I stored the bottles of beer from my first batch in a closed dark cabinet above my refrigerator about 2 months ago. When I had first sampled it then, I didn't like it at all. Anyways, I had kind of forgotten about it until today when I heard a loud noise come from the kitchen. I walked in to find that one of my bottles had exploded. I kind of panicked and was about to just dump the bottles out since I initially did not like the beer anyways. As I poured a bottle out into the sink, it had a much more pleasant smell, not to mention it was way more clear. Even though it was room temperature, I poured about half a glass and it actually tasted good. Obviously my problem now is that I don't want to pour the bottles out, but I am still concerned about more of them exploding. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Exploding Bottle!
- Thread starter Jorts
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Get a plastic box w/lid big enough to hold them all. Also try to store a little cooler. I keep my conditioning beers in a reffer but in 6 packs. Have only had one bomb, but the cardboard held the glass from getting all over the place.
Kirkwooder
Emperor of all things nobody cares about
Your beer was not finished fermenting before you bottled or you over primed it. How long did you let it ferment? How much priming sugar did you use? How large a batch did you make? I'm guessing it was a Mr. Beer kit and you followed the instructions that claim you can bottle your beer after just a week of fermenting.
If your beer is in screw top bottles you can open them and release some of the pressure. Then you can cool them to stop the fermentation and drink them.
If your beer is in screw top bottles you can open them and release some of the pressure. Then you can cool them to stop the fermentation and drink them.
falkaveli
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2013
- Messages
- 71
- Reaction score
- 24
WARNING: If they are glass, you need to be VERY careful (i.e. sweatshirt, gloves and protective glasses) if you go near them again.
With the aforementioned gear, you can pop the caps on them to release some CO2 and re-cap. I've had some success with that irt preventing bottle bombs. They'll still likely be overcarbonated though.
With the aforementioned gear, you can pop the caps on them to release some CO2 and re-cap. I've had some success with that irt preventing bottle bombs. They'll still likely be overcarbonated though.
Thank you for the responses!
So if I put them all in the refrigerator in cardboard six-pack boxes, they're less likely to explode?
I let that batch ferment for 3 weeks before bottling. It was a beer kit that came with 5 oz priming sugar and said to use it all. I'm sure it was too much because I probably only had about 4.25 gallons of bottled beer but at the time i didn't know any better. The beer is in glass flip top bottles.
They are in 12 oz glass bottles. Thank you for the warning, I'll pick up some safety goggles before I mess with them again. Right now I moved the majority of them to another closed cupboard and put 6 of them in the refrigerator. Is it safer to just put them all in the refrigerator, or are they still just as likely to explode?
So if I put them all in the refrigerator in cardboard six-pack boxes, they're less likely to explode?
I let that batch ferment for 3 weeks before bottling. It was a beer kit that came with 5 oz priming sugar and said to use it all. I'm sure it was too much because I probably only had about 4.25 gallons of bottled beer but at the time i didn't know any better. The beer is in glass flip top bottles.
They are in 12 oz glass bottles. Thank you for the warning, I'll pick up some safety goggles before I mess with them again. Right now I moved the majority of them to another closed cupboard and put 6 of them in the refrigerator. Is it safer to just put them all in the refrigerator, or are they still just as likely to explode?
Kirkwooder
Emperor of all things nobody cares about
+1 on pop the tops. You will likely have gushers. Do it over the sink and wrapped in a towel, just to be safe.
5 oz. of priming sugar shouldn't cause bottle bombs with 4+ gallons of beer. It would certainly be over carbed but shouldn't blow bottles. Did you check gravity before bottling? Was it anywhere near where it should be?
5 oz. of priming sugar shouldn't cause bottle bombs with 4+ gallons of beer. It would certainly be over carbed but shouldn't blow bottles. Did you check gravity before bottling? Was it anywhere near where it should be?
So, use new caps to re-cap then?
The gravity on bottling day was 1.011
Kirkwooder
Emperor of all things nobody cares about
Did you check it only once, or did you check it multiple times over a few days? 3 weeks should have been plenty of time and 1.011 should have made a pretty well done fermentation, however, the addition of priming sugar generally only raises the gravity around .002 and if there was still some fermentables left that could have been too much.
When you opened the one you tried did it make a loud pop and gush out of the top of the bottle?
When you opened the one you tried did it make a loud pop and gush out of the top of the bottle?
dsaavedra
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2014
- Messages
- 635
- Reaction score
- 122
Oh when you said flip top bottles I thought you meant they were the Grolsch style bottles, like this:
If they do look like this I would just pop them open then re-close them.
If they do not look like this and they are just regular bottles that you have to crimp a cap on, then yes I would have all new caps ready and soaking in Starsan, then pop the cap off a bottle and quickly recap it with a new sanitized cap, then crimp it on with your capper.
When I said put them in 6 pack holders that will NOT stop the bombs but will help contain the glass. Good Luck.
When you tasted the beer, did you open a new bottle? I'm guessing that you didn't drink from the broken bottle. IF so, and it tasted good, it is also possible the bottle that exploded had an infection, which could lead to over pressurization. If that is the case and the others taste fine, it's possible that you won't have any more problems.
But it is always better to take the precautions listed before, just to be safe.
But it is always better to take the precautions listed before, just to be safe.
estricklin
Well-Known Member
Exactly what I was going to say, could have just been a thing from a bottle that wasn't sanitized good enough. I'd throw e'm in the fridge and wear some glasses when I opened each one as I drank them.
Congrats on your first batch, what kind of beer was it?
Similar threads
