So not only are we expecting our first child any day now, but we are in the process of buying a home, set to close July 24.
In hindsight, it wasn’t very good planning to have around 100 gallons of beer/mead/cider sitting in the basement at any given time.
I only have 2 kegs and they are full.
Since June 1st(the first time we looked at the house we are going to buy) I’ve bottled 38 gallons. I have 58 gallons to go before moving.
I should take some pictures of the boxes and boxes of bottles.
Do people move full carboys? I didn’t think I wanted to take that risk/hazard. I figure boxes of bottles are a heck of a lot easier to move.
I have moved full carboys and/or buckets. It’s a PITA. I was worried the whole time, constantly looking at the beer all belted in the back seat. CAREFULLY going around corners. SLOWLY accelerating from a stop. worried the sun was too bright and was skunking the beer. I say bottle it if you have the time/energy/bottles. and do it quick cause once the baby comes you will not have any of the first two.
Sloshing around just doesn’t sound good. Bottled it will be for sure.
I’m taking 2 weeks off for the birth, but I realize I’ll be busy. I think I’ll have time to get it all bottled up.
Yeah, We just had our first… I say just cause I havn’t actually gotten to sleep since but it was actually about 29 months ago. (okay I have slept a little)
If it’s not in bottles before the kid comes you WILL be moving it in the carboy. I could be wrong but any free time I had once the kid came (I took 6 weeks off) was used sleeping or cleaning up poop.
We’ll see. I really don’t want to move carboys, and I can’t bottle 58 gallons in a day or two(my guess is tomorrow and her guess is thursday… her due date was this past saturday). We’ll see.
If you have to move the carboys, get milk crates to put them in. It will keep them from banging into each other and will make it easier to lift them (hopefully).
Since my kids arrived, I’ve almost gone exclusively to kegging. But you would need a lot kegs.
Best wishes on a healthy delivery. Enjoy your sleep now.
I’m amazed you have enough bottles for a hundred gallons. 8)
I say get crackin and rack it all ASAP. You probably won;t be drinking much after the kid comes but it will be nice to have a bottle available for any free daddy time.
I’ve been soliciting everyone I know who drinks and have been making regular stops at the recycling center.
Very interesting. I had to look that up. Hops are a galactogogue. They help stimulate lactation. Very cool. My wife has had small amounts of beer and wine through her pregnancy, and this will be reassuring evidence to continue. Although she’s not a huge hop head, she enjoys all I make.
I assume you had a home birth, morticai? We are having our baby at home. Unfortunately our midwife had to have emergency surgery just last week, so we had to get a new primary midwife, but all will work out well I think. Looking forward to everything from the birth to encouraging my wife in breastfeeding and yes, changing dirty diapers (and we’re doing cloth diapers to boot)
yeah it was a home birth. bummer to have your midwife who has been with you the whole time have to bow out at the last. I am sure the new one will be good to. We went with cloth and, while I can’t say I LOVE rinsing poop out of diapers, I don’t think dealing with mountains of disposables would be any better. cloth is way cheaper to. good luck! it’s an amazing experience and already being at home when it’s all done is really nice.
Do you have any friends who keg? They would likely kick in a keg or two to help you out or come over and help you bottle some of it. At least I would if a buddy called up in your situation. Two or three people filling bottles would speed it up quite a bit.
Good luck with all the changes in such a short time. I have 4 little ones (okay, so they are 18, 16, 14 and 11 now but they still seem little to me) and we still never have any time. We do get more sleep now though. 8^)
I’d agree with the idea of bumming some kegs off of people - if you’re in a club, that would be a good place to go. If not, maybe buy some used ones from local shops.
I’ve moved full carboys without problems though, it’s totally doable if you take precautions like they list above.
I only know a couple guys that keg and they don’t have any empties right now. And I’m too cheap to buy more kegs. I only started kegging because I was given my 2 kegs for free…
I’m almost half way. Bottled 8 gallons last night of 3 different meads, so only 50 gallons to go.
I’ve got enough clean bottles right now for about 3 5gal batches, so I can get those hammered out this week then this weekend another trip to the recycling center.
And yeah… party at my place. The majority of bottling has been of aged sours and meads. I have a ton of other varieties though as well.
I put a couple bottles of each beer I brewed for our child in the fridge last night. If it’s a boy, we’ll be uncorking Rune’s Barleywine. If it’s a girl, we’re uncorking Tele’s Belgian Quad.
So, I’m trying to understand how you had the money for 100 gallons of beer/cider/mead supplies and fermenters and nothing to bulk package them in? Only two kegs? Really? You must LOVE to bottle!
What do you have like 20 carboys? Or large high volume conicals? Maybe this has already been addressed, but I’m just trying understand your process.
I can’t imagine the scenario where 100+ gallons of fermented adult beverages is a problem! ;D
