How to Pack and Ship Beer - The complete guide to Beer Mail

[@elefante_ua]

I'm not a homebrewer but I plan on shipping some Alabama craft beers to my brother-in-law in Maine. Thanks for the video!

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Tyler Brady Glad it was helpful. You sound like a great brother-in-law. Cheers!

[@kenl606]

Thanks Kevin! - Great Video - Sending Beer -mail is always worrying but not after watching your video - I will pass this on to all my friends very informative :) hope you enjoyed your beer you need that after all that packing :) Cheer!!

[@ClementsHomebrew]

I did enjoy the beer. I really don't worry about beer being damaged, but I do stick to my packing rules. Cheers

[@Dagonet29]

An invaluable video for any homebrewer in the community! Thank you and well done Clements Homebrew!

[@ClementsHomebrew]

You are welcome Cody. I tried to hit all the important point. Cheers!

[@TheBetterBeerAuth]

Very useful video. I've had some people send me beer mail and I was shocked that the bottles even survived.

[@ClementsHomebrew]

I could name an individual that we all know and respect... that packed beer pitifully! LOL Hopefully good tips for new and experience beer traders.

[@ASunnyDisposition]

Awesome video Kevin! A tightly packed beer mail can get through ALMOST anything! Great tips my friend.

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Short of playing football with your package, this tips will do it. Cheers Johnny!

[@DanABA]

I am glad I watched this before I shipped my pants. Great video, Kevin!

[@ClementsHomebrew]

LOL! Yes, you may use the US Postal service to ship pants.

[@patsfan1284]

I've shipped a ton of beers but even I found this informative. Great job Kevin!

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Thanks Joe. I guess I have a few years on you yet. ;-) Glad you found a gem or two. That's the goal.

[@chubbymermaidbrewing]

30 minutes of packing options, well done! by the ay you have ghosts the door opens and closes on it own ;) as i have always said baby diaper in the box for a leaker works well too, great video Kevin

[@ClementsHomebrew]

I have no doubt that a diaper works quite well... low appeal thought. LOL! Cheers Gary!

[@gusanson1134]

pro trick: you can watch movies at flixzone. I've been using it for watching a lot of movies lately.

[@xanderwestin7247]

@Gus Anson Definitely, I've been using Flixzone} for since november myself =)

[@MrSparty1995]

Thanks for the video Kevin, you did a great job going through all the proper points of packing. Cheers.

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Thanks James. I had been thinking about making the video, but winged half of it as I went along. I think I pretty much covered all the topics. This will be an amazing year. We are now looking at 3 and possibly 4 Hubs / Regional Semi-Finals in the US. A block buster year for every country! Cheers

[@Canadiansasquatchbrewery]

Awesome information! Thanks for posting this Kevin! Now we can all make sure our tasty beverages arrive safely! Cheers!

[@ClementsHomebrew]

That is definitely the goal. If I receive no broken bottles, it will be my full reward. Cheers!

[@cheshirehomebrew]

One word, BRILLIANT,DJ put a link to this,thanks for sharing, Kevin, Cheers mate 🍻,

[@ClementsHomebrew]

cheshirehomebrew You're more than welcome. I also recommend using "painters tape" on bubble wrap. It remove easily from the bubble wrap making it re-usable. Cheers!

[@richsworldbeertour7877]

Great ideas Kevin! Thanks!

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Hopefully it helps. So.... why haven't you signed up for the SJPORR Challenge???

[@richsworldbeertour7877]

***** My Brother-In-Law and I are working on a couple recipes. We decided to try to perfect them before we enter them in a challenge like this. We didn't want to send something "half-assed" but would rather send a good beer that people would like. I would think that one of my stouts will be entered next year!

[@beerloverTV]

Nice i like the idea of using a bag inside the box.For keeping the bubble wrap on the bottles and together i use a mini roll of shrink/ pallet wrap its small only 12 inch wide on a hand roller disoenser it comes of easy at other end .Good if you binding bottles together.Cheers

[@ClementsHomebrew]

True... any clear wrap product would probably do a great job holding beers tightly together. Great idea. Cheers!

[@DJsBrewTube]

See Kevin, I knew that we are kindred spirits. Your thorough packing technique mirrors mine as you know. This video does my packaging geek heart good. Great video. CHEERS!!! DJ

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Thanks DJ. Hopefully there were a lot of tips for both the novice and experience beer sharing beer geeks. And a few hidden gems to keep people entertained. Cheers

[@AceTeale]

This is a great bottle packing video .....Your a Packing Genius !!!!!!! thanks for this.....

