Yet Another Bottle Bomb thread!

[brewerdave]

Well, it wasn't exactly a bomb, but it has me worried. I checked on my "Drunkel"weizen this morning, which I bottled last Saturday, and I immediately smelled beer. Crap. I opened up one of the boxes that I have the bottles in, and found the offending bottle. It had cracked down the side and leaked most of the beer out. From what I've read, when a bottle breaks from excessive carbonation, it really explodes, which this didn't. I'm hoping I just jarred the bottles when I put them in the box and this one just got cracked. Anyone else have an experience like this? I know my beer was at FG, it was 1.016 down from 1.068, and it was stable for several days. I guess I'm just looking for some reasurrance that I won't go home and find more broken bottles tonight! I'm still a noob at bottling, but I haven't ever had one break before. Help!

 

[Evan!]

open another bottle and see what the carbo level looks like. How well did you stir the priming solution into the beer when you bottled? If you don't stir it well, it's possible for the priming solution to be unevenly distributed.

 

[Beerrific]

Do you cap with a hand held caper? Even after several batches I crack bottles when I cap...just don't get it on straight. If you have cracked a bottle slightly, when the pressure builds, the crack will get bigger.

 

[brewerdave]

I poured the priming solution into the bottling bucket and then siphoned the beer on top of that, so it should have been very well mixed. That's what I've done in the past, and never had any problems. I'm at work now, so I can't test another bottle until I get home tonight, but I will when I get home.

 

[brewerdave]

Yeah, I use a hand capper, and this is the third time I have reused this bottle. My wife is the capper, and she had some problems with this last batch, so maybe that is the problem. I didn't think about that...

 

[Evan!]

IIWY, I'd stir the stuff with a sanitized spoon. My technique is to stir it (taking care not to oxidize it) when it's finished racking. I fill 8 bottles, cap them, then give it another quick stir. I repeat that until it's done. That way, the solution is sure to be mixed well. Just, as I said, take care not to oxidize it.

 

[Evan!]

My wife is the capper, and she had some problems with this last batch, so maybe that is the problem. I didn't think about that...

That's what you get for outsourcing

 

[brewerdave]

Haha! I guess you're right! Seriously though, it's great of her to help me. I know not all of us on the board are as lucky! Thanks for the tip about stirring while bottling, I'll try that next time.

 

[Beerrific]

Yeah, I use a hand capper, and this is the third time I have reused this bottle. My wife is the capper, and she had some problems with this last batch, so maybe that is the problem. I didn't think about that...

Keep her as the capper, next time hold the bottles for her. I can tell a huge difference in the quality/ease of capping if SWMBO holds the bottles.

You can pull the bottles out and look at the top of the next some times you can see the cracks. I has been my experience though, if the bottle can withstand un-capping then it is fine to be reused. I have cracked bottles while capping, the tried to pry the cap off and the whole top of the bottle (inch of glass) will break off.

 

[brewerdave]

Oh, I wasn't talking about replacing her as the capper, just saying that the bottles might have gotten damaged because she was having some issues getting the caps on this time. I guess I didn't word that right. I'll hold the bottles for her next time.

 

[DraconianHand]

You might also look at some of the bottles you are using. I know that some of the bottles I have used are pretty thin and lightweight. I am in the process of removing them from my collection since I feel they are easier to chip or crack.

 

[Beerrific]

You might also look at some of the bottles you are using. I know that some of the bottles I have used are pretty thin and lightweight. I am in the process of removing them from my collection since I feel they are easier to chip or crack.

Actually I have noticed that Sam Adam's bottles are some of the hardest to re-cap. I think all of my cracked ones are Sam Adam's. There are some that are really easy, don't who makes them because I take the labels off.

 

[ohiobrewtus]

Actually I have noticed that Sam Adam's bottles are some of the hardest to re-cap. I think all of my cracked ones are Sam Adam's. There are some that are really easy, don't who makes them because I take the labels off.

I've actually found that the SA bottles seem to hold up better than most. Just about all BMC bottles are junk. I ended up learning that lesson the hard way when I had to dump half of 2 separate batches because they just plain didn't carbonate do to lack of seal when bottling (after I had already chilled them).

Now I pull the wings down 3-4 times on every bottle when I cap to make sure that I get a good seal.

The best bottle to reuse IMO is a Hoegaarden bottle. One squeeze with a wing capper and it's done.

 

[brewerdave]

This particular one was a Sam Adams bottle, as are most of the bottles I use. The hardest ones for me personally are Warsteiner bottles. Those are a real pain to cap!