Questions about relocating with beer fermenting.

[smyth]

Well I brewed my first batch almost a week ago, planned on leaving it in the primary for around 3-4 weeks at least actually, now though I'm moving. Only moving a town away (about 4 miles). Roads aren't too bad around here but i drive an old Jeep Wrangler so anything other than glass feels like your driving across the moon. Would the beer be ok staying in the primary or should i maybe rack into a carboy secondary for the trip or should i rush (assuming fermentation is complete) to bottle in in the chaos of moving?
I know you want to disturb the beer as little as possible during fermentation, I'm just wondering though because this is going to be craziness for me anyway and adding bottling a batch of beer for the first time, that's just some stress I'd like to avoid if i could.
So yeah, what's my best course of action? Right now I'm thinking racking to a secondary a few days before the move, then at least when I'm driving I'm not disturbing the beer while it's on top of the yeast cake, plus racking to the secondary is way less stressful and time consuming than bottling. Plus i figure it'll be safer for my to do that and transport the bottles empty, some of them are 16 oz some are 22oz, don't have a box specifically for the 22oz so at least if one or 2 break they won't be full of beer too.
Thanks in advance,
Kyle

 

[FensterBos]

At what point in the fermentation will you be moving?

If you are moving before four weeks I recommend keeping it in the primary with the CO2 that way you reduce any chance of contact with oxygen. If the beer gets shaken up a little bit you might need to wait a day or two for the yeast to fall back to the yeast cake.

 

[dorklord]

Well I brewed my first batch almost a week ago, planned on leaving it in the primary for around 3-4 weeks at least actually, now though I'm moving. Only moving a town away (about 4 miles). Roads aren't too bad around here but i drive an old Jeep Wrangler so anything other than glass feels like your driving across the moon. Would the beer be ok staying in the primary or should i maybe rack into a carboy secondary for the trip or should i rush (assuming fermentation is complete) to bottle in in the chaos of moving?
I know you want to disturb the beer as little as possible during fermentation, I'm just wondering though because this is going to be craziness for me anyway and adding bottling a batch of beer for the first time, that's just some stress I'd like to avoid if i could.
So yeah, what's my best course of action? Right now I'm thinking racking to a secondary a few days before the move, then at least when I'm driving I'm not disturbing the beer while it's on top of the yeast cake, plus racking to the secondary is way less stressful and time consuming than bottling. Plus i figure it'll be safer for my to do that and transport the bottles empty, some of them are 16 oz some are 22oz, don't have a box specifically for the 22oz so at least if one or 2 break they won't be full of beer too.
Thanks in advance,
Kyle

Boy, I'd be most afraid of oxidizing the beer by shaking it up. Also, somewhat afraid of shaking the beer up, making it release CO2, and then the foam plugging the airlock and blowing the lid/stopper...

So, did you brew this batch on like Friday or something? And when do you need to be 'out' of the current place?

 

[FensterBos]

Boy, I'd be most afraid of oxidizing the beer by shaking it up.

Well, if he keeps the lid on, no oxygen will be able to get into the primary. I would be a little concerned about CO2 being released and some foaming occurring, but I don't think it is going to make the lid/lock blow off.

 

[BryceL]

Well, if he keeps the lid on, no oxygen will be able to get into the primary. I would be a little concerned about CO2 being released and some foaming occurring, but I don't think it is going to make the lid/lock blow off.

I would have to agree. As long as you keep the lid on I don't think any oxygen would get in. Only 4 miles, I'd say duct tape your stopper on, grab a buddy and have him/her hang onto it in the front seat to try and minimize the sloshing. Once you get it to its new home let it sit a couple days to settle out, then rack.

 

[smyth]

Thanks everyone. I think I'm going to just go for it in the primary maybe some tape over the airlock. Also I was thinking of going really early in the morning so I can make slow stops/accelerations and turns to minimize sloshing too.

I brewed this batch thursday. I can move it whenever I want between now and May 1st. I wasn't sure if I should go to a secondary just so I don't disturb the cake plus I wasn't sure if the shape of a carboy is better for moving vs a primary bucket. Looks like I'll be keeping it in the primary though an I'll just take it easy.
Thanks again for the replies

 

[dorklord]

Well, if he keeps the lid on, no oxygen will be able to get into the primary. I would be a little concerned about CO2 being released and some foaming occurring, but I don't think it is going to make the lid/lock blow off.

If he leaves it in primary, yes.

If he were to transfer it to a secondary, then toss the secondary in the jeep right away...

 

[HotbreakHotel]

If you transfer the beer to secondary first without purging the secondary with CO2 you will certainly get oxygen. I'd seal up the primary and transport it there because there shouldn't be any oxygen left in there.

 

[smyth]

If he leaves it in primary, yes.

If he were to transfer it to a secondary, then toss the secondary in the jeep right away...

At what point in the fermentation will you be moving?

If you are moving before four weeks I recommend keeping it in the primary with the CO2 that way you reduce any chance of contact with oxygen. If the beer gets shaken up a little bit you might need to wait a day or two for the yeast to fall back to the yeast cake.

