Bottled beer too carbonated

**Murray** · 12-23-2011, 04:02 PM

I made a clone of Brooklyn's Pennant Ale '55. The beer was bottled, and after around three weeks tasted fantastic. I have now had it "conditioning" for about 7 weeks, and each beer tastes more carbonated than the last. I attempted to carbonate to 2.3vols CO2, which is what I thought the style called for. There seems to be no risk of bottle bombs, but the extra carbonation gives a harsh-ish taste now (much hoppier too).

Is there anything I can do to eliminate this? Raising temperature? Opening the beer and leaving it to stand before drinking it? I still have around a dozen bottles left and I want the taste of three weeks ago back !

**RM-MN** · 12-23-2011, 04:09 PM

It's probably too late to do much about this now. You can try opening a bottle and letting it sit for a few minutes to get rid of the excess CO2.

To avoid this happening again, give your beer more time in the fermenter before you bottle. Your beer had some unfermented sugar when you bottled and it is adding to the carbonation.

**BierMuncher** · 12-23-2011, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RM-MN

...T o avoid this happening again, give your beer more time in the fermenter before you bottle. Your beer had some unfermented sugar when you bottled and it is adding to the carbonation.

^^^ Exactly ^^^

At this point I would refrigerate the remaining bottles to suspend any further fermetation in the bottles.

Serve these beers in an oversized glass (to allow for foaming) and give them a slightly aggressive pour into the glass to knock out some CO2.

Chingis74 · 12-27-2011, 02:38 AM

I would put all the bottles in the fridge to stop the conditioning process.

I agree with the other guys. Leave it in the primary longer to let those sugars settle out. Did you gravity reading settle out? I tend to take a reading and let it sit for a couple more days, then take another reading and if it is the same and stable, then I begin to bottle

**Murray** · 12-31-2011, 06:46 PM

Thanks Guys. I think you are correct. I think I took it out of the primary way too early. Interestingly I made another batch and have fermented much longer and also racked to secondary for a week or so. Will see how this one turns out. I finished the other batch though. Chilled it down, let it sit in the glass for a little while and drank every last bottle...!