Taking Homebrew on Vacation!

[bullinachinashop]

Although summer vacation is still far away, I've already booked my trip.

Our trip is typically at a beach somewhere. I enjoy hanging out under a big umbrella and drinking my share of beers.

Problem is, finding something that I can bring to the beach (cans) and not dealing with disposal or glass.

I'm thinking of bringing 2 liter soda bottles filled with homebrew.

I can fill off my kegs ahead of time, adjust pressure if needed with a carbonater cap and take with me to the beach. Once there, I'll just store them in a cooler or refrigerator.

I can take one each day to the beach, pour into a plastic cup and in the end, through everything away!:rockin:

Thought are welcome.

Bull

 

[lumpher]

how are you getting to the vacation spot?

 

[BryceL]

I'd like to sit under a umbrella and break this out...

http://morebeer.com/view_product/18291/beerwinecoffee/Tap-A-Draft_Homebrew_Setup

Just get a plastic cup and your set. I wish I could drink on the beach. Any alcohol on the beach here is a no go...doesn't mean I don't on occasion Where you heading?

 

[bullinachinashop]

I drive to the beach (+/- 12 hours). Usually the Carolina's. This year I'll be going to Florida.

The tap-a-draft would be too big to carry down to the beach and not disposable.

I could easily bring 1-2 liter bottle down with me to the beach each day. If I put a light colored beer in a 7-up bottle, who would know?

 

[Tamarlane]

Not worried about the beer tasting like soda? I have done something similar but I used a bottle of seltzer water.... pre-sanitized and odor-free, just dump and fill

 

[bullinachinashop]

The bottles wash up without any smells, the caps have to be replaced.

I've used seltzer water bottles before but I'm trying to be discreet.

How are the Florida beaches with alcohol?

 

[Carter1932]

Save yourself some dough and make your own carbonator caps. Getting ready to attempt this project myself this weekend.

 

[bullinachinashop]

^ I already have one so thats not an issue.

 

[Carter1932]

I got one too, but need more cause I want a variety of brews on my vaca. :cross:

 

[Kennfuser]

Very cool. I'll be trying this.

 

[Zamial]

I sure hope you are no gonna fly with 2L of homebrew... It's the #@^*%*()# baggage handlers that are going to get you. Then you have funky beer smelling clothes and luggage. If you think you can get away with a couple then good on you. The 2L sounds like the way to go IMO. I think they even make brown PET bottles.

Personally I would not worry to much about getting hassled for drinking under an umbrella on a beach... just saying.

My FIL just came back from FL and brought me some Cigar City 6ers I am super happy to try them. I can not imagine that there is a short supply of great beers to be had down there locally.

 

[Revvy]

I have a friend who saves 12 ounces soda bottles and keeps the labels on, then he bottle his beers in the commercial soda bottles that best match the color of the beer, for example a stout in a coke bottle, an IPA in a vernors bottle, a blonde or pale ale in an iced tea bottle. That way he can take beer to places where beer may not be allowed but noone thinks twice about a soda bottle.

He lives in an area where during the summer there's a lot of street fairs in his area, he lives by the water, near a historic "downtown" area. So almost every other week in the summer there's events near him where they close off the area and have stuff going on where Bud is usually sponsoring the event so all the beer is BMC. You can't bring in beer, but they allow coolers of soda, so we get to enjoy the event and drink good beer at the same time.

 

[edmanster]

I've bottled whole batches for friends in 2ltr bottles!! I do use the beer gun for it... I also force carb a little higher than what the style calls for.. I store old starsan in my 2ltr bottles also so there has never been any smell or taste imparted into the brew.. The last one I did for a friend was a hefe.. I bottled it a little young but it aged well in his fridge.. I had a taste 3 months after I gave them to him.. It's going on 5 months now and he says he still has 2 left.. A 2ltr is about a pitcher and a half (shh, that's how I brown bag for bowling)

 

[bullinachinashop]

I figure if I bottle up about 10, I can easily transport them and have plenty of beer for my trip.

I was really wondering if, other than being careful with light exposure, there are any other negatives?

Bull

 

[edmanster]

This if from another thread

They work fine. The only caution I have is to not use a "smelly" soda bottle, like Dr. Pepper or root beer as that smell NEVER comes out!

Also, I'd prefer 1L bottles because when you bottle you get some sediment in the bottom of a bottle. Generally, you pour the beer in one pour, and pour off of the sediment so you don't jostle around the sediment and get a beer that has crud in it. If you have a serving pitcher, you'd pour into a pitcher and serve from there. But a two liter volume is generally too much to pour out in a single pour.

When you bottle with soda bottles, just make sure to keep them in a dark place and screw the lids on nice and tight. When you squeeze them, and they are hard, they are carbed up. Then you can chill them as needed.

So basically if you carbonate in them you will have sediment and will want to pour as much as you can before kicking it up!

 

[Howie]

Personally, I'd consider going with these

500ml Amber PET bottles

Also, I've used the carbonator cap before with the 1L Dasani water bottles. They are a nicer size (easier to transport) than the 2L bottles, and no issues with smelling like soda. Those 1L water bottles used to be pretty sturdy, not sure if they are now or not.

 

[Howie]

I sure hope you are no gonna fly with 2L of homebrew...

This reminds me of a story I read years ago online about a guy that tried to carry two corny kegs for his week long vacation on a cruise ship. If I recall, the port authorities went in to crisis lockdown mode when they saw sealed pressurized containers. Pretty funny story.

