packaging for competition, Overkill?

[harebearva]

Hi all. Packed up 4 bottles for my first ever competition and wanted anyone's opinion on whether my pack job was too much. I borrowed a lot of ideas from several places but what I did was:
a double reinforced box lined with a trashbag. Foam egg crate in the bottom sectioned with cardboard dividers. Bottles (with labels in ziplocs banded around bottles ) rolled in a layer of bubble wrap and secured with 1 small piece of tape. Newspaper stuffed around the bottles but with the tops showing. then I closed the trash bag and rubber banded it in such a way that it was easy to undo. then foam egg crate on top with a layer of cardboard over that. then taped her shut. there's about 3-4 inches of space (packed) all around.

Those unpacking should be able to get into these bottles pretty easily.

Did I go overboard?

 

[Whippy]

Whatever you can do to protect your good beer is worth the effort! I wish you well in your competition

 

[Xpertskir]

All packaging is overboard until it's not.....


Instead of a trash bag, I wrap each bottle in a diaper and put it in a ziploc bag. I get padding and absorption if I was to unfortunately need it.

 

[kombat]

Nope, just sounds like common sense to me.

I actually just shipped 12 beers to a local competition yesterday. I started with a plain cardboard box, then lined it with a garbage bag. I then cut rigid foam insulation board (like from Lowes) to line the bottom and inside of the box, sealing the joints with "Tuck Tape" (the tape used to seal vapour barrier in home construction), creating a DIY "cold box" inside the cardboard box.

I put each bottle label in a zip-top sandwich bag, and rubber-banded them to each bottle with 2 rubber bands (in case one breaks). I then wrapped each bottle in bubble wrap, again sealing each one with 2 rubber bands. I stored the bottles this way in the fridge until right before I was ready to ship them. I then packed the bottles into the styrofoam "cooler" inside the cardboard box, stuffing crumpled up newspaper into the gaps. I then put the styrofoam "lid" on the makeshift cooler, closed up the garbage bag over the top, placed the rest of my paperwork on top (entry forms, payment cheque, etc., all in a zip-top freezer bag), then taped the box shut and dropped it off at the courier for next-day delivery.

The beer should arrive safe and sound, and still cold.

This method is a combination of the technique described in Gordon Strong's "Brewing Better Beer" and the specifications for this particular competition.

 

[unionrdr]

Well op,leaving a few inches all around seems like too little padding to me. I line the box one way with large bubble wrap. wrap each bottle in small bubble wrap,secured with one piece of fiber glass re-enforced packing tape. Then wrap the bottles length-wise & horizonatally with more small bubble wrap taped once each. Then put that in a blue plastic bag & tie shut. Insert that bag top down in another blue plastic bag & tie that shut. Place crumpled packing paper in the bottom,on top of the one layer of large bubble wrap. Place bagged beer package on top of that. Tuck large bubble wrap over the top to the other side of the beer package. More crumpled packing paper & one more layer of large bubble wrap in the opposite direction.
Forcibly hold box closed tight while trying to tape lid flaps closed. And y'all thought YOU were OCD...!!

 

[Darwin18]

For the future, I'd recommend placing each bottle inside it's own 1-gallon ziplock baggie. This way if one breaks in transit, the spill will be contained and won't leak outside of your box. Also make sure that everything is packed in nicely and tightly. When you shake the package, you should not hear glass clinking against each other.

 

[unionrdr]

You also shouldn't here them sloshing. with mine,no sound. that way you can tell them whatever you wanna declare them as.

 

[harebearva]

Cool. Sounds Like I'm in the right ballpark. Next time I think I will place each bottle in it's own zip lock bag. I did pack it tight enough that there was zero movement possible inside. With the egg crate foam on the bottom and the other on top I had to lean into the top of the box quite a bit to get it to close but it sounds like that's the way to do it. Thanks for all the assurance and tips!