hello]

Depends how hot it is and you're running the risk of oxygenating the beer I guess.
When do you need to leave? I probably would have skipped brewing until I moved.

 

[coder]

I may be wrong but i would expect that you'd me mixing allot of oxygen into the brew which will cause oxidation. Also I would be worried about temperature control, but since you don't really have a choice just do it and see how it works out.


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[hio3791]

If I was in your situation I would:

1) Not have brewed in the first place.
2) Dump it, brew again once I got settled
3) If I really wanted to keep this batch, then I would keg it: racking under C02, bleed all air, pressurize to around 5 lbs. That way, if fermentation isn't complete, there's still enough yeast in solution to finish during the move. If done right, oxidation shouldn't be a concern and since it's a sealed, SS container, light and other issues shouldn't be much of a factor... except temperature changes inside a UHaul cargo bay.
4) But most likely, I would dump it. I am pretty sure that after driving across country, tending to my fementing buckets won't be my number 1 priority.

Sorry dude but the cost of 2 batches isn't worth the stress on top of moving, specially, across the country.

 

[mikeoholic]

Put some brett in there and wait. Brett will clean up oxygen.


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[Cottonmouth]

The move came a little earlier than I thought. The buckets are sealed and have been fermenting and outgassing CO2 for five days (will be seven days when I start driving) so would there still be enough oxygen in there to do any damage?

 

[CUrchin]

Have any home brew friends that could bottle it when it's really done and ship it to you? Any other option seems dicey.

 

[Hello]

The move came a little earlier than I thought. The buckets are sealed and have been fermenting and outgassing CO2 for five days (will be seven days when I start driving) so would there still be enough oxygen in there to do any damage?

Well, you have to move so just do it. Best bet, you have good beer. Worst bet, it sucks donkey ears. Good luck and be safe.

 

[Cottonmouth]

Well, you have to move so just do it. Best bet, you have good beer. Worst bet, it sucks donkey ears. Good luck and be safe.

I guess we'll see what happens. Thanks!

 

[Cottonmouth]

Anybody on the night shift ever have to do this?

 

[ThreeSheetsBrewing]

Do you have kegs? Perhaps a transfer/pressure fermentation.

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[brew_ny]

take a gravity reading and see where you are at, if it is an ale it maybe done

keg it and call it good, I put all my ales in a keg after about 10 days

that is with 2 or 3 days of cold crashing

good luck and have a safe drive

S_M

 

[fmr_army]

If you have the space and weight capacity, I certainly wouldn't dump it on this end of the trip. Wait and see. Cross your fingers and see how it goes. You can always dump it at the far end.

As a practical matter, I would also put each bucket in several layers of trash bags. I haven't dealt with this particular form of liquid, but in my experience liquids, left to their own devices, will escape in direct proportion to their stinkifying capacity.

Drive safely...

 

[fartinmartin]

There's a thread running at the moment referring to brewing bags, they look like rubbish bags, but they are brewing bags (300% more expensive) I think you should buy some from me to use for the journey !
I new there was a market for them .

 

[losMythos]

If you had two kegs and and the beer was done fermenting you could I guess rack them to kegs and purge with Co2 and leave it at 3psi or so. I would release a bit of pressure as the trip goes on in case of increased pressure from fermentation or temp change. Other than that i have no idea. Good luck!!

 

[NickTheGreat]

take a gravity reading and see where you are at, if it is an ale it maybe done

keg it and call it good, I put all my ales in a keg after about 10 days

that is with 2 or 3 days of cold crashing

good luck and have a safe drive

S_M

My thoughts too. 5 days? It's probably close now. Moving this weekend? Maybe the bottling/kegging is literally the last thing he does in Florida?