Too much head, other q

[mtbikefish53]

Hi,
I am about to brew my fifth batch "Flat tire" from midwest and I am trying to avoid a new problem I had on my third batch. I can't tell anything about batch 4 because I just bottled it last night.
My first 2 batches were pretty good I thought aside from being a little too dark but after looking at some old posts I think that is because I wasn't stiring enough during the boil. Does that sound right?
Anyway, the last batch (california style ale from brewer's best) is ultra carbonated, to the point where it is impossible to pour the beer into a pint glass in less than 5 minutes. We are talking 2 inches of beer and 6 inches of head. Now I realize that lots of head is a good thing but when it gets in the way of enjoying your brew.... Also, I would have to say it tastes very bad. And I have drank a lot of bad beers in my day. So I am wondering if I have a sanitation issue or did I not give the primary enough time? At this point the batch is around 12 weeks in the bottle, I may give it a few weeks more but as soon as I need bottles I will dump it if it doesn't improve. Any help?

 

[Thalon]

My first 2 batches were pretty good I thought aside from being a little too dark but after looking at some old posts I think that is because I wasn't stiring enough during the boil. Does that sound right?

Yeah it sounds right. If some malt extract caramelized that would make the color darker. Also try reducing the boil time to 45 minutes instead of a full hour. I just learned this myself on my last batch; it was supposed to be a cream ale, but I boiled for 75 minutes and it looks more like copper ale.

Anyway, the last batch (california style ale from brewer's best) is ultra carbonated, to the point where it is impossible to pour the beer into a pint glass in less than 5 minutes. We are talking 2 inches of beer and 6 inches of head.

It sounds like you may have bottled a bit too prematurely. Do you know what the specific gravity readings were for the last few days before bottling? The SG should stay steady for 2-3 days. If you bottle before this occurs, the yeast is still fermenting the sugars that were originally in the wort plus the priming sugar you added at bottling. The bottles very well may be in danger of exploding. Make sure you chill the remaining bottles and handle them carefully, just in case.