New to HBT forums, brewing a yr or so... Hi from Western PA!

[VegasJ]

Hello all.

1st, I found HBT by searching and reading up on making a Keezer. What an awesome thread that one is... very helpful with the pics you guys added for sizing a freezer to convert.

Anyways... I've been brewing for a little over a year, mostly sticking to Brewer's Best kits but this summer I jumped over the line and started piecing together different flavors of malts, grain, hops & additives like orange & lemon peel to try different flavors.

Been bottling the whole time & just had my first bottle bombs. The old lady wasn't too happy of the mess, I wasn't too happy about pouring out a batch. I tried to release some carbonation and recap hoping to save the brew... yeah, tasted nasty. I told her it was mentioned to me... that it wasn't IF this happened... but when! LoL

So in my searches of kegging I found a Keezer video... searched more for builds & found the Keezer build thread on this forum.

Hit the home page & saw sooooo many threads I want to/NEED to read!

So here I am...

Can't do a lifetime membership right now with bills I have due, but I did do the $25 Premium signup. Figured what the hell... I KNOW I'll still be brewing this time next year!



now, off for more reading...

 

[krenshaw]

aw man.. another penguin/steeler fan.. j/k, my wife is from the burgh.. welcome! i've learned about 95% of what i know off of these boards so i can vouch that i'll do wonders for you!

 

[VegasJ]

ha! Actually I was born and raised in Vegas, NV... moved to the Pittsburgh area about 2 years ago with my girl. She's the Steelers fan...

I grew up watching the 'Skins with my old man. He was from DC.

thanks for the welcoming!

 

[Homercidal]

Welcome! Premium membership is well worth it.

Not sure if you knew this little bit of trivia, but taking your bottling bucket spigot apart and washing well and sanitizing EACH TIME before you bottle can help prevent the gunk that gets stuck in there from infecting your bottles. Just one of the couple of things that can cause bottle bombs. (and nasty tasting beer...)

 

[VegasJ]

hmmmm I thought too much priming sugar (most possible reason) or bottling before fermentation was done (which I was sure it was) caused the bombs?

Can an infection also cause it?

 

[krenshaw]

ok well since you are a skins fan i can't talk to you anymore being an eagles fan myself ;-)

 

[LuckyBeagleBrewing]

Clean and sanitize. When I first started I read the label on a cleaner that said it sanitized too. It doesn't. That may not be what happened to you but cleaning and sanitizing are your friends. Taking apart a spigot like Homer said will also keep the evil nasties out. You could have had complete fermentation and once wild yeast get in there they can ferment out sugars that the intended yeast could not. Just takes a few to spoil a whole batch.

Also dont ever try the WLP099 trick like I did. Main beer did not hit the gravity I wanted so I added in some Super High Gravity yeast. That will ferment everything as I found. had 6 - 22oz blow up in the basement and I mean exploded. Luckily it was in the unfinished part of my basement. Still cleaning glass up after two years because they blew apart and went pretty far.

Now I keg. I love kegging but never have enough of them now. Up to 24 kegs and thinking about 6 more ha ha.

 

[VegasJ]

I have some easy clean and Star-San I use regularly!

6 22oz'rs ?? ewwwwee

I popped 2 12oz'rs & found glass in the box, out on the floor, on a shelf...

 

[Homercidal]

hmmmm I thought too much priming sugar (most possible reason) or bottling before fermentation was done (which I was sure it was) caused the bombs?

Can an infection also cause it?

In a manner. Excess sugar can cause gushing and ultimately shattered bottles. Likewise, certain bacteria can consume stuff that brewers yeast is unable to, dropping the gravity of the beer, and creating excessive carbonation.

It's usually noted as causing gushing, but at a certain level, it may push an already highly carbed beer past the bottle's breaking point.