Did I bottle too soon or did I put too much beer in the bottles? I'm thinking I bottled a bit premature but I did let it ferment over 2 weeks like the recipe said. Its my first batch ever so was just wondering if anyone had some pointers so I can avoid this in the future. Good thing the bottles broke really clean ( just the bottom came off ) yet I did have to clean up 86 oz of beer which sucked since it smelled soooo delicious
Bottled 14 32oz bottles....11 remain
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LVBen
Well-Known Member
Maybe. Did you measure the gravity before bottling?
likwidbliss
Well-Known Member
First get a hydrometer to check your gravity. To determine if you are done with fermentation. The same gravity for three days is ideal.
Exploding bottles can result.
Second let the beer sit longer in the fermenter, I know it is way too hard do. The yeast will clean up. Beer tastes better
Third let them bottle condition at least 3 weeks. Beer tastes better
I did the same "follow-the-recipe" thing and make so-so beer and burst a few bottles. Now I have patience and a pipeline .
Exploding bottles can result.
Second let the beer sit longer in the fermenter, I know it is way too hard do. The yeast will clean up. Beer tastes better
Third let them bottle condition at least 3 weeks. Beer tastes better
I did the same "follow-the-recipe" thing and make so-so beer and burst a few bottles. Now I have patience and a pipeline .
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Without knowing WHAT you made, I'm going to go off of personal experience...
1. Once the kit, or recipe, says to pitch the yeast, toss them aside. Unless it's for a lager with the lager steps (if you don't already know them), they're nigh on useless.
2. 2 weeks, for most of us, is not nearly enough time.
3. Don't trust a calendar to tell you when the brew is ready for bottles. If you're not letting it go long enough, you'll get bottle bombs, or worse.
4. Take hydrometer readings to establish a FG. This is typically two (or more) readings spaced at least 2-3 days apart. When the readings are identical, you've reached the brew's FG.
5. Don't just go by the hydrometer reading to tell you when to bottle. Taste the sample and see if it tastes ready. If there are any off flavors, let it stay on the yeast longer.
More and more of us are going for long primaries, leaving the brew on the yeast for 4+ weeks. Even for modest OG brews. We're getting great tasting, and very clear, brews this way. So much, that I won't even look at a brew before it's been on the yeast for 3 weeks. 5-6 weeks is quickly becoming my average time on the yeast. Obviously bigger brews could take more time. But even low OG brews can often benefit from sitting on the yeast longer.
1. Once the kit, or recipe, says to pitch the yeast, toss them aside. Unless it's for a lager with the lager steps (if you don't already know them), they're nigh on useless.
2. 2 weeks, for most of us, is not nearly enough time.
3. Don't trust a calendar to tell you when the brew is ready for bottles. If you're not letting it go long enough, you'll get bottle bombs, or worse.
4. Take hydrometer readings to establish a FG. This is typically two (or more) readings spaced at least 2-3 days apart. When the readings are identical, you've reached the brew's FG.
5. Don't just go by the hydrometer reading to tell you when to bottle. Taste the sample and see if it tastes ready. If there are any off flavors, let it stay on the yeast longer.
More and more of us are going for long primaries, leaving the brew on the yeast for 4+ weeks. Even for modest OG brews. We're getting great tasting, and very clear, brews this way. So much, that I won't even look at a brew before it's been on the yeast for 3 weeks. 5-6 weeks is quickly becoming my average time on the yeast. Obviously bigger brews could take more time. But even low OG brews can often benefit from sitting on the yeast longer.
I got a reading a little below 1.020 before I bottled so I'm guessing that's too high. Well I got 11 remaining and they are easy cap bottles would popping them open to release pressure help or just let it be as it is?
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Just one reading?? Pretty much meaningless without having a second that matched. It could have still been fermenting as you bottled it...
Post up the actual recipe, so we can get a better idea of what you should have gotten...
I would highly recommend getting a pair of matching SG readings spaced at least 2-3 days apart before you even think about bottling the next batch.
You used rather pricey bottles (I know, I use them too) so having them bust hurts... I can only imagine the CO2 volumes you have in there.