 

[TheG3RG]

I would need to get a CO2 tank to do it with those kind of caps..... might just invest

 

[starman]

...

Problem is, finding something that I can bring to the beach (cans) and not dealing with disposal or glass. ...

I can take one each day to the beach, pour into a plastic cup and in the end, through everything away!:rockin:

Thought are welcome.

Bull

Not going to win any stealth awards but what about 5L mini keg with gravity tap? Its not glass, light proof, and compact compared with 1l or 2l bottles.

You keg so it'd be easy to purge & fill from your cornie. I made a little DIY Carbonator Bung that should be cherry with a real CO2 tank.

You can reuse kegs or buy new for about $12 each.

 

[turkeyjerky214]

I actually never knew that glass wasn't allowed on the beach. Makes sense, but I've done it my past couple times there without hassle.

I always enjoy a light, skunky Landshark with a lime. This year, though, I'm planning on brewing up something light to take with me. I didn't like my Party Pig the first time I used it, but I might have to give it another shot so I don't have to worry about glass.

Also, I don't know what the law about alcohol on the beach in Florida is, but I've talked to officers with a Busch Light in hand and had no problem.

 

[JesseRC]

Although summer vacation is still far away,
I'm thinking of bringing 2 liter soda bottles filled with homebrew.

I can fill off my kegs ahead of time, adjust pressure if needed with a carbonater cap and take with me to the beach. Once there, I'll just store them in a cooler or refrigerator.

I can take one each day to the beach, pour into a plastic cup and in the end, through everything away!:rockin:

Bull

I've already conceptualized this idea many years ago and have yet done it. I thought about doing just this and bringing it on my boat. Here's what I'm thinking.

-Fill up your 2 liter bottles. Adjust/carbonate with Carbonator caps. Leave carb cap on
-create a picnic tap but use a grey disconnect so you can connect to the carbonator cap. I'd use a short picnic tap with 2 epoxy inserts.
- Then just position 2 liter bottle upside down when pouring a beer.
-You can purchase a co2 hand charger, but you may not need it.

 

[Special Hops]

^ I already have one so thats not an issue.

You will need one carbonator cap for each soda bottle

 

[fletchsj]

check these out...

http://www.bottless.net/32oz_1L_PET_Beer_Bottles_s/584.htm

I've brought samples into my LHBS in anything from 1L coke bottles to gatorade bottles. But, I'd totally go with something like those. They can even screen print your own logos on them

 

[JesseRC]

You will need one carbonator cap for each soda bottle

If he caps the bottle on foam, he'll be fine. I would probably take atleast 2 with me, just so I can carb up/top off the night b4. Say he takes 6 2L bottles with him, he can put the carb cap on 2 of them the night before and use a co2 hand charger just to top up co2.

 

[edmanster]

You won't need carb caps or worry about sediment if you force carb in the keg and fill your bottles with the beer gun or even the "we need no stinking beer gun" method (search it)... And that's just a picnic faucet with a piece of racking cain.. I don't use it with the stopper, I use it like the beer gun but I have a separate cylinder with a nozzle on it so I can blanket the bottom of the bottle and a little on top before I cap!! I do have the beer gun now but I have glass bottles I filled over a year ago with the "we need no stinking beer gun" that are as good as the commercial beer gun.. I did counter pressure filling also but that is awkward and disastrous!!

 

[Jawbox0]

Vacation is one time I always make sure to hit up the local liquor store for beers I can't get locally.

However, if you can manage to get the root beer smell out, Dad's Root beer makes perfect brown 1L bottles for home brew. I keep a few around for times when I want to bring beer, but a 2l is just too big.

 

[Tamarlane]

How are the Florida beaches with alcohol?

It is prohibited with a few exceptions but enforcement is not that vigorous if you are being as discreet as you are planning to it will not be an issue

 

[Special Hops]

If he caps the bottle on foam, he'll be fine. I would probably take atleast 2 with me, just so I can carb up/top off the night b4. Say he takes 6 2L bottles with him, he can put the carb cap on 2 of them the night before and use a co2 hand charger just to top up co2.

Yea I guess that will work but he'll need to bring the CO2 tank or at least cartridges.

 

[bullinachinashop]

Wow, I haven't checked this in a while.

Here is the way I look at it;

1) Save 2L soda bottles that won't negatively affect the flavor for the stlye being filled with. Buy new caps from LHBS.

2) Fill bottles from keg, 1-2 weeks ahead of time. After each fill, adjust pressure with carb cap for 1-2 days. Remove carb cap and install new cap.

3) Transport the bottles in a cooler to our vacation home. Move bottles to the refrigerator.

4) Each day, pack 1 bottle in the cooler with the other refreshments. Bring along red or blue plastic cups to pour beer into.

5) Open, Pour, Drink, Repeat! I'll loose some carbonation from start to finish, but no more than with a growler.

6) When each bottle is finished, I'll save the cap for re-use and through away the bottle.


Each bottle will give me about 4 nice size glasses so taking a bottle to the beach for a 3-4 hour time period should be perfect.

I can repeat the process in the evening if we're staying in or after getting back from dinner.



Bull

 

[Disintegr8or]

7-Eleven cups are good to hide beer in on the beach, since 99% of them are no alcohol.

I use a 24oz Bubba Keg myself.