Insanely foamy beer

[Rosshedley]

Hi brewers

My beers are super super foamy upon opening. I will lose *at least* half the bottle. I am surprised they have not exploded.

There seem to be three possibilities:

1). Infection. I don’t think this has happened as the beer tasted fine.

2). Bottled too soon. There is a possibility I bottled too soon so fermentation has continued to produce carbon dioxide.

3). Over primed. I added two sugar drops to each 500ml bottle, as instructed.

I have tried keeping in fridge for 1-2 days, which worked for one beer. But now I have had beers in fridge for a couple of weeks (plus 2 weeks bottle conditioning in cupboard prior to that) and they are still unopenably foamy. Have tried releasing cap slowly a few times over last couple of days to let pressure out but shows little sign of making a difference.

Any other recommendations?

Also, I was curious if the ‘put in fridge for a day or two’ method resulted in the necessary science taking place such that the bottles could then be returned to room temp and then opened - not that I would want to, but trying to understand if that fix is just because beer is cold, or if cooling does some science magic which results in less carbonated beer permanently (i.e. even if returned to room temp)?

Kind regards,


Ross

 

[deadwolfbones]

#2 seems most likely.

 

[bracconiere]

or if cooling does some science magic which results in less carbonated beer permanently (i.e. even if returned to room temp)?

as far as i know, co2 solubility goes up in colder water....?

 

[bracconiere]

 

[Smellyglove]

Hi brewers

My beers are super super foamy upon opening. I will lose *at least* half the bottle. I am surprised they have not exploded.

There seem to be three possibilities:

1). Infection. I don’t think this has happened as the beer tasted fine.

2). Bottled too soon. There is a possibility I bottled too soon so fermentation has continued to produce carbon dioxide.

3). Over primed. I added two sugar drops to each 500ml bottle, as instructed.

I have tried keeping in fridge for 1-2 days, which worked for one beer. But now I have had beers in fridge for a couple of weeks (plus 2 weeks bottle conditioning in cupboard prior to that) and they are still unopenably foamy. Have tried releasing cap slowly a few times over last couple of days to let pressure out but shows little sign of making a difference.

Any other recommendations?

Also, I was curious if the ‘put in fridge for a day or two’ method resulted in the necessary science taking place such that the bottles could then be returned to room temp and then opened - not that I would want to, but trying to understand if that fix is just because beer is cold, or if cooling does some science magic which results in less carbonated beer permanently (i.e. even if returned to room temp)?

Kind regards,


Ross

Have you used a Diastaticus prior to the gusher-batches? Belle Saison?

 

[BrewingAroundtheRrealm]

Can you provide more information?

How long after fermentation ended did you bottle?
What is the batch size?
How much priming sugar did you use and what kind? Corn sugar, table sugar?
What is the beer style?

In most cases where I've had over carbonated bottles, I bottled too soon. Less than 2 weeks from brew day till bottling day is too soon. In one case I over primed. I read the wrong line on the calculator and used table sugar with the corm sugar amount. After under carbonating a few times I switched to kegging to solve the over/under issue permanently.

Give us what info you can and we'll try to help out.

 

[El Nino]

definitely sounds over carbonated. bottling too early would be the most likely reason.

 

[bracconiere]

i'd add, with me malting my own....wet grain gets fusarium which causes gushers....how do you store your malt?

edit: you could also, asuming not fusarium caused...dump them all back in a bucket and, try again, lol (just don't expect the LODO people to try it! )

 

[RPh_Guy]

1). Infection. I don’t think this has happened as the beer tasted fine.

Contamination doesn't necessarily cause off-flavors

2). Bottled too soon. There is a possibility I bottled too soon so fermentation has continued to produce carbon dioxide.

I agree this is most likely based on what you've said.
Do you use a hydrometer?

Any other recommendations?

Open them all before they explode.
The only way to possibly save it is to pour it all back into a fermenter, wait for it to off-gas, and then re-bottle with priming sugar again. However doing this in a sanitary fashion without oxidizing the beer is a huge logistical problem.

Chilling the beer is to drop out particles that serve as nucleation points.

 

[Rosshedley]

Thanks for all the really helpful replies people!

Smellygrove: I never knew about Diastaticus. Looks extreamly difficult to diagnose as a novice home brewer but I really appreciate the link you sent. It helps expand my knowledge, and could be a possible cause.

bracconiere: never knew about fusarium either, but my grain was not wet.

RPh Guy: I had heard contamination caused off flavours, so useful to know this is not always the case. Infection a possibility but I think I am pretty good with that.

