Am I adding too much yeast nutrient?

[tdawg082]

About 10ish batches ago I started adding yeast nutrient to my wort because I wasn't getting much activity in fermentation.

Since then however, no matter how much priming sugar I add when bottling I get super carbed bottles to the point I had one pop open last night all over my office.

The instruction on the yeast nutrient says to add 1 teaspoon per gallon. Would that be too much? I started with 5 oz for 5 gallons of beer for the priming sugar. The batch that just exploded was 2 oz. in 5 gallons.

Any insight would be extremely helpful

 

[kh54s10]

Your problems are probably unrelated. Yeast nutrient in itself could not produce over carbonated beers.

5 ounces of priming sugar is too much for most 5 gallon beers. 2 ounces is probably light for most. Use a priming calculator to determine how much priming sugar to use. I use this one: https://www.northernbrewer.com/pages/priming-sugar-calculator

Have you been taking gravity readings to