Help Please, not sure if I have carbonating bombs.

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thetankfrank

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So I have made a porter, it took 9 days to ferment. I say 9 because after day 7 it was reading at a constant FG of 1.023. Now I added my priming sugar two days ago, and put them into bottles. Two are not traditional growlers, and the rest are these.

Non-Traditional Growler- Link

Traditional Growler Used - Link

I opened the non-traditional growlers, they are well carbonated already, and the second one, when opened, started rising as a beer would if shaken, which I sort of did when picking it up, almost overflowing.

Now I am happy and worried same time. Happy that carbonation is really happening, but wondering is this normal? Did I create a bomb? I checked the FG for 3 days before bottling, and nothing seemed to be a problem.

Picture of Beer.

65120_10151326101894728_240490938_n.jpg
 
I would keep an eye on them, maybe even put them into a big rubber tub, just incase the blow. Easier to clean that way.
 
I'm not sure, a Porter might end up with a slightly higher fg than a lighter beer. It seems that it was stable, but at 9 days I would still be almost 2 weeks from bottling day in my procedures.

After only a couple of days of bottle conditioning I would not expect anything consistent. Foaming is one sign that the carbonation is not fully absorbed into the solution properly. Wait another 3 weeks then try them.

I agree that to be on the safe side put them in a closed plastic storage box and probably wear leather gloves and safety glasses when checking them.
 
1.023 isn't unreasonable for a porter. I think you'll be ok. If the FG was stable for several days, it should be finished. In the future, give it more time to help the flavors clean up, let the yeast settle and ensure complete fermentation. The gusher bottle may be due to warm bottles and lack of conditioning. Try refrigerating your bottles before opening. How much sugar/type of sugar did you use for priming.

I didn't look at your links, but i wouldn't bottle carb in growlers in the future.
 
How much priming sugar did you use and what was your final volume of beer? Also, did you put it in the fridge for at least 24 hours before opening it? It needs time in the fridge after it is carbed for the CO2 to for it to go back into solution
 
That looks yummy! 9 days is awfully fast to be bottling. How many days in a row was it at 1.023? I rarely keg or bottle in less than 3 weeks, even if the gravity has stopped dropping. There are other things happening than just that gravity number moving down. Yeast re-absorb many off flavor producing compounds as they finish fermenting and settle into dormancy. Patience is a virtue!

If your beer were still dropping slowly you may well have bottled too soon from a "bottle bomb" risk standpoint. In my opinion, you definitely bottled too soon from a flavor potential standpoint. Next time wait until you get the same gravity reading at least 3 days apart, then wait an extra week. You'll be happy with the result...
 
Also... You need to give your bottles much longer : about 3 weeks, until they should be fully conditioned and ready for drinking.
 
Just to answer multiple questions.

A) Tastes Amazing, it was my first time brewing beer, my last batch I made was mead, and it still fermenting, almost at 30 proof! =)
B) I used corn sugar to prime and 5oz for the five gallons I made, 1 oz per gallon.
C) It stayed at 1.023 for 3 days consistently.
D) final volume was 10 half gallon growlers.

If I measure now should the Gravity be dropping due to new carbonation happening? And should I just open the bottle every other day to release some pressure?
 
Since no one mentioned it yet - Growlers are not rated for carbing beer!

Sure it can work, but it's a risk every time. Get some regular 12 or 22 oz bottles for next time. They are generally rated for 3+ volumes of CO2.

If you want to find out what happens when a growler explodes see:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/exploding-growlers-89246/

There are a dozen similar threads if you search for them. Revvy has done a post on several of them that explains all the why nots.
 
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