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I have 4 beers I need to transport (I'm moving), 3 of which are currently aging.

One of them is currently on tap. I don't think I'll worry too much about it.

The other three are wild ales, one is kegged, the other two in carboys, each with about 1 year of age. I'm worried about the effects of splashing, specifically contamination and oxygenation, does anybody have any experience doing this? I'm also worried that disrupting the pellicule will cause issue.

The 2 beers in carboys are pretty sour, but low alcohol, I'm planning of adding some dark malt extract and repitching some ale yeast to bring up the body and abv, so I'm thinking I can possibly suck up some of the oxygenation with refermenting. Also I know some bugs actually like oxygen, so maybe they'll help too.

The 1 kegged beer is already carbonated - I've been having a glass every month or so to see how the flavor changes over time, could transport be a non-issue with this?

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There is no need for oxygen concerns if the beers are in sealed containers with airlocks. The fermentation pushed out the Oxygen a long time ago and any residual CO2 in the beer will likely push out any more O2 if that wasn't the case.

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  • I have pulled samples using a wine theif
    – PMV
    Commented Dec 29, 2011 at 20:45
  • The headspace is still mostly CO2 so don't worry about it.
    – brewchez
    Commented Dec 31, 2011 at 20:31
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Keep in mind that the agitation of moving them will release CO2 that's in solution in the beer now. I wouldn't worry at all about moving them.

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Given that you've opened the vessels, there is almost certainly going to be oxygen in there. I would move after re-starting fermentation so that can help absorb any oxygen or displace through active CO2 production. That way you can be sure any motion doesn't negatively affect the beer.

Even if you hadn't opened the ferementors, I'd still be careful. Although most of the oxygen is purged during fermentation, some will re-enter if there are high to low temperature fluctuations or changes from low to high atmospheric pressure - both of these events can cause air to be sucked in through the airlock.

You can transport your carbonated kegged beer if you purged the keg before filling it. The only issue there might be rousing any sediment, making the beer cloudy. Cold crash the keg at your new place for a couple of days and it should clear quickly.

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