Best time to transport wort in a car

Question

I'm planning on brewing my first batch of beer soon, but I will have to do the cooking part at my parents house, which is an hour drive away, and then ferment the beer at my apartment. At what stage in the process should I transport the wort? Before or after pitching yeast? And how long after I cool down the wort can I still pitch the yeast? I've read that the wort should be aerated before pitching yeast anyways, which is going to happen in some effect from splashing when transporting. That's why I feel that it would be best to transport it before adding yeast, any thoughts?

I'm quite flexible about the brewing and transporting times, eg. I can brew it and then transport it right after, but would prefer to brew in the morning and transport in the evening.

Answer 1

I don't think there is a "better" here. Certainly the drive will help aerate, but I wouldn't rely on it. Shake the fermenter well before pitching. 

On the other hand, jostling the already pitched wort shouldn't hurt unless you do so after fermentation starts to wane. At that point, aerating might cause introduce oxygen that the yeast won't clean up (and lead to oxidation).

Answer 2

I've conducted the mash and boil in one place and transported prior to fermentation in the past, with no issue. Yes, the drive will aerate some...but you will certainly need to aerate more prior to pitching your yeast, if you want to increase the chances of a healthy fermentation and less off-flavors. I would strongly suggest the small investment in a sintered stone and oxygen tank connector to properly aerate your beer, prior to pitch.

http://www.homebrewing.org/Oxynator-oxygen-regulator-and-diffusion-kit_p_1057.html

Answer 3

I suggest you transfer from kettle to a sanitized food grade 5 gallon cube and seal it for transport. When you are ready, pour wort into your fermenter, thereby creating aeration, pitch yeast, and seal. Clean and dry your cube immediately in readiness for your next effort.

This procedure should eliminate infection and oxidisation issues, and would enable you to use the no-chill method, thereby simplifying the process even more.