Diagnosing first beer problem

Hey all-

I brewed my first all grain beer about a month ago. Bottled it 2 weeks ago and just opened a few to see how things were going. The first two beers I picked both gave a big hiss and gushed out. They were very highly carbonated, similar to champagne. I picked a third one and opened it without problem. It tasted fine (wouldn't expect it to be finished after two weeks in the bottle).

I think I know the cause: when I was siphoning into the bottling bucket I poured the priming solution in halfway through the process but forgot to stir it. So it seems that I'm going to have some highly carbonated beers and some barely carbonated ones. So I have two questions:

1) Is is possible that this is something worse like an infection? I'm assuming it's related to priming since it's uneven across bottles and I know I forgot to stir it in
2) Is there any chance that after a few weeks in the fridge the carbonation will even out?

Thanks!

Probably not an infection. If the priming sugar did't get a chance to mix in, the some will gush while others are flat. I'd allow some more time, and let them sit in the fridge at least overnight to let the CO2 dissolve into the beer.

If the beer tastes fine then I wouldn't worry about an infection, but if it is an infection the longer it sits the worse it will get.

Either way I hope it turns out well!! If it doesn't, don't give up.

I think your diagnosis of not mixing is the problem and your questions are moot. By adding it halfway through without stirring, you basically added a bunch of sugar to the bottom of the bucket and then mixed that up with the rest of the incoming beer (and a little with the original amount). So, you'll end up with something in the neighborhood of 1/3 over-carbed, 1/3 ok, and maybe 1/3 under-carbed. Maybe. Don't quote me on the exact ratios.

Definitely no infection, you'd get an off flavor in addition to gushers. And on the second question, the yeasts have pretty much eaten all the sugar in the bottles so you're stuck with what you've got.

generally I find the act of racking beer over does a pretty good job mixing in priming sugar. I never stir my bottling bucket, just put the priming solution on the bottom and rack onto it. I suppose you could see some variability, but more likely you just need to wait longer. with fall here ambient temperatures have likely dropped several degrees, so it will take longer to get all your bottles carbed up and ready to go.

you know the speech: 3 weeks at 70*F minimum for full carbonation, chill in fridge 2 days to reabsorb all CO2, etc. RDWHAHB.

It's way too early to determine the cause, whether it be your priming sugar wasn't mixed thoroughly, infection, etc. Often times bottles gush anyway after 2 weeks because they aren't yet through the full carbing process. Wait another week or two at the least before worrying about anything. You are probably fine

SimonHucko said:

generally I find the act of racking beer over does a pretty good job mixing in priming sugar. I never stir my bottling bucket, just put the priming solution on the bottom and rack onto it. I suppose you could see some variability, but more likely you just need to wait longer. with fall here ambient temperatures have likely dropped several degrees, so it will take longer to get all your bottles carbed up and ready to go.

you know the speech: 3 weeks at 70*F minimum for full carbonation, chill in fridge 2 days to reabsorb all CO2, etc. RDWHAHB.

Click to expand...

I always forget to stir mine too, never had a problem though.