Moving Wine

Well, we did it. Yesterday SWMBO and I closed on a new house in Oakland, TN, about 15 miles east of where we live now. My question is does anyone have recommendations for moving full carboys in a car without spilling them all over the seats?

Just don't do it. Beg, borrow, or rent a 2 wheel trailer or elese here's what will happen. As Peter Z stops at a stop light the guy behind him has jumped in his car after sampleing his latest micro brew. With the cell in one hand, a glass of beer in the other driving with his knees he hits Peters car loaded with two carboys in the front seat, three in the rear seat, and 3 in the trunk. The impact throws the two carboys seat beltedtogether against each other breaking both. The three in the back seat take the impact a bit better but cracks one up the side. The three in the trunk are still ferminting, and the impact causes them to explode, blowing the trunk lid up in the air back over the micro brewers car and landing on the hood of a Tenn. State Trooper. Peter Z gets hauled off for bootlegging, his car put in impound, and the rest of the wine is consumed by 10 Mexicans diging a foundation for a house to be built across the street.

I can't top Tomy and considering all the thoughtful advice you've given me, I have to be serious.
Use a solid bung and wire it down to the neck of the carboy like a champagne cork.Pack around with bedding (your wife will want new stuff anyway so a little wine stain won't hurt!)and off you go. If you can score a van, do the same thing with a dozen carboys or what ever you can sardine in. I have a pick-up truck so could assist with at least twenty carboys if need be. Appleman will probably help too. To bad Waldo isn't in on this...


Congrats on the new place. Hope it has adequate cellaring space! BTW where on the priority list was cellaring space?

I think you are getting lots of sound advice here....


If you could get plastic crates [Like those squaremilk crates you see behind stores .......or those plastic crates for holding file folders]and put each carboy in a crate would sure help stabilize them during the move....A van or pickup is a must....... Surely you aren't moving everything in your car.....

Northern Winos said:

I think you are getting lots of sound advice here....


If you could get plastic crates [Like those squaremilk crates you see behind stores

.......or those plastic crates for holding file folders]and put each carboy in a crate would sure help stabilize them during the move....A van or pickup is a must....... Surely you aren't moving everything in your car.....

Click to expand...

No he's not moving everything in the car, but he wants to transport the most important things there- his wife, himself and all the little boys(that's why he needs the car- for the carboys). NW's suggestion is what I was going to give you also. The milk crates are a perfect size for transporting the carboys. They fit right in them snug, are flat bottomed so they don't tip if you stop suddenly and have handles for carryingthem. Pickups and vans do work best. Get a buddy from work for an hour or so and give him a few bottles.

NW gives great advice! When I moved into my current place, we had to move 14 full carboys, and close to 70 cases of wine. I let the movers deal with the wine I boxed up into the cases, but we moved the carboys full with airlocks attached. We did "borrow" some milk crates that make lifting, and riding with them much more stable! I placed 6 in the back of my SUV, drove to the new place, and walked them into the new wine room. Easy as that, and not a drop spilled. Those milk crates really do stabilize full carboys well.

Peter, we have an SUV so it was pretty easy. I just put an orange carboy cap on the carboy and set them in the back storage area. I would say it should not be an issue if you used the orange cap, the milk crates as suggested and set them in the seat no further than you are moving. I moved a full carboy in the car I used to have once easily as I could slide the passenger seat all the way back and the carboy sat on the floor in front of the front seat.

Peter

In Winemaker magazine (not in front of me at the moment), I remember seeing a grid system for sale for moving carboys without spilling using a pickup truck. I'm going to guess that if the carboys are the same size, a little bit of plywood, some measuring and cutting and you'd be on your way. You could use the grid not only for stability, but also for keeping any 'blank spots' from interfering with your carboy transportation operation.


In a car, depending on how many trips you're making, a seatbelt normally works pretty darn well, but that may mean that SWMBO will be driving and you'll be in the back hugging a second carboy, Peter, as the shotgun position works really well. Don't forget blankets to wrap and carboy caps.


- JimEdited by: JimCook

I would sure get lawn sized garbage bags to set them in and twist tie, just in case. Congrats on the new place!

When you get ready to make the move peter jusy let me know and i'll bring my pickup over buddy.

Ya might want to get a few of those square sings with precious cargo on board.Also check local laws ,the redneck sheriff department down here would have all three cars(one from each county)on scene.and if you let any one from the forum help you may want the police to escort them to the new house. Peter Z this is mud I seem to have gotten lost in the south bound traffic....good luck!! Whens the big move taking place?

plastic milk creates,solid corks,can't go wrong

Thanks everyone. I only have two carboys (full) to move, and could reduce that to one if I buy another carboy and some bottles. Current target move date is Feb 11 for the main move but I want the wine moved in before that.


There were several things that convinced me to buy this house. In no particular order were a gas stovetop with double wall ovens, a three car garage (I can keep my workshop and still park in the garage), and a wine room that I will share with the dogs. In the wine room I get half the room and all the closet. The closet will be divided into half bottled wine storage and half bulk aging space.


Before the move I have to pull up the carpet in the wine/puppy room and have a tile guy lay tile. There is tile in the hallway that leads to this room and the builder left enough of the same tile behind (and grout) to carry the same tile into the room. I'll keep the carpet to cut up into small pieces to rest carboys on to prevent breakage.


I'm thinking that I will just put the two carboys on the back seat of my car, sit in the middle holding on to both, and have SWMBO drive to the new house. It's only a 20 minute drive.


We have lots of friends with pickups and trailers, so a lot of the small stuff will move over the next few weeks. Feb 11 is the target date to have the movers come for the big stuff.


Waldo, if you want to come up and help you are certainly welcome. Just warn me in advance so I can hide what little wine I have bottled.