Bottle bombs?

[Daniel1980]

I brewed an American Cream Ale kit by brewers best and I have just opened a bottle and it is already carbed up to the point of foaming over a little straight from the bottle at room temp only after 5 days of bottle conditioning. Is this normal for that kit or do I need to store these things in a bunker for when they explode?

 

[Dynachrome]

Rubbermaid containers are prescribed.

It makes clean up easier.

 

[sweetcell]

storing them cold will slow down or stop further carbonation and fermentation. if you can, store the bottles in a fridge. otherwise, an unheated shed or garage could work as long as it doesn't get too far below freezing (bring them back inside if it's going to go below 30*F).

 

[cshamilton]

I wouldn't worry yet, excessive foaming early is normal. It takes tim for CO2 to absorb. Take one bottle and put it in the fridge for 48-72 hours, then see if the foaming is an issue. Remember, patience is key. That's why 3 weeks is normally rcommended.

 

[mblanks2]

I brewed an American Cream Ale kit by brewers best and I have just opened a bottle and it is already carbed up to the point of foaming over a little straight from the bottle at room temp only after 5 days of bottle conditioning. Is this normal for that kit or do I need to store these things in a bunker for when they explode?

Five days is too short of a bottle conditioning time, according to the threads I've read here. The Co2 has been created but has not redirected itself back into the beer. Give it time. I've seen recommendations of two weeks minimum but three to four being more the norm.

 

[Daniel1980]

Yeah I've brewed a few batches before this one (5 beer and 1 cider) and I've opened a bottle or two with each batch every 5-7 days to monitor the progression. Purely for science of course. but I've never had any of the beer before this batch carb up that quick and yes the beer is carbonated at 5 days like some of the other batches that took 3 weeks. I don't have a problem letting it bottle condition longer. My concern is that because its already carbed up that quickly that the bottles may start exploding. Do some beers carb up more quickly than others or should I expect these to start blowing up in the closet?

 

[gt_andy]

Brewers best Cream ale is the one I brew the most. Never had any issues with them foaming up. My biggest issue is them still being flat after 3 weeks in the bottle.

Complete opposite of your issue.

 

[Daniel1980]

I'm loving the taste even as young as it is but cant figure out what variable has caused this. It fermented for two weeks and three days in the primary. FG was 1.00. I went straight to the bottling bucket and let it sit for approximately 4-5 hrs to settle out and then bottled it. The only thing that I can think of that was remotely different this time was that I rinsed the bottles in Star San just before bottling and they weren't completely dry inside when I filled them......usually I let them dry completely. Could the Star San be causing this?

 

[VampireSix]

FG was 1.000? Did your other batches ever finish this low?

I'll let the more experienced brewers chime in with their thoughts on this, but I'd guess a wild yeast contamination and/or infection. Brewer's yeast aren't supposed to be able to consume ALL of the sugars in a wort.

 

[sweetcell]

agreed with VampireSix - unless you used a saison yeast, it's highly unlikely that any other saccharomyces got you down that low. sounds likely that you have something else in there. also explains the bottle bombs - whatever else you had in there wasn't done fermenting when you bottled. did you record 3 days of stabled gravity readings before bottling?

star-san wouldn't be responsible for this.

 

[RIC0]

My vanilla stout does this and it conditioned at room temp for a few weeks and has been in my fridge for a month. NO clue why this is happening, none of the other 5 types of beer in the fridge do this.

What I do and not sure it will work for you is I get a bottle out and let it sit for a few mins then open it and no issue.

 

[Revvy]

They're NOT over carbonated. You've opened them TOO SOON. The co2 is NOT in solution yet.

You opened them on day 5, that's why they're fpaming.

We get this all the time from impatient folks who open their bottles WAAAAAYYYYYYY early. If you opened them at three weeks, you never would have noticed.

If you watch Poindexter's video on time lapsed carbonation, you will see that in many instances, before a beer is carbed it may gush, that's not from infection, or mixing of sugars, but because the co2 hasn't evened out- it hasn't been pulled fully into the beer. Think of it as there's a lot of co2 being generated and most of it is in the headspace, not in the beer, so there's still "over pressure" in the bottle, so it gushes when it is opened.

But when the beer is truly carbed it all evens out, across the bottles.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlBlnTfZ2iw]time lapse carbonation - YouTube[/ame]

The 3 weeks at 70 degrees, that we recommend is the minimum time it takes for average gravity beers to carbonate and condition. Higher grav beers take longer.

Stouts and porters have taken me between 6 and 8 weeks to carb up..I have a 1.090 Belgian strong that took three months to carb up.

And just because a beer is carbed doesn't mean it still doesn't taste like a$$ and need more time for the off flavors to condition out. You have green beer.

Temp and gravity are the two factors that contribute to the time it takes to carb beer. But if a beer's not ready yet, or seems low carbed, and you added the right amount of sugar to it, then it's not stalled, it's just not time yet.

Everything you need to know about carbing and conditioning, can be found here Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning. With emphasis on the word, "patience."

Additionally once the three weeks or so has passed, chiling them down for a few days (not just a few hours or over night as most new brewers want to do ) will help the carbonation settle.

So the correct answer is, WALK AWAY for 2 more weeks.

 

[fbold1]

Keep it in a cool place, don't worry, it'll be OK. I've had some beers carb up fast, but never had one explode. As long as you used the 5 oz. primer that came with the kit, you're fine.

 

[Daniel1980]

Now I'm questioning if I remember the FG correctly. I have done a couple ciders that have finished out at or below 1.00 so it's possible I'm confusing the two. I'll check when I get home and update here.

 

[VampireSix]

Now I'm questioning if I remember the FG correctly. I have done a couple ciders that have finished out at or below 1.00 so it's possible I'm confusing the two. I'll check when I get home and update here.

Good idea. If they are above 1.000 (closer to 1.010), then Revvy's post covers it. If it was in fact around 1.000, you've got potential problems.

 

[Daniel1980]

Ok just saw the last two replies. I have opened a beer or two with every batch at about 7 day intervals simply because I am curious to see how the taste and carbonation change from week to week, after all I'm still learning. I know all about the three week bottle conditioning and all. This one just alarmed me because none of the other beers I've done( which isn't a bunch) have always just been pretty much flat this early on. I'm just noting and researching a variable that's not been common with my other experiences. My main concern is that we will be leaving for vacation for 5 days and I don't want to come home to sour beer smell and bottle fragments all over the place.

 

[Daniel1980]

The FG was 1.00........

 

[Daniel1980]

I moved them all to the fridge tonight. The pressure on three that I opened discharged 2/3's of the contents. Am I safe by putting these in my refrigerator? Last thing I want is my wife pissed at me for bottle bombs next to the baby food.

 

[Dynachrome]

Rubbermaid containers are recommended.

 

[Daniel1980]

Ok I will definitely do that. Thanks for all y'all's help on this.