To answer some of the other questions asked:

How long after fermentation ended did you bottle?: 2 weeks. Took SG reading with spectrometer 2 consecutive days, and can't say hand on heart it was stable. It dropped half a point on last reading but as it had been fermenting 2 weeks I - foolishly - just bottled.

What is the batch size? 11 litre

How much priming sugar did you use and what kind? Corn sugar, table sugar?: Carbonation drops. 2 per 500ml bottle, as instructed.

What is the beer style?
IPA. This recipe - https://www.brewstore.co.uk/us-ipa-11l-all-grain-beer-kit

OG was supposed to be 1.061 and FG 1.012 to give 6.5 ABV. My actual OG was 1.078 and FG 1.045 to give 4.3 ABV. As an aside, I have some unknown issues with my fermentation process, in that I find it hard to hit the desired FG. I wanted a beer between 4-5 ABV, so choose one at 6.5 to compensate. It worked! (Unless this is cause of gushing )

Thanks again all!

Ross

 

[Pkrd]

I don't think you're using a spectrometer for gravity readings.
If you're using a refractometer to measure FG you need to do a correction to account for the alcohol present. It's easiest just to use a hydrometer. Your FG is way too high though, even if using a refractometer(usually finish at 1.030).

Bubbles like to form on small particles (nucleation points). Chilling the beer drops these to the bottom of the bottle over a few days/weeks, so the CO2 stays in the beer.

Are you fermenting warm enough?

Regardless, if you're losing half a bottle to foam you should probably dump them before they start exploding.

 

[Saunassa]

Question for the experienced Brewers. Seeing what he has as his final gravity and that he States spectrometer could he pour a beer into a glass and use a refractometer to check- using a calculator to figure in the difference caused by alcohol?

 

[RPh_Guy]

It's easiest just to use a hydrometer.

+1.
Easiest and most accurate.

 

[Rosshedley]

Oh yes I meant Refractometer sorry : )

I don’t understand the comment above about needing to correct for alcohol present. I use a Refractometer as you don’t need to adjust for temperature, and you only need a few drops (latter especially useful for small batch brewer). There is nothing in the instructions re correcting for alcohol present. Calibrate with water, then just add a few drops from brew and look through eye piece. Can you elaborate?

The temp of the cupboard I was fermenting in was around 23 degrees c.

I wonder if the seal on my fermentation vessel is not working properly, as my airlock literally never bubbles.

 

[Pkrd]

Refractometers are good for measuring sugary water(wort) but as soon as alcohol is present the reading isn't accurate. Typically you'll read something like 1.030 for a FG with an uncorrected refractometer, so yours is still really high.

 

[govner1]

A refractometer is intended to measure the sugars in your wort VS. distilled water to give you SG. The ATC on a refractometer only corrects for the temp of the instrument itself, not the temp of your sample. So even with a refractometer you need to cool your sample for an accurate reading.
Once alcohol is present (anytime after fermentation begins) it changes the accuracy of your reading and you need to correct your reading.
As others have said, you’ll get the most accurate reading with a hydrometer. Again, you’ll need to adjust for temperature.
Take a look at this YouTube video:

 

[Rosshedley]

What!? One of the reasons I brought a refractometer was because I thought the temperature of the liquid didn’t matter.

I know nothing.

Thanks people!

Ross

 

[deadwolfbones]

fwiw, a few drops of liquid pressed between two plates do cool a LOT faster than a sample in a hydrometer test jar. like... in a matter of seconds.

 

[One Eye Ross]

l love refractometers, from years of using them in a clinical lab. But, when it comes to beer, I use a hydrometer. (Actually learned to use one in lab school, before the refractometer - but it was just a "this is how we used to do it" type of instruction).

Temperature is an important factor in finding specific gravity, no matter what instrument is used. Can't remember the specific law that governs this, but here is a link that explains more than most of us want to know: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/j.2050-0416.1963.tb01909.x

 

[Rosshedley]

Cheers!

Update: I just opened one over the sink and although foam gushes out it looks like I am losing more than I am. I started pouring and probably only lost about 5th-6th of a pint. The sediment all rushes up so it is a cloudy drink mind.

 

[ncbrewer]

I think the high FG is probably your problem, but I'll throw out another possibility - hop creep. Since it's an IPA, I'm guessing you dry hopped. This can sometimes cause fermentation to start back. There is some info here:
http://brulosophy.com/2019/02/21/the-surprising-science-of-dry-hopping-lessons-from-tom-shellhammer/

 

[dwhite60]

If you are using a refractometer to check if fermentation is done the presence of alcohol
should not matter. As long as you get the same reading three days in a row, you're good.