BTW, there is a reason why Belgian bottles use corks, cages and are THICK glass... They can easily handle 4 CO2 volumes... I don't know if the Grolsch style bottles can handle that much, or where it's failure risk point is... I do think you are right on the edge for some of the bottles, and went over on others (obviously)...
If you release the CO2 in the bottles now, you might get seriously under carbonated brew... So, it's a gamble...
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
I just use the bottling wand that goes onto the bucket... Takes guesswork out of the equation... It displaces enough brew that you'll get good carbonation levels in them...
Are you not using a bottling wand?
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
How much sugar did you prime with??
Personally, I don't just go in blind when priming. I weigh the sugar before making the priming solution, making sure I'm at least close to my goal. It also helps to use one of the calculation tools available so that you don't use far too much sugar in a batch. I am about to use 4.25-5oz of sugar (I usually use less) for a cream ale. I'm aiming for 2.6-2.7 CO2 volumes in the brew. How much I use will really come down to how much I have to bottle. I need to wait until it's in the bottling bucket for that, this time. I could have closer to 4.5 gallons to bottle, so I don't want to carbonate it too high for the volume.
Personally, I don't just go in blind when priming. I weigh the sugar before making the priming solution, making sure I'm at least close to my goal. It also helps to use one of the calculation tools available so that you don't use far too much sugar in a batch. I am about to use 4.25-5oz of sugar (I usually use less) for a cream ale. I'm aiming for 2.6-2.7 CO2 volumes in the brew. How much I use will really come down to how much I have to bottle. I need to wait until it's in the bottling bucket for that, this time. I could have closer to 4.5 gallons to bottle, so I don't want to carbonate it too high for the volume.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
I typically let it go until the brew is right to the top lip of the bottle (or flows over a tiny amount)... Removing the wand then leaves the right amount of head space. At least if you're using the narrow wand (they do sell a larger diameter one, which I don't have)... Haven't had any issues, at all, using this method.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Without knowing the temp of the brew, to get the residual CO2 level of it (assuming 68F), you're at ~3.2 CO2 volumes there... I probably wouldn't go above 3 CO2 volumes in anything except Belgian bottles...
cervezarara
Well-Known Member
If this was a high gravity Belgian IPA with plenty of sugar (2 lbs or so), then it should have finished with a much lower gravity than 1.020. That, of course depends on the yeast you used, your recipe, and the fermentation temperature(s).
I would advise you to read some threads about how homebrewers treat certain yeasts to get them to fully attenuate. Big healthy starters, proper pitching temperatures, plenty of oxygen and yeast nutrient, perhaps ramping up ferm temp, especially with Belgians, etc. This will help give you a feel for how low many brewers find their beers will attenuate.
This sounds like the beer you brewed earlier that had candi sugar in it. If the yeast became sluggish 9at 1.020 or so), you probably roused them by racking to bottling bucket and adding priming sugar. They have now probably begun happily consuming the fermentables left in the beer as well as the priming sugar and you can't know how many volumes of CO2 they will add to your bottled beer.
I would definitely release the pressure in those remaining 11 bottles, seeing as three have already blown. They may not all break clean, and you really want to avoid injury from glass shrapnel!
Cheers.
I would advise you to read some threads about how homebrewers treat certain yeasts to get them to fully attenuate. Big healthy starters, proper pitching temperatures, plenty of oxygen and yeast nutrient, perhaps ramping up ferm temp, especially with Belgians, etc. This will help give you a feel for how low many brewers find their beers will attenuate.
This sounds like the beer you brewed earlier that had candi sugar in it. If the yeast became sluggish 9at 1.020 or so), you probably roused them by racking to bottling bucket and adding priming sugar. They have now probably begun happily consuming the fermentables left in the beer as well as the priming sugar and you can't know how many volumes of CO2 they will add to your bottled beer.
I would definitely release the pressure in those remaining 11 bottles, seeing as three have already blown. They may not all break clean, and you really want to avoid injury from glass shrapnel!
Cheers.
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