How do you ship/transport your beers for competition?

[mikeyrb1]

We have been just shoving them in a box with some styrofoam and frozen gel bags saved from yeast shipments. Once I bought a cheap cooler and wrapped beers in t-shirt for the volunteers. We've also just brought a few cases, uninsulated and unpadded. We usually just drive them down to the drop point.

Just wondering what everyone else does and how it works out.

[STL Brewer]

We do the same with t's but always wrap bottles in bubble wrap and then seal in bags first. If one breaks and leaks then the whole box gets discarded. We also only ship via Fedex or UPS (USPS is illegal). We have been asked a handful of times what we're shipping despite printing off the shipping labels at the brewery. We always tell them it's a "yeast sample in a liquid medium". Seems to do the trick.

[HiImBrian]

^ Ha! I love the description.

I just shipped 4 bottles from CO to MN with no issues. Each bottle gets a ziplock baggy and rolled in bubble wrap. I like your thought of using gel packs, but I wonder if they stay cold long enough to keep the beer chilled until it arrives. What are your experiences?