Why Does Some Beer Travel Well, And Other Beer Doesn't?

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Spork

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Hi AHB'ers.

I recently went to NSW south coast for a few weeks, and I took a couple of batches of HB with me.
Both were all grain recipes, a DSGA and an AIPA. The AIPA used a similar grain bill as the DSGA, but with more grain. It was obviously hopped to a higher (70ish) IBU. Both were made with the same yeast (US-05). Similar fermentation regiemes. Both were bulk primed. The DSGA was only bottled in November. The AIPA had been biottled in September. Apart from that, both were made and bottled with very similar processes.
Both were good to drink, BUT: the DSGA was well carbed and held its head for the duration. The AIPA on the other hand was flat! Out of 15 bottles, one had some fizz. The rest had bugger all. I also took a couple of bottles of oatmeal stout, which were fine (and carbed) and the summer Beer Masons box, all of which seemed to travel OK.

I thought I must have forgotten the sugar when I bulk primed the AIPA, but I still had a few bottles at home, and they have been well carbed and held a good head throughout.

So, why does one batch of beer loose carbonation when transported (by road and sea - no 'planes) but another, handled exactly the same, stays fizzy?
 
haha.
Maybe I didn't eat my wheeties the morning I bottled the AIPA.
Hmm. Come to think of it, I think I did use different crown seals for the 2 batches.
Still doesn't really explain why one lot didn't loose the CO2 in transit but the other lot did.
 
The only thing I can think of is the difference in crown seals. The vibration of the bottles may have caused some micro leaks around the seals of the caps letting the pressure of co2 out.
 
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