Gusher??

I've brewed and bottled close to 30 batches, and last night I experienced my first "gusher" bottle. The foam volcano erupted as soon as I popped the cap, and consumed most of the bottle. I previously opened 15 bottles from this batch with no issues.
The details: the bottle in question has been in the fridge for 7 days. It was brewed 10/10, and bottled 11/10. IIPA (OG 1.074, FG 1.018) finished on the high end of the expected range....but not out of the predicted range. So far the other bottles have been carbonated about right.

This isn't my best beer, so I won't be giving any away or serving it to many guests....but I'm curious what to expect with the remainder of this batch. Is the gusher infection usually "caught" by an entire batch...or just a few bottles? I am a bit worried about the 4 batches I've bottled since 11/10.

I am planning a full extra effort clean and sanitize session with all my equipment....and maybe new tubing and bottling wand.

Could just be a bad bottle. You'll know when you open the next one.

So far just the one bottle. My hope is that it was just an infection in that bottle. I am planning the extra cleaning session to be safe.

I guess that is my question. All the threads I've read on the subject seem to have more systemic issues. An infected bottle here and there seems possible (maybe even likely) even with a solid process....but I have not read about "occasional" gusher bottles. Is this common? I am trying not to worry too much.

I've had bacterial and wild yeast infections, never had it in "just one bottle here and there".

Could have been a headspace issue, a tiny tiny bit of extra primming sugar in that bottle, a tiny clump of DME or corn sugar even. If the rest are ok I wouldn't worry. Heck of an excuse to open a few more don't ya think??

Hard for me to say as I keg, but I've had one gusher infection in 11 years and that was in a 4 1/2 year-old barley wine.

How did that beer taste/smell? Infections usually have a horrible nose.

estricklin said:

How did that beer taste/smell? Infections usually have a horrible nose.

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Honestly...I just poured off the foam, tossed the bottle in the trash....and wiped up the mess. I did give it a smell....didn't seem off. It was late...I simply opened another bottle...which was normal.