Half-filled bottle... capped, then tasted....

So, I bottled a new IPA last Saturday and when filling the last bottle, I, all the sudden, got significant small bubbles in the line and got some foam in the bottle. I stopped filling (since I was about done anyway) and capped it for sh*ts and giggles. The bottle was about 1/2 to 3/4s full. I tried it today because I figured there would be issues... and there was... a slight sour taste, sorta fruit-funk-like. Now, after thinking about it, I'm a little scared that my entire batch might be screwed.

My question is... will the issues I talked about create a sour taste or will there be a deeper issue... maybe ph related or lack of bottle conditioning time (4 days) or something?

Its too hard to tell if there is something wrong with your brew or not. Let it go another two weeks and it will become a little more clear. I've had beers that I thought were garbage, but after a little bottle conditioning they were perfectly fine. Also since the bottle you tried was the bottom of barrel, it could have been loaded with yeast. Maybe thats why it was funky fruity. What strain of yeast did you use?

i have read that you should NEVER half fill a bottle, because it can explode. the abnormally large amount of air in the bottle can help the yeast to ferment too actively in the bottle, then BOOM...

i think that fruity/estery taste is just bottling sugar. the first time i brewed i tasted the beer after one week and had that same cider/fruity taste. it went away when the beer finished bottle carbonating.

That's why you open and drink half filled bottles within about a week, which he did.

If I was really worried, I'd just open up another under carbed bottle and check for off flavors. Then again, I probably wouldn't bother. You can't change anything now, and might as well a few weeks for the rest to properly carbonate.

Yeah, The beer is now at the mercy of whatever went into it. But it's a bit early to panic. Too much raw trub in your sample could account for weird tastes.

Give it conditioning time and try not to worry.

Dogphish said:

i have read that you should NEVER half fill a bottle, because it can explode. the abnormally large amount of air in the bottle can help the yeast to ferment too actively in the bottle, then BOOM...

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... which I've never heard of happening anyway. The physics of it doesn't add up anyway.

cockybitz said:

... which I've never heard of happening anyway. The physics of it doesn't add up anyway.

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I have also heard that under filled bottles can lead to bombs. Can't remember exactly why, but I think I remember it explained as the less beer available to absorb the CO2 the more pressure that builds in the bottle and then...BLAM!

Might be an old wives tale though....

Half filled bottles have never been an issue for me.

I think that your beer was just green because it was only 4 days in. Give it a few weeks and then you'll put an update here about how your beer is the best thing to ever touch your lips.

kingmatt said:

I have also heard that under filled bottles can lead to bombs. Can't remember exactly why, but I think I remember it explained as the less beer available to absorb the CO2 the more pressure that builds in the bottle and then...BLAM!

Might be an old wives tale though....

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liquid is not compressible, gas is. More headspace = more volume that the gas is able to be distributed to. Since there is less beer in the bottle, there is less fermentable, weight wise, in the bottle, so less gas would be produced anyway. The result would be an undercarbed beer with less pressure in the headspace. Correct?

Dogphish said:

i have read that you should NEVER half fill a bottle, because it can explode. the abnormally large amount of air in the bottle can help the yeast to ferment too actively in the bottle, then BOOM...

i think that fruity/estery taste is just bottling sugar. the first time i brewed i tasted the beer after one week and had that same cider/fruity taste. it went away when the beer finished bottle carbonating.

Click to expand...

crap...there's been one in my cupboard for eight days now...I think I'll open it, very carefully.

edit: I opened it. No explosions....just slightly carbed and very green beer. I'm drinkin it anyway.