Traveling with uncarbonated beer... Am I crazy?

[Camnavo19]

I am going on vacation in late June, and I want to take some homebrew with me. I am flying and would like to not take a bunch of glass bottles, mostly for weight and fear of breakage concerns. So I had an idea that I think might work but wanted to run it by my peers.

My idea is this; when I keg a batch, put some of it, uncarbonated, into 2 liter coke bottles, and then squeeze all the air out of it and seal with the regular cap. Then when ready to drink, pour some of it from the big bottle into a 20 ounce pop bottle with a carbonatater cap (http://www.midwestsupplies.com/the-carbonater.html) and a co2 injector (http://www.midwestsupplies.com/compact-co2-injector-only.html) and shake the small bottle until it's carbonated, like you would shake a keg. In principle it seems like this might be a good option, it would be lightweight, less likely to break during travel, and could give you beer on demand essentially.

I know it wouldn't be good long term, and there's probably sanitation concerns with the "master bottle", but it would be 3-4 weeks between bottling and consumption, and it could be refrigerated for most of that time.

Am I missing something or might this work?

 

[Pratzie]

Could work but ur gonna wanna top off with some CO2 to purge the oxygen out of the headspace.

Also, and this may be more important, i dunno if u can travel with THAT MUCH liquid on a plane though.

 

[Camnavo19]

Well my thought was that I'd squeeze the bottle before putting the cap on so that the beer was actually coming out of the top, thus having no room for oxygen. This is actually what the instructions on the carbonater cap have you do anyhow, I just won't be filling it up with co2 right away.

Also, I'm checking bags, so the amount of liquid shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Cyclman]

Be sure to put the bottles in ziplocks or something, I travel for a living the airlines love to throw your bags. Hi from nearby Aurora.

 

[spaceyaquarius]

double or triple seal those things. i had a toothpaste tube explode in my suitcase one time.

 

[RoundKid]

Why not just carbonate the 2L bottles and skip the pouring step?

 

[pkrath84]

You can travel with the liquid in your checked luggage. If and when they inspect the bag though, they may wonder what kind of homemade concoction is in the open bottles.

 

[Epimetheus]

Maybe you can connect with some home brewers at your vacation area. Or mail it ahead of you and pick it up.

 

[nebulous]

Just print out the TSA page about liquid quantities in your check bag and put that in your bag. But honestly when I flew back from Arizona last fall I had a Growler in one bag, a 24 pack of cans in another bag and various bottles throughout the others so its not a big deal. It really only matters on international legs because you are crossing boarders

 

[njs170]

It will work. I use that same method to taste my beer at the bottling or kegging state. Be sure to pressure; shake; then open the bottle SLOWLY! Then repeat! Do it at least twice. Good Luck getting it on the plane!