I brewed 5 gallons of American Wheat beer simply beer recipe and 5 gallons of cream ale beer simply beer. Followed the instructions to the letter. After 6 weeks, I tried my first one of each and they both shot out like a volcano. All foam. Super carbonated!!!! Then a day or so later the bottle bombs started going off and I didn't know it. What a mess and the wife is pissed. I talked to my uncle about what I may have done wrong because he's done a lot of those kits. He said it was probably my water. I used chlorinated city water for my brew. Ok, I agree. I made a big mistake. Now I got 10 gallons of bottle bombs and 10 gallons waiting to be bottled. The only thing I can think of to do is on the 10 gallons I haven't bottled yet, is use only maybe 1 or 2 oz of the normal 5 oz amount of priming sugar that normally calls for this brew. Help and Thank you!
Bottle Bombs and OVER carbonated beer
- Thread starter agoyne
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get em cold? i don't see how tap water would cause bottle bombs?
do you have a hydrometer for FG readings?
do you have a hydrometer for FG readings?
The type of water you used wouldn’t create an over carbonation issue. Either you packaged them before the fermentation process was complete, or you used too much priming sugar, or the priming sugar wasn’t mixed well and some bottles have too much and others might be flat. Can you give more details on your processes?
Yeah, I've used city water for all of my brews and it wouldn't be an issue. As Camonick said, either fermentation was stalled, too much priming sugar, or poorly mixed. The ONE time I had bottle bombs, it was from a poorly mixed solution very early on in my brewing. I had two explode, several foamy, and several more that were quite flat. There's also a difference in amounts if you used table sugar instead of corn sugar.
Also, when I was brewing kits and priming with the sent sugars, I often found that the 5oz of corn sugar was a bit high carbonation for me. I started using 4oz instead, but that may just have been more personal preference. But I think only using 1 or 2 ounces would be overkill in the other direction.
Also, when I was brewing kits and priming with the sent sugars, I often found that the 5oz of corn sugar was a bit high carbonation for me. I started using 4oz instead, but that may just have been more personal preference. But I think only using 1 or 2 ounces would be overkill in the other direction.
Did you take gravity readings before bottling? If you take two readings a couple days apart and no change, fermentation is done and it's ready to bottle.
Another possibility is infection. Wild yeast and bacteria will keep fermenting the beer and generate excess CO2. Did you smell and taste the "volcano" beer? Any off-flavors?
Another possibility is infection. Wild yeast and bacteria will keep fermenting the beer and generate excess CO2. Did you smell and taste the "volcano" beer? Any off-flavors?
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