Each bottle gets bubble wrapped. Then I tape the bubble-wrapped bottles together, so they don't flop around too much. Then I put them in a garbage bag, just in case. Put the whole deal in a sturdy box, then top off with styrofoam peanuts. This has always worked for me, and I've had no complaints from sendees.
The trick is to set things up to avoid the bottles clanging together and also from them being pushed on from any side of the box.
Here's what I do:
I put each bottle in its own ziplock bag.
Then the bag gets a layer of thin bubble wrap.
Then the bubble wrapped bottles go into a 6 pack holder.
Then I add another 6 pack holder upside down to cover the necks. (these 2 6 pack holders may need to be cut a little so that they'll fit together)
Then this "box" gets bubble wrapped (you can put it in a garbage bag before bubble wrapping it if you want to) and put into the bigger shipping box, with enough newspaper and bubble wrap so that nothing rattles.
Use UPS.
On the outsides of the box, write "Fragile - Non-Perishable Food". That is usually enough to avoid the big question 'What's in the box?'. If they ask, you tell them "Live yeast samples", which is not a lie.
Wrap each bottle with 3 layers of bubble wrap. Pull a layer or two of bubble wrap over the bottom and top of each bottle. Double wrap them with plastic grocery bags. layer all sides of the box with bubble wrap. Place the bottles inside so that they fit sturdy. Fill any loose space with newspaper... although I use scrap cloth. Completely layer the outside of the box with packaging tape. I mail via USPS with no problem. I sent my Brichards700 two boxes this way from Washington-Upper Michigan with no breakage.
Also, during the winter, be careful shipping through areas that reach freezing temperature.
I am sure there are other ways. I know that wine stores sometimes sell styrofoam tubes for wine bottles and these work perfect for 650 and 750 mL bottles.
ve used UPS a couple times andno problems. Just make sure to wrap them in bubble wrap, and stuff the box with newspaper or peanuts, or some sort of medium so that the bottles dont move. Securing them in a ziplock is a good idea too. When printing the UPS shipping labels for the wine I shipped last week i put fruit juice concentrate as the listed shipments.