I can do either. It's a week in (actually about 6 days, 12 hours), i can move it today or I can hold off. I can probably hold off till fermentation is complete, I just didn't want to have to add bottling a batch of beer for the first time to my list of things i have to do. But yeah to answer both questions i can pretty much move it at any point in the fermentation process and after that i can hold off as long as needed for everything to settle again. I wasn't going to rack to a secondary at all, but in light of moving i will if that's a better choice in this situation. (also i have better bottles, so i don't need to worry about breaking on the ride whether it's in the primary or secondary.)

 

[ThePearsonFam]

Leave it in the primary and move to your new place. Just go as careful as possible. Sure, you should try to minimize sloshing due to aeration, but, there's CO2 in solution in the fermenting beer. Slight shaking will just cause some CO2 to come out of solution and fill the void above the beer, reducing the chance of oxidation. Just keep the airlock on there and take it easy.

 

[smyth]

Leave it in the primary and move to your new place. Just go as careful as possible. Sure, you should try to minimize sloshing due to aeration, but, there's CO2 in solution in the fermenting beer. Slight shaking will just cause some CO2 to come out of solution and fill the void above the beer, reducing the chance of oxidation. Just keep the airlock on there and take it easy.

Thanks very much.
Yeah i figure I'll make it an early morning journey so not many people are on the roads.


Thanks to everyone, I'll let you know how the trek goes and how the beer comes out in the end. would be nice to have a control batch that can stay put, then i wouldn't mind some aeration just so I'd be able to see(taste) the difference. oh well, that's an experiment for another time

 

[smyth]

Well it's been some time since i updated, and not that it's a big deal but just wanted to let everyone know that everything seemed to work out. The beer was successfully transported, bottled, and didn't have any off flavors associated with oxygenation or anything else. It seems to have not affected the batch at all, however since it was my first batch i really couldn't tell. It was a bit hazy but that probably had nothing to do with the transport, just chill haze. anyway, thanks for all the help on opinions for this. cheers

 

[badhabit]

Leave it in the primary and move to your new place. Just go as careful as possible. Sure, you should try to minimize sloshing due to aeration, but, there's CO2 in solution in the fermenting beer. Slight shaking will just cause some CO2 to come out of solution and fill the void above the beer, reducing the chance of oxidation. Just keep the airlock on there and take it easy.

+1 You most likely could do prettymuch the same in the secondary but why? Just don't bottle, it is too early for that and you may be creating the possibilit of bottle bombs in the middle of the joy of moving.

 

[boomtown25]

:rockin:I find it hilarious that a man will get up at the ass crack of dawn so traffic is not bad so he can transport his beer safely to the next town over. Love it!:rockin:

 

[smyth]

:rockin:I find it hilarious that a man will get up at the ass crack of dawn so traffic is not bad so he can transport his beer safely to the next town over. Love it!:rockin:

Does it make it better or worse when i tell you that i'm late for work pretty much everyday and i don't have to be there till 8:30. haha

 

[Revvy]

Leave it sealed in primary. That's where the most co2 is. Just don't open the ffermentater for a few days prior to moving it to make sure the co2 barrier is in tact. You could also boil up maybe a cup of sugar in a little water, let it cool and add it to the fermenter and let that ferment out- that will add some more co2 to the mix.

 

[nunyafnb]

Once again, proving the theory that RDWHAHB is the best philosophy to live by. Beer is tough stuff. Glad it turned out for ya!

 

[inkyquills]

I have to wonder about the possible legal ramifications.
"Is that a bucket of beer in your passenger seat?"
"Not yet Officer."

 

[smyth]

I have to wonder about the possible legal ramifications.
"Is that a bucket of beer in your passenger seat?"
"Not yet Officer."

hahah i was actually thinking about that. and at the point i transported it, it was actually beer, just not carbed/conditioned yet. Not to say i plan on doing this again but I'm definitely curious about this. I know in NJ that you can transport alcohol but it has to be in containers sealed by the manufacturer/server and in the quantity of containers intended (i.e.- a 6 pack with 5 beers is considered open container. If you drink 1/2 a bottle of wine at a restaurant they can seal it for you and it can be transported in the trunk. (also i have a jeep, so not sure if the back of it counts as a trunk anyway))

Leave it sealed in primary. That's where the most co2 is. Just don't open the ffermentater for a few days prior to moving it to make sure the co2 barrier is in tact. You could also boil up maybe a cup of sugar in a little water, let it cool and add it to the fermenter and let that ferment out- that will add some more co2 to the mix.

as always Revvy, thanks for the brilliant info. didn't even think to do that. i did end up leaving it in the primary for another 2 weeks after the move, then secondary (for dry hop, plus needed the primary for a different batch) for 2 more weeks. Ended up great. Ended up being hazy but from what i saw it was chill haze (wort was cooled with the ice bath method, took around a half hour IIRC) not "stuff in suspension" hazyness.

(sorry it took a while to reply, i stopped getting notifications on this thread.)