Transporting then storing homebrew.

[Asahikun]

I read on another thread that someone who had received a couple of bottles of homebrew through the mail was going to store them in a cool, dark place for a couple of days before putting them in the fridge.
Is there any reason why you shouldn't put them straight in the fridge or is it a good idea to let the sediment settle before cooling them? How long does it usually take for the sediment to settle?
Sorry if these are rather silly questions but I plan on bringing some bottles to a friend over Christmas.

[paul84043]

No, there's no special reason. You could put them straight into the refrigerator.
You should be able to look at them and tell how agitated they got in transit.
A day or two should be more than enough to be able to pop them open...

[Asahikun]

Thanks for the reply.
A day or two - wow, I didn't think it would take that long.
Please understand my impatience; I've been putting aside several bottles from each batch I brew to share with the guy who got me into brewing at Christmas. I wanna be able to sample them with him as soon as possible.
I'll try shaking up one of my bottles and then see how long it takes to settle.

P.S. The lucky guy will have 5 or 6 different types to try.

[S.F.B.]

Originally posted by Asahikun
A day or two - wow, I didn't think it would take that long.
Please understand my impatience; I've been putting aside several bottles from each batch I brew to share with the guy who got me into brewing at Christmas. I wanna be able to sample them with him as soon as possible.
I'll try shaking up one of my bottles and then see how long it takes to settle.

No worries if you are going to be driving them yourself. Just transport them upright in a box so they don't fall over and roll.

[Asahikun]

I'll actually be going by streetcar, bullet train and then local train so I'll just have to make sure they stay upright - which I would have done anyway. They're bound to get shaken up some though.
I shook up a bottle about 24 hours ago and only the top inch or so has cleared - so it seems that a seriously shaken up bottle will take several days to clear. That was news to me!