organicrust
Active Member
Hello all,
I am new to homebrewing and I just finished bottling my first extract beer.
I am worried that I may have created bottle bombs, however. I am fermenting with Cooper's ale yeast. The beer is a light ale with an initial SG of 1.040 (measured with my hygrometer). I bottled after 14 days fermentation and the FG was 1.012 the day before bottling.
What worries me are four things:
1) The recipe from my LHBS states a FG of 1.009 and I am 3 points high. (The recipe was for both an AG and the extract versions, so perhaps the 1.009 was expected for AG.)
2) During primary fermentation, I let the batch go down to 62F for a few days. I was playing around with my homemade chiller and it got out of hand before I recovered. On the other hand, my primary fermentation was very vigorous, with temps running about 72F during the first few days, even with maximal cooling.
3) I did not obtain serial SG readings. The reading of 1.012 was taken the day before bottling. (My fault, I know better than to have done this.)
4) There was airlock activity (0.5 bubbles/min) on the day before bottling. This may be due to me bringing up the chiller temp in an attempt to force any last fermentation out of the yeast (I was worried about #2.)
So to sum up, I am worried that I experienced a stuck fermentation brought on by the sudden chill during primary fermentation and, now that my bottles are carbing at 78F (room temp for me), I will experience bombs.
I should also add that I didn't stir the dextrose solution into my beer (but did let the siphon "whirlpool" it).
I have sequestered the bottles in rubbermaid tubs and put them in a storage closet with a metal slatted door, but I really don't need my neighbors to call the cops when they hear "gunshots" from my apartment. Could someone advise/reassure me?
I read through the forums and it seems that bottle bombs are a not uncommon worry among noobs. I have this awful feeling that a perfect storm is brewing in my utility closet (one that will void my deposit to boot).
I was a chem major in college and have seen a few nasty pressurized disasters in my day (and heard stories from my professors, to boot), so I am perhaps more worried than most. Ignorance is bliss, my friends.
Thank you for your time.
I am new to homebrewing and I just finished bottling my first extract beer.
I am worried that I may have created bottle bombs, however. I am fermenting with Cooper's ale yeast. The beer is a light ale with an initial SG of 1.040 (measured with my hygrometer). I bottled after 14 days fermentation and the FG was 1.012 the day before bottling.
What worries me are four things:
1) The recipe from my LHBS states a FG of 1.009 and I am 3 points high. (The recipe was for both an AG and the extract versions, so perhaps the 1.009 was expected for AG.)
2) During primary fermentation, I let the batch go down to 62F for a few days. I was playing around with my homemade chiller and it got out of hand before I recovered. On the other hand, my primary fermentation was very vigorous, with temps running about 72F during the first few days, even with maximal cooling.
3) I did not obtain serial SG readings. The reading of 1.012 was taken the day before bottling. (My fault, I know better than to have done this.)
4) There was airlock activity (0.5 bubbles/min) on the day before bottling. This may be due to me bringing up the chiller temp in an attempt to force any last fermentation out of the yeast (I was worried about #2.)
So to sum up, I am worried that I experienced a stuck fermentation brought on by the sudden chill during primary fermentation and, now that my bottles are carbing at 78F (room temp for me), I will experience bombs.
I should also add that I didn't stir the dextrose solution into my beer (but did let the siphon "whirlpool" it).
I have sequestered the bottles in rubbermaid tubs and put them in a storage closet with a metal slatted door, but I really don't need my neighbors to call the cops when they hear "gunshots" from my apartment. Could someone advise/reassure me?
I read through the forums and it seems that bottle bombs are a not uncommon worry among noobs. I have this awful feeling that a perfect storm is brewing in my utility closet (one that will void my deposit to boot).
I was a chem major in college and have seen a few nasty pressurized disasters in my day (and heard stories from my professors, to boot), so I am perhaps more worried than most. Ignorance is bliss, my friends.
Thank you for your time.