[@ClementsHomebrew]

I don't know about genius... but loads of experience sure helps. Thank you very much!

[@SaintClairBrewing]

Great video and awesome tips. Will for sure be keeping all of this in mind.

[@ClementsHomebrew]

I put my years of experience into the video. Hopefully we will see no broken bottles this year. Cheers Matt!

[@SaintClairBrewing]

Went and set up my UPS account. Looked how much it would be to send a yeast sample large enough for the challenge and it wasn't to bad.

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Mad Bomber Brewing Excellent. I don't know how much it has changed, since I opened a commercial account. But know that it was cheaper for me then, a most people tell me it is still cheaper now to use a MyUPS account.

[@homebeerbrewery]

This is very usefull! Thanks for making and sharing this great video! Cheers

[@Reverendbus3]

Thanks good info. See you next time.

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Long video, but loaded with great tips. Cheers!

[@kellylyons1038]

I love your energy and enthusiasm! Im bout to ship some west coast beers to my friend on the east coast. How do you care for the beer after you receive it? Will it be extra fizzy when you open it? Should you let it sit for a couple days or can you enjoy it right away?

[@ClementsHomebrew]

I highly recommend letting shipped beers rest for 3 days. Beers do get shaken up and bottled conditioned beers stirred. You want to let the carbonation settle down, as well as allow any sediment to settle. Cheers!

[@underthetablebrewing]

Great video man! Very informative and complete. Cheers Kevin!!

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Thanks Nathan... and thank you. You'll be needing these tips soon!

[@theherbpuffer]

Its all about how you pack it. If you do it right, you should be able to toss it around a bit with nothing damaged. When in doubt, add more padding

[@ClementsHomebrew]

theherbpuffer Absolutely. The tighter you pack everything the better. The goal is no movement inside the box.

[@Skucey67]

great stuff Kevin ...great tips...cheers

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Thanks Martin. Long video, but hopefully it helps packages arrive safely. Cheers!

[@pfcbrewery]

Awesome and thank you! Paul should put this on the sj porr site.

[@ClementsHomebrew]

I'll mention it to him. Thank!

[@Time4Another1]

yerp I intend to put it up on the site, its a great video

[@Parmesana]

thank you for this information. I am shipping wine bottle windchimes and preserves to send.

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Glad it helped. A new tip... if you use bubble wrap. Tape bubble wrap with the "blue" paint tape. It holds secure, yet is easily removed by the receiver.

[@FPL-Tiger]

Great vid.......Depending on the expence and the availabillity...Heres a crazy idea, but you could use out of date "sugar puffs" cereal.....(or in date)......l..I know sounds crazy .....its very light ..so cheap postage and it sticks in between the bottles and acts like suspension.....sometimes you can get it cheap from shops when out of date ;) and you only need to use a small amount stuck to the bottles..........yes I hear people thinking crazy LOL......cheers really enjoyed the video.....hopefully I get to taste one of your beers in the SJpoor challange ;)

[@ClementsHomebrew]

I'm not to big on the "stuck to bottles" aspect, but provided they will not compress, they could be placed in plastic bags.... thus preventing them from shifting during shipping. Very creative!

[@FPL-Tiger]

Good luck with your sjporr beer ;)

[@pookanc]

Great Video Kevin! Several of those Popup Pics were a bit distracting though....lol. Cheers!

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Thanks Brad. The pop ups were supposed to "emphasize" the topics. I can't imagine how they could be distracting.

[@BlackSugar419]

very informative great video you dork. no seriously.. good video.

[@ClementsHomebrew]

+BlackSugar419 LOL! Thanks. Cheers!

[@BlackSugar419]

+ClementsHomebrew cheers!

[@BlackSugar419]

+ClementsHomebrew quick question, by making a ups account did you mean just registering or opening a shipping account?

[@ClementsHomebrew]

+BlackSugar419 You can create a UPS account for individuals online with UPS. (My UPS) The rate are cheaper than going to a UPS Store. Simply print onto plain paper and tape it to the box.

[@8BellsBrewing]

Just shipped a package with crushed newspaper and loose. Not feeling so good. Lol. Great vid. Any other tips for shipping abroad.

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Personally, when I ship out of the country, I label the box yeast samples. But it may depend on the country you are shipping to. I prefer to double box when shipping overseas, which substantially reduces the chance of breaking due to being dropped or crushed.

