• Welcome to the new forum! We upgraded our forum software with a host of new boards, capabilities and features. It is also more secure.
    Jump in and join the conversation! You can learn more about the upgrade and new features here.

Flying with bottled homebrew

Mofo

Grandmaster Brewer
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
Messages
113
Reaction score
0
Location
Fujian, China
Does anyone know what effect flying has on a beer's carbonation? I brought a few bottles on a two-hour flight for the in-laws to sample. The first, opened after resting in the fridge post-flight for half a day, was nothing but head. I chalked it up to its time spent in a suitcase. The second, opened after days of resting in the fridge, did nearly the same.

Carbonation comes from pressure, so I'm sure the flight has an effect. Will the beer slowly absorb the excess CO2? Does the fact that it's bottle conditioned exacerbate the problem? And why doesn't it happen when I fly other bottles back home? My last trip, I went home with several bottles of Cantillon gueuze lambic bio, and opened one the night I returned without incident.

What's the science involved?
 
Not really much new science, either yeast eat stuff and make co2. This could include wild yeast that acclimated while the bottle was warm. Or perhaps the warm released co2 from solution and it's a slower process to re-dissolve (think how force carbing takes weeks). The beer was probably carbed on the high end of the spectrum.
 
i have had dozens of bottles of beer that were in in checked luggage.  The beers traveled from Belgium, Germany, and across the US.  None have suffered carbonation issues.  If it is homebrew, it could be a capping issue.  Could be a good seal but not a great seal.
 
Back
Top