Shipping bottles

[dellis288]

Not sure if this is the right place for this but I have a buddy that lives a few states away from me. We are wanting to trade beers that we brew like. 6 pack what's the best method for shipping

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Vacuum sealed, lots of bubble wrap, more bubble wrap, and a small amount of bubble wrap. As I read here, if you can't trust it to survive a 10 story fall, you can't trust it with any shipping service. You may also want to wrap a paper towel around the cap to keep it from tearing the vacuum bag.

6 fit great in a medium flat rate box, just don't tell them what's in there... Yeast samples if they push. I've successfully done this countless times.
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[dellis288]

Ok thanks

 

[Nagorg]

As FloppyKnockers mentioned, lots of bubble wrap. I wrap each bottle in small bubble wrap and then put bottles in a plastic zip-lock bag in case of breakage. These go into a box that I've lined with 1-2 layers of large bubble wrap. I stuff more bubble wrap into any void that may exist as to minimize/prevent shifting during handling.

Don't use the US Postal Office for shipping, that's illegal. UPS or FedEx is legal but I've had the best luck with UPS.

 

[k-moe]

I like to make custom fitted padding by using plastic bags as a liner and expanding foam to fill the dead space in the box. I do a two-part pour of foam so the upper portion can be pulled off of the top of the bottles, and the bottles can then be pulled out of the lower foam block. I sometimes use a 6-pack to hold the bottles, and the plastic bag keeps the foam from adhering to the 6-pack.