Apfelwein bottle bombs?

So I "brewed" up some apfelwein in mid-January and I bottled it 3 weeks ago. I used a variety of plastic bottles I had around and filled them up with the apfelwein. I had heard that alot of people do this without any issues.

However, some of the bottles are swelling up to the point where it looks like they're going to explode! For example, I bottled some in used Ocean Spray containers and they've ballooned out significantly. Other packages like the Simply Orange and the Lucky Leaf are fine though. Do I have to worry about these bottles exploding?

I didn't add any priming sugar or anything at bottling. Has anyone seen this before?

I currently have my first 5-gallon batch of apfelwein bottle-carbonating in the #1 PETE plastic bottles that held the juice originally.

I have learned from a mechanical engineer that pressurized vessels are ROUND because they hold pressure better than square shapes. The bottles I'm using are round except for the indentation on that "back" that forms a handle. I have had no problems with plastic distortion or expansion, nor have the caps come off.

Perhaps if you are afraid of an explosion, you should chill those particular bottles and drink them first?

glenn514

Sounds to me like it is still fermenting. Are you sure it was done and not just stuck?

Gleen514 is right, you are just going to have to drink them!

how long was it in the primary for? did you rack to a secondary?

CandleWineProject said:

Sounds to me like it is still fermenting. Are you sure it was done and not just stuck?

Gleen514 is right, you are just going to have to drink them!

Click to expand...

What was the OG and FG?
It was not done when you bottled it, next time follow the hydrometer readings and you could avoid the issue.