second batch bombs (56k Warning)

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Hebrews

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Location
Rocklin Ca
So i came home tonight to find beer on my kitchen floor and when i opened the cabinet where i was storing my bottles i found this....
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Sooo...upon consulting my new "how to brew" book (that i bought about 3 hours ago) i popped all the tops on the remaining bottles for around 30-45 minutes. I waited for all of them to stop foaming out the top and re capped.

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^^^this was the only one that did this continuing fiz after i'd popped the tops.

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after seeing that last pic i'm very glad they were contained in this cabinet.

So, they are 1 liter bottles. i added 2.5tsp of regular table sugar per direction from Mr.Beer himself.

My book says three possibilities. Wild yeast, too much priming sugar, and perhaps i bottled before fermentation was complete. I'm planning on getting better equipment before my next batch, but are there any suggestions? Different bottles, priming tablets, ANY thing. This really freaked my wife and i out. I don't want the risk of anyone getting hurt to end this new hobby.
 
Did you take a gravity reading before bottling? Even if you do everything Mr. Beer says, you still need to verify your gravity before moving forward with your process.
 
Did your beer reach a final gravity and stay at that number for several days?
Seems like too much sugar, check a resource like http://www.brewheads.com/priming.php
Are those beer bottles? And you did not actually fill them with enough beer, so that would throw off your calculations if your going on a 1 liter to xxx tsps formula. I'd be priming the full amount of beer in the bottling bucket instead of by the bottle.

btw - I don't mess with this anymore, kegging is a lot easier.
 
Not the cause of your bomb (only bad beer), but you've got too much head space.

I'm thinking this could very well be the problem. I read a thread a while back where someone filled a bottle half way to finish up a bottling session. I believe they batch primed, but sure enough the one half full busted while all the others were fine. Someone mentioned that having that much head space under pressure is much harder on the bottle.

I agree with others who are concerned about your FG being stable as well as batch priming to help with consistency, but I'd also definitely fill those babies up more. Glad nobody was hurt!
 
I agree that head space is possibly one part of the problem. Increased head space does not increase the pressure though. Rather, it allows there to be a larger volume of gas under the same pressure. Because of the increased compressibility of gas instead of liquid there is more force applied to the glass shards as the bottle bursts.

I would recommend that you use some safety measures when opening the remaining bottles from a batch for recapping if you have had any bottle bombs. At the minimum, place a towel around the bottle as you have done, then wear tight fitting safety goggles, long sleeve shirt, leather gloves and possibly a full face shield such as used when grinding steel. Picking up or setting down a bottle that might have significant overpressure can trigger it to fracture while still in your hand.
 
I too have read, I think even back in the dim beginning of my own brewing education (so I'm wondering if it is in Papazian?) that too much headspace could cause bottle bombs. But I also think those bottles may have contributed to it. They don't look like they could handle the stress of bottle carbonation/fermentation. What are they Lemonade bottles or those things from Ikea? I doubt they could handle the level of psi that happen in the initial period of carbonation before the co2 is forced into soulution, that is a lot of pressure.

More than likely if the liquid originally in there was carbed, it wasn't naturally bottle carbed, but force carbed and then added to the bottles....much like kegged and force carbed beer is put into a growler. That's not the same as carbonating in a growler.

Those look like they'd make nice still apfelwein bottles or or salad dressing, but I wouldn't try to carbonate anything in them...Plus they are clear, so I wouldn't use them for my beer anyway.
 
Also, you should weigh your priming sugar and not use volumetric measurements added directly to the bottle. There is too much variation in the actual amount of sugar if your just dumping in a couple tsp of sugar. I'd consult Revvy's sticky/blog for procedure and good tips.
 
in your post "So, they are 1 liter bottles. i added 2.5tsp of regular table sugar per direction from Mr.Beer himself."

I think Samac has it right, if you used the recommended priming sugar per bottle - one liter bottles - and only filled them 2/3rds to 3/4ths full, you probably over carbed. Plus, I would look at the bottles themselves, they do look a bit "decorative" and may not be able to hold pressure.
 
Seems like a lot of sugar.

Just kind of working through the math of what I know, forget the Mr. Beer calculators.

Looks like you have what, maybe 30 (fluid) ounces in those bottles? They look a little bigger than a bomber. They look a little smaller than a 40, like they're maybe 32 ounces and obviously not filled.

Figure you do about five ounces (weight) of sugar per five gallon batch, so ~1ounce/sugar per gallon for bottle conditioning.

Figure those bottles are about a quarter of a gallon (32 fluid ounces/128 fluid ounces per gallon). This would imply that you'd want about 0.25 (weight) ounces of sugar per bottle.

One (weight) ounce of sugar is ~6 or 7 tsp.

0.25 (weight) ounces of sugar would therefore be about 1.5 tsp/sugar per bottle.

Unless I'm WAY underestimating the size of those bottles, seems to me like you've added about 65% too much sugar per bottle.

I can't explain the dynamics of it, but increased head space does increase foaming and, it would seem, increase the pressure inside the bottles. I've read that in multiple places (can't say I've ever tested it, though).
 
OK Where to start?? Let the quoting begin...first, thanks for all the help. this is a great learning experiance.

Did you take a gravity reading before bottling? Even if you do everything Mr. Beer says, you still need to verify your gravity before moving forward with your process.

No I didn't. But i do see that their pretty cheap. Mr. Beer says something about when the sedement has settled then its done. Bla Bla Bla

Did your beer reach a final gravity and stay at that number for several days?
Seems like too much sugar, check a resource like http://www.brewheads.com/priming.php
Are those beer bottles? And you did not actually fill them with enough beer, so that would throw off your calculations if your going on a 1 liter to xxx tsps formula. I'd be priming the full amount of beer in the bottling bucket instead of by the bottle.

btw - I don't mess with this anymore, kegging is a lot easier.

