First Bottle Bomb! Yeah, that was exciting.

So I made an experimental half-batch a while ago and it just wasn't very good. I wound up using most of it for cooking.

Problem was, I knew when I bottled it that I didn't mix the priming solution in at all. I took a little taste from the dregs of the bottling bucket and it was very, very sweet. That led to uneven carbonation.

I forgot about a bomber of that batch until last night when it went kablooey. That must have been one of the over-carbed ones. Fortunately it was in a closet and the glass was contained, but that was a hell of a boom. I was especially impressed with the practically powdered glass that was all over the wall. Lots of power in those things.

Yeah, lots of power indeed...the inch long scar on my forearm agrees

To both of you... where are the pics!

mattd2 said:

To both of you... where are the pics!

Click to expand...

Believe me...when it happened, I was in no mood to take pictures.

These posts make me want to wear my welding mask when I handle my bottles!

Jayhem said:

These posts make me want to wear my welding mask when I handle my bottles!

Click to expand...

Seen in the movies where they handle Nitroglycerin? Kinda like that.

Jon - glad you're ok. Have safety glasses?

There are two types of brewers:

Those that have had bottles bombs.....and those that will.

Kealia said:

There are two types of brewers:

Those that have had bottles bombs.....and those that will.

Click to expand...

+1 to that.

Still, broken glass is my #1 enemy in brewing. I'd rather have a spoiled batch before I go to the ER.

Luckily, my few bombs have taken place in boxes. I have yet to have one blow up in my hands. Only time will tell...

I've had one bottle bomb. Luckily it was contained in a box.

My bottle bomb decided to go off while I was trying to open it. Lots of glass shards to pick out of my hands. After my wife pulled them out and bandaged me up, I (carefully, with a towel over it) opened another one. It was perfectly carbed and help to dull the pain.

As my 1st batch since in my primary about a week out from bottling, I can't help but wonder....

how long until I manage to cause myself some troubles....

and how do I attempt to prevent it ?

Second batch I did was a nut brown ale. Bottle two cases and put them in the warm dark pantry. A few days later I was awoken at two AM by a long THUD! Grabbed my bat and started sneaking through the house looking for whoever was there. Walked by the pantry and instantly my foot was wet. Turned on the light and there was an ever-widening circle of brown liquid several feet across. Open the pantry and there is beer on the wall, the food, the door, everywhere. looked in one case and half dozen bottles are just piles of glass. Got towels, and emptied the cabinet. Started soaking up beer and I hear "honey is everything alright". "Go back to sleep, everything this fine". Two hours later, after mopping, cleaning the wall, wiping off the food, and restocking the pantry, I go to bed. "Ooh, you smell like beer". From then on, bottles condition in the garage. Never happened again.

When I was a kid in Libya, one guy made good beer, but we always opened them in a towel as far away as possible. None ever burst, but several fountains hit the ceiling. My cousin decided to ferment some grape juice in High School but put the lid on the bottle to keep things clean. He hid it in the garage. BOOM!

atimmerman88 said:

As my 1st batch since in my primary about a week out from bottling, I can't help but wonder....

how long until I manage to cause myself some troubles....

and how do I attempt to prevent it ?

Click to expand...

Keg your beer!

oakbarn said:

Keg your beer!

Click to expand...

I suppose that's the sure fire way to avoid the issue while simultaneously lightening the bank account

oakbarn said:

Keg your beer!

Click to expand...

7 kegs going and I'm still bottling beer. Either from a keg that needs more aging or beer that I want to save for later. I usually only get bombs from cider for the record. No keg-bottled bombs.

I just recently got a capper and glass bottles, maybe I should have stuck with PET bottles...

We never went the bottling route. We kegged our first brew. We now have 27 and will likely stop at 36.

I did get the Bowie Bottler and it works great for filling a bottle to give away.

atimmerman88 said:

As my 1st batch since in my primary about a week out from bottling, I can't help but wonder....

how long until I manage to cause myself some troubles....

and how do I attempt to prevent it ?

Click to expand...

Use good sanitation and the proper amount of priming sugar and you should be fine.

I bottle condition in 2 coolers. Snap the lid on and forget about them.