Now, if you want to check the actual specific gravity you need a hydrometer or a correction calculator for your refractometer.

Think of it like gauging whether a car is moving. If all you're looking for is zero it doesn't matter how you gauge it, it's moving or it isn't. If you want to know the actual speed if it is moving then you need something more precise.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[RPh_Guy]

If you are using a refractometer to check if fermentation is done the presence of alcohol
should not matter. As long as you get the same reading three days in a row, you're good.

How about if fermentation is just stalled and not actually finished? You bottle and they explode.

 

[Soulshine2]

How many times have we all read posts like this- the homebrewer is new and wanting to drink his beer as fast as possible after brewing...They dont understand the instructions , but continue anyway. Hastily they bottle even though theyre not sure what theyre doing and come ask "what happened?" ,low gravity, low alcohol, low carbonation,etc. Impatience
People, its a new hobby much like cooking but throw science in with it, take the time to understand what youre doing. DO NOT attempt to build your own recipe in your first brew. Buy a pre-made kit and follow directions to the letter. Make sure you have the right basic equipment and ingredients to do so BEFORE you proceed. It will turn out and in short time you will understand what you need to do. Buy a book. Charlie Papazian among others put out many editions of the simplicities of brewing beer that do work . Read about yeast . Write notes. Jot down the formulas for priming. Know WHY youre doing what youre doing.
Not writing this to discourage anyone from trying things . Everything is new the first time you do it. Understood. It is trial and error sometimes. Have fun with it .
RDWAHAHB

 

[Saunassa]

I have a small notebook that I write everything down in. Recipe, fermentation, hop timing, water and tasting notes. It's also where I note the changes for next time I brew. I find the act of writing it helps me understand and remember.

First page of notebook says to wait and give the beer time to finish.

 

[dwhite60]

How about if fermentation is just stalled and not actually finished? You bottle and they explode.

In that case, even with a hydrometer, you would get no change in gravity if it's truly stalled, right? Then you would bottle and they would still explode, right?

All the Best,
D. White

 

[RPh_Guy]

In that case, even with a hydrometer, you would get no change in gravity if it's truly stalled, right? Then you would bottle and they would still explode, right?

All the Best,
D. White

The hydrometer would be able to differentiate stalled vs finished because stalled would have a higher value than expected.

 

[Soulshine2]

The hydrometer would be able to differentiate stalled vs finished because stalled would have a higher value than expected.

add that with either instructions or experience one should have an idea what the finishing gravity will be.

 

[smata67]

I have never done the "three consecutive readings" thing to see if fermentation is complete. It is extra work. It risks contamination. I just wait three weeks prior to bottling. Some say this time on the yeast cake is beneficial. Some say it is not (ignore those chumps). Anyway, it is important to develop good habits and incorporate them into your process. This is one of them.

 

[Soulshine2]

I have never done the "three consecutive readings" thing to see if fermentation is complete. It is extra work. It risks contamination. I just wait three weeks prior to bottling. Some say this time on the yeast cake is beneficial. Some say it is not (ignore those chumps). Anyway, it is important to develop good habits and incorporate them into your process. This is one of them.

Extra work?
Contamination risk?
Please explain.

 

[jjw5015]

that must taste terribly sweet at that FG. You need to figure out your fermentation issues. You're either mashing too high or grossly underpitching your yeast. Also you're OG is wayyy over what the recipe predicted. Something is amiss with your process.

 

[Nate R]

If it helps below is a FREE spreadsheet from the folks at morebeer.com use the link to it (scroll down the page, click the link to download).
I love the morebeer website 'cause its chock full o' freebies like this!!
Good luck on brewing!

https://www.morebeer.com/products/brewing-refractometer-dual-scale.html

 

[RPh_Guy]

I just wait three weeks prior to bottling. Some say this time on the yeast cake is beneficial. Some say it is not (ignore those chumps). Anyway, it is important to develop good habits and incorporate them into your process. This is one of them.

That's pretty rude.

Lots of brewers package very soon after fermentation completes (including every professional brewery). Besides reducing turnaround time, quick packaging limits the amount of oxygen exposure, decreasing oxidation.

If your beer needs extra time on the yeast to clean up fermentation byproducts (aside from the standard diacetyl rest for lagers), then you aren't conducting a healthy fermentation.

Hoppy beers may need time for the hop particles (and polyphenols in particular) to settle.
This settling can just as easily occur after packaging, or you can using fining to accelerate clearing.