I've heard about priming tables....are they worth the investment?

Where'd you get the bottles? Are you sure they are rated for pressure?

Not the cause of your bomb (only bad beer), but you've got too much head space.

Really, Bad beer? since i recapped them, how long should i wait before chilling/or trying my beer, or is it just a lost cause.

I too have read, I think even back in the dim beginning of my own brewing education (so I'm wondering if it is in Papazian?) that too much headspace could cause bottle bombs. But I also think those bottles may have contributed to it. They don't look like they could handle the stress of bottle carbonation/fermentation. What are they Lemonade bottles or those things from Ikea? I doubt they could handle the level of psi that happen in the initial period of carbonation before the co2 is forced into soulution, that is a lot of pressure.

More than likely if the liquid originally in there was carbed, it wasn't naturally bottle carbed, but force carbed and then added to the bottles....much like kegged and force carbed beer is put into a growler. That's not the same as carbonating in a growler.

Those look like they'd make nice still apfelwein bottles or or salad dressing, but I wouldn't try to carbonate anything in them...Plus they are clear, so I wouldn't use them for my beer anyway.

You called it buddy. My brother suggested them. he's used them for like 3 years. I think i'm switching to regular 12oz bottles next time.

I'm thinking this could very well be the problem. I read a thread a while back where someone filled a bottle half way to finish up a bottling session. I believe they batch primed, but sure enough the one half full busted while all the others were fine. Someone mentioned that having that much head space under pressure is much harder on the bottle.

I agree with others who are concerned about your FG being stable as well as batch priming to help with consistency, but I'd also definitely fill those babies up more. Glad nobody was hurt!

The problem i had with the Mr. Beer is that it only makes 8.5 liters. barely enough to fill the bottles. so, i just wanted even bottles not realizing it would effect the pressure and carbonation. I'll be getting hydrometers before my next batch.

I agree that head space is possibly one part of the problem. Increased head space does not increase the pressure though. Rather, it allows there to be a larger volume of gas under the same pressure. Because of the increased compressibility of gas instead of liquid there is more force applied to the glass shards as the bottle bursts.

I would recommend that you use some safety measures when opening the remaining bottles from a batch for recapping if you have had any bottle bombs. At the minimum, place a towel around the bottle as you have done, then wear tight fitting safety goggles, long sleeve shirt, leather gloves and possibly a full face shield such as used when grinding steel. Picking up or setting down a bottle that might have significant overpressure can trigger it to fracture while still in your hand.

It took me about 30 minutes to pop the top on all of them. It was freakin nerve racking. I had a towel around each as i did so trying to avoid another explosion.

Is that piece of glass in the last pic embedded in the cabinet??? Holy sh*t!

Yes, Yes it is. I had to consult my plyers to get it out too.

Also, you should weigh your priming sugar and not use volumetric measurements added directly to the bottle. There is too much variation in the actual amount of sugar if your just dumping in a couple tsp of sugar. I'd consult Revvy's sticky/blog for procedure and good tips.

So just a standard scale like from the home brew outlet, or williams...any brand suggestions?

What?
 
Too much headspace allows the hops in the bottle to oxygenate.

Did you prime the bottles or the batch? Always prime the batch, as it will be more evenly mixed. And prime according to the actual amount of beer you have in the batch not the theoretical full amount of the batch.
 
Carb tablets or coopers carb drops are okay, they're pretty foolproof as long as you use the right number per volume (with the Coopers drops it's 1 per 16 oz. bottle).

The tablets (the ones that look like asprin) have their own set of drawbacks, some folks say they leave white floaty bits in your beer.

The Coopers drops (look like clear throat lozenges) seem to be okay to use, I used them on my last batch (because they came with a starter kit I had and wanted to use them up).

The best solution (I believe), is (still) to weigh your sugar, dissolve in a small amount of boiled water, cool it down and add to your bottling bucket.
 
OK. this is all great. My next batch will include Primary and Secodary. And you guys use the Secondary as you bottleing bucket?
 
measure everthing before adding anything. my next batch will be done properly. I'm going to amass all the right tools first. Proper bottles. and Record every little step i take.
 
For sure get a hydrometer. You can't tell if the fermentation is complete without one - and you run the risk of exploding bottles if it isn't and you bottle anyway.

And - good call on the bottles. Yall would have FREAKED if you'd been sitting in the living room when that bomb went off!
 
i'm sure we would've. what do you guys think about the bottles i have left? when should i re open and consume them?
 
Also, you should weigh your priming sugar and not use volumetric measurements added directly to the bottle.
Nope. Corn sugar will absorb water from the humidity in the air. So over time (unless it is stored air tight constantly) it will absorb water, making any given volume of corn sugar weigh more (and water is relatively heavy). But table sugar, like the OP used here, doesn't absorb nearly as much water and CAN be weighed out accurately regardless.

Hebrews - did you say something about using the secondary as a bottling bucket? That made my brain hurt, as in "does not compute." Just read the howtobrew website from beginning to end before you do any more brewing related activities.
 
oh don't worry. i'm at about page 25-30 now. It'll be a while before my next batch. I'm working on getting all the proper tools and making sure i have every step down.
 
Good thing, that glass wedged into your cabinet should be good encouragement to read up and do it right next time!

We are here to help you tho, don't be afraid to ask more questions.
 
well thanks for the encouragment. ever since this batch has turned out to be kind of a nightmare and i've got the book and joined the site, i'm really pretty stoked to get some new equip and do this better....I'll deffinatley post pics and do some recording for everyone to asses my progress.
 
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