[@bizzybone420711]

awesome video. is it possible to ship 40oz bottles safely? if so how would u pack a box and stuff?

[@ClementsHomebrew]

bizzybone420711 Honestly... I've never packed a 40oz bottle of beer. Send me one and I'll make a video for you. ;) But seriously, the key is always the same. Give plenty of cushion room from side to side and top to bottom. But pack in such a way that the bottle cannot move within the back... this is the key! Do that and you will have no issues. Cheers!

[@bizzybone420711]

***** aiight thank u very much. cheers. :)

[@martyg8381]

excellent video!!!!

[@ClementsHomebrew]

+Marty G - Thank you much Marty. As always, I just hope the packing video is helpful. Cheers!

[@lightningfisher8177]

I think painters tape is a good option cheers.

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Love my blue tape. I use it on almost every bottle I ship. Easy to remove and for the recipient to use the bubble wrap again. Cheers!

[@marymargaretd]

Is it possible to ship beer cans safely?

[@ClementsHomebrew]

marymargaretd Yes. I've seen some poor packing on cans I've received. I think the key is to keep them separated and packed firmly. I would almost consider buying that spray foam you can buy in hardware stores. Make a mold using empty beer cans. Then cut the mold down the middle, removing the empty cans. Then replace them with your full cans. Custom packaging fairly cheap. If you have a soldering gun with a foam blade, it would cut the foam even cleaner. Cheers!

[@MisterBaker5]

I know this is serious... but I'm having a laugh. That is a great vid Kevin... hopefully it is linked on the SJPorr Challenge website. Cheers

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Just pushed it up on Facebook. I'll mention it to Paul.

[@Intermezzo1257]

So a tightly packed box is good? Who knew? :^D

[@ClementsHomebrew]

I do like them tight Mark!

[@HomeBrewNetwork]

Great Vid mate! Cheers!

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Thanks Gash. Cheers

[@DaveMcCann]

+Clementshomebrew Are there any pointers on shipping internationally?

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Actually, yes. I list the packages as "Yeast Samples". Occasionally I list them as "Antique Glass". If you choose to label it "Antique Glass" use this trick. Place a 1 or 2 small plastic water bottles with ridges inside. Place about 5 - 10 pennies in the bottles. You want to create the sound of broken glass. It serves 2 purposes. First, the noise covers the sound of liquid. But more importantly, Customs agents do not want to deal with opening and resealing a box if they believe it contains broken glass. ;) Cheers!

[@DaveMcCann]

Wow! That's awesome! Thanks! *****​

[@FishWaterBrewery]

Informative video! I disagree with using fragile labels. After shipping with UPS for many years, I found you may as well paint a target on the box, it will likely get thrown, dropped or ran over by a fork lift. UPS hires little punk college kids in their distribution centers, that play grab ass all night while loading trucks. The management does not seem to care! Just my opinion. :-)

[@ClementsHomebrew]

I've spoken to a number of people with your same opinion. I was in that camp for a while myself. Anything that was routed through the Dallas, TX area took a beating. In my region, UPS has improved on this quite. But if your area is still having issues, skip the labels and write letters to UPS. Cheers!

[@Sullybeerkits]

o sweet your sending me beer lol

[@ClementsHomebrew]

A whole case! ;)

[@Sullybeerkits]

lol i wish

[@ColoradoFlyFisherMan]

that was actually a very informative video. I used to be a "use to much tape person".... my brewery's name is Duct tape brewing. ps i think it is illegal to ship beer through the united states postal service.

[@ClementsHomebrew]

You are right on both counts Travis. The USPS doesn't allow shipping alcohol or any liquids for that matter. And you are in good company regarding over taping. I was there originally myself.

[@ClementsHomebrew]

Ha ha! Well... dat ass happens!

[@Wingfan13]

.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/Boxes/Kitchen-moving-boxes/Wine-Shipping-Kits?mid=169 This is the best way to ship beer. I have done it 100 times and never had an issue. I have reused these shippers up to 6 times before I had to retire them. They keep the bottles separated and upright. Great video for alternative shipping methods.

[@geetarzan69]

Would there be any problems with having the bottles turned on their side allowing the yeast to wash around inside the bottle? Or will an overnight stint in the refrigerator settle that yeast down?

[@ClementsHomebrew]

I generally let my bottles sit for several days before drinking them when shipped. As far as packing them upright versus on their sides... it doesn't really matter. If you watch any delivery service, you will see the boxes get rotated in every direction imaginable. So laying bottle on their side makes no difference. Cheers!