Winter trading

Look at the trading boards to find out if most people take the winter off.

1. If you're trading in the winter, always ship on a Monday
2. Corollary to point 1: never let a box sit over a weekend
3. Don't ship if there will be persistent single digits along your route
4. Pay attention not only to the leave point & destination point, but the likely points in between
5. NEVER ship if it's going to be below zero
6. If it's below 20 degrees, don't let a box sit outside - have it held, or arrange for someone to bring it into safety
7. Double-boxing or extra packing will help insulate the beers a bit
8. Consider what you're trading, as high ABV beers will survive (i.e. freeze at lower temps) better than low ABV sours & other brews lighter on the alcohol

This is a perspective from living in Minnesota & conducting over 350 trades over almost nine years. I've lost only a single bottle in the winter all this time, & that was a low ABV beer that was caught in an unexpected below zero wave.

This post can be summarized in one phrase: use common sense & don't be stupid!

 

Plus as you are aware there are plenty of sections of this large country of ours that do not have sustained (daytime) temps in the 20s for long, and some never see 20's at all.
Just make sure to communicate with your partner.

 

I have a box on the way right now, just spend overnight in a place that got down to 11 degrees. Not only that, but a good number of the bottles are corked and caged 750ml bottles of 5.0% ABV beer. I think it's probably OK, but we are for sure in the "danger zone".

 

Thanks for that. I just had Kenny Loggins go off in my aural cortex.

 

I'm watching the shipment travel down the highway... the highway to the danger zone.
It's taking a ride into the danger zone.