Transportation of unfermented wort across states

[Connor]

Hi Guys,

Were looking at sourcing our wort from a microbrewery for our first couple of years to keep costs down. The microbrewery is in Washington and we are located in California. Does anyone know the legalities of this kind of operation and what we would need to report?

Cheers,

Connor

[Donutboy]

Wow that is a long haul. I'd love to hear more on this as I live in a border town OR/WA. We plan on making our own washes but I've always wondered about cross that bridge.

[porter]

Sanitary transport from WA to CAL would be more the worry. You aren't transporting anything fermenting, so from previous posts, and other sites, you aren't transporting alchohol. It isn't a food product for human consumption either. In fact, farmers do it all the time with their molasses based products for feed additives. A couple of chain breweries transport from central location to their brew pubs just as you're talking about, but they do it chilled.

BUT.....how are you planning on keeping the sweet wort from fermenting from regular bacteria infection on the long trip? Refrigeration would work, but rather expensive for a startup. Can't you find a local brewery to work with?

Interested in how you're going to solve the logistics on this.

[Connor]

I'm sure we could find someone closer but the reason we are going with the one in WA is because they are very close friends of ours and the price would be almost negligible. Plus its an excuse to visit the Portland area every once in a while.... Its only an 8 hour trip between us though, so a very easy day drive. They are right on the border of OR/WA and we are in Northern CA. If the wort was chilled overnight before the trip I think it would make it home and we could pitch as soon as we rolled in. I think? Thoughts please.

So as far as legalities are concerned, this is completely doable? Would we have to even declare anything special on our taxes?