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Cold Weather Trading

Discussion in 'Trade Talk' started by Prospero, Dec 18, 2012.

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  1. Prospero

    Prospero Pooh-Bah (2,606) Jul 27, 2010 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Hi, I'm trading with someone in MT (34-45'F as high, 16-25'F as low) from Denver (today 46'F/21'F, tomorrow 28'F/9'F) and it has me nervous that the bottles will freeze and burst if I ship FedEx or UPS Ground. Does anyone have experience with this? Is it safe? Should I wait? Just have the boxes held at FedEx locations until we can pick them up?
     
  2. Envelopes

    Envelopes Initiate (0) Aug 26, 2012 Ohio

    It's the being-here-when-it-arrives-so-it-doesn't-sit-on-the-porch-for-hours part that worries me. I've got a bottle of Fou' Foune coming through USPS this week/next week and I'm probably going to be late to work every day waiting for the mail to get here before i leave.
     
  3. CityofBals

    CityofBals Initiate (0) Sep 12, 2012 Illinois

    Wouldn't the beers have just as likely of a time freezing in a cold truck overnight as they would on a cold porch?
     
  4. Envelopes

    Envelopes Initiate (0) Aug 26, 2012 Ohio

    Great, now I'm more paranoid!

    I would think being in an enclosed area and tightly packed with other boxes might be a little better. Needless to say it's definitely my last trade of the season.
     
  5. maximum12

    maximum12 Grand Pooh-Bah (4,662) Jan 21, 2008 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Shipping when it's below freezing is never perfectly safe.

    However, I've traded throughout Minnesota winters for several years with only a single incoming casualty. Ask yourself a few questions before you ship:
    - How cold is it? My rule of thumb is no single digits while the box is traveling.
    - Where's it going? If it's 50 in NY & 70 in CA, it just might go through Chicago...
    - What you trading? Hi ABV beers will survive when that 4% session beer explodes.
    - Who's home? Somebody already mentioned this...once it arrives, get it inside.
    - When you sending? In the winter never, ever, ever ship anything if it's not Monday morning.
    - Weekends are killers...see above. Don't let anything sit in a truck over the weekend.
    - How valuable is it? I'd save those Blaebers & '09 BTs for spring or fall, personally.

    There you go. Your results may vary, but I've only had one incoming bottle & zero outgoing bottles kill in the past 4-5 winters. Watch the weather, pack well, send on Monday, you *should* be OK.
     
  6. Prospero

    Prospero Pooh-Bah (2,606) Jul 27, 2010 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Packed well, I used a trash bag and packed the borders with foam padding which may help with insulating it so it doesn't experience extreme temperature changes. I'll hold it at my FedEx location and ask that the trader do the same, and hope for the best. All bottles are above 9%. Thanks for all the input!
     
    FishPondManager likes this.
  7. hooliganlife

    hooliganlife Pooh-Bah (1,697) Apr 12, 2007 Missouri
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I have had a lot of beer freeze, none was ever on my front porch. It's the cold back of a trick.
     
    dbc5 and CityofBals like this.
  8. ArrogantB

    ArrogantB Grand Pooh-Bah (3,224) Jun 9, 2006 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I had a bottle of Cantillon Monk's Cafe freeze on my doorstep once, it leaked and I had to defrost and drink immediately. I don't think I've had anything shipped to the house since.
     
  9. tbadiuk

    tbadiuk Pundit (790) Feb 9, 2009 Canada (MB)
    Trader

    Hopefully not a thread de-rail here, but - on a related note, anyone have any experience shipping/trading from Europe (say, Antwerpen,Be where the temps are above freezing) to the U.S. in the winter? For example, if I ship to Arizona from Antwerpen will my box get stuck in any of the 'cold' states for any significant period of time?
     
  10. hooliganlife

    hooliganlife Pooh-Bah (1,697) Apr 12, 2007 Missouri
    Pooh-Bah Society

    i HATE trading in super hot summer and winter. fall and spring, go fucking mental and TRADE HARD
     
    Beerontwowheels and MordorMongo like this.
  11. hooliganlife

    hooliganlife Pooh-Bah (1,697) Apr 12, 2007 Missouri
    Pooh-Bah Society

    i doubt it, planes will temp controlled. it will hit a customs joint at the airport. most likely NYC or chicago. from there it will be be a flight from NYC to arizona, so again all air.
     
  12. tbadiuk

    tbadiuk Pundit (790) Feb 9, 2009 Canada (MB)
    Trader

    What if we're cheap bastards and send by boat? :sunglasses:
     
  13. loony4lambic

    loony4lambic Initiate (0) Nov 26, 2012 California

    Haha im the same way, Good thing I have no job. I usually meet the delivery guy at the driveway.
     
  14. Shmeal

    Shmeal Initiate (0) Nov 9, 2009 Oregon

    I shipped to AK recently and the box was fine.
     
  15. cbeer88

    cbeer88 Initiate (0) Sep 5, 2007 Massachusetts

    I won't ship if it is going to go below 28. Either here or in destination, and I try to be aware of the route.

    Winter trading can be done, you just need to be super careful. Even if your beers arrive fine, they may have frozen and defrosted in transit, which is bad for the beer.
     
    MordorMongo likes this.
  16. hooliganlife

    hooliganlife Pooh-Bah (1,697) Apr 12, 2007 Missouri
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Although I hate it, try to avoid it, the beers that have frozen on me, have always tasted 100% fine.
     
  17. cbeer88

    cbeer88 Initiate (0) Sep 5, 2007 Massachusetts

    My understanding is that the biggest risk is exactly how frozen it gets and then how gently it thaws out. i.e. if it hovers from slightly freezing to just above it probably will be fine. If it plummets to 0 for 3 days though and then immediately goes into a heated truck, you could have problems...

    Even then I'm not sure how much it affects the taste as much as the appearance and carbonation. And it also puts you at risk of a bottle cracking or a cap leaking/blowing...
     
  18. hooliganlife

    hooliganlife Pooh-Bah (1,697) Apr 12, 2007 Missouri
    Pooh-Bah Society

    That's why I hate it, the risk of a cap or cork busting. As far as freezing goes, if never encountered a bad bottle or off flavors.
     
  19. Envelopes

    Envelopes Initiate (0) Aug 26, 2012 Ohio

    You guys sure didn't help me sleep last night but the bottles arrived safe and sound without any signs of cracks or leaking. They weren't even cold! Definitely the last trade until the thaw though.

    I can't see it being worth risking it any further into the cold months. Kind of hard to predict a path, too. My last time with this trader the box went straight to Columbus and was sorted here, this time it landed in Chicago for a little while first. Mail is weird and unpredictable - especially in winter.
     
  20. hoppytobehere

    hoppytobehere Pooh-Bah (1,982) Aug 10, 2012 District of Columbia
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I've got some fresh Surly Abrasive (9% ABV) sitting on the porch at home overnight. I'm out of town right now. Think it will survive the night with temps dipping down to 27 F?
     
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