so, i am moving in two weeks and have a beer that wont be ready to bottle

[ColonelForbin]

for about 4 -6 more weeks. i brewed it before i knew i was moving(kind of a last minute thing). it is my attempt at brewing a bastard 1.5. it is my interpretation of an in between beer of the arrogant bastard and double bastard. it is about 9%abv. i brewed it a week ago. should i just go ahead and bottle it or bring it with me in my car risking temp fluctuations and exposure to oxygen during the 3 hour car drive.

 

[FireDancer]

I have moved fermenting brew for four hours in a car in the heat of summer, without AC. I think that moving it won't hurt too bad. A week seems a bit short to put it in a bottle. Just strap that fermenter down and look out for bumps.
Good luck.

 

[dzlater]

See where it's at in two weeks, then decide if it's ready to bottle.
with a total of three weeks in the fermentor it might be good to go into bottles

 

[JJL]

Definitely take a hydro reading. If it's not ready, you're better off moving the carboy than bottling early. If you move the carboy, just let it sit a few days after you move it before you bottle so the trub has time to settle out.

 

[ArtVandelay]

I don't know if you have this option but you could rack to a keg right before leaving and purge the head space with CO2. You could then bottle after the move.

 

[Homercidal]

Why even consider bottling? Just take it with you and in a few weeks, bottle it. What's the hurry? Trust me, it will be fine sitting there clearing and conditioning.

 

[dzlater]

Why even consider bottling? Just take it with you and in a few weeks, bottle it. What's the hurry? Trust me, it will be fine sitting there clearing and conditioning.

Why not?
No reason not to leave it the fermentor but
three weeks should be plenty of time in the fermentor.
If it's done it's done.

 

[Homercidal]

Why not?
No reason not to leave it the fermentor but
three weeks should be plenty of time in the fermentor.
If it's done it's done.

OP stated that the beer won't be ready to bottle until 2 weeks AFTER he has to move. And it's 9% which often means slower fermentation at the end and more risk of residual sugars. I'd err on the side of caution on a big beer like that. Plus, who needs the added work of bottling when it's time to pack up and move?

 

[sprocketmaker]

I'd move it in the fermenter... Cause the risk of bottling a big beer prematurely, then agitating the bottles moving, spells trouble to me... Bottle bombs anyone.

 

[two_hearted]

I did the same thing. I just put it on the floor of the passenger seat and made my girlfriend straddle it to stabilize it. Then I drove a smoothly as possible. Beer came out amazing!

 

[Homebrewtastic]

I had to move a fermenting brew a couple years ago. I put my carboy in a large box that I lined with foam, then packed it full of packing peanuts and a couple of ice packs. Worked great. Kept it just right during the three hour drive in the Texas summer heat.

 

[dzlater]

OP stated that the beer won't be ready to bottle until 2 weeks AFTER he has to move. And it's 9% which often means slower fermentation at the end and more risk of residual sugars. I'd err on the side of caution on a big beer like that. Plus, who needs the added work of bottling when it's time to pack up and move?

ok point taken

 

[shamrockdoc]

made my girlfriend straddle it.. came out amazing!

That's hawt!


Yup strap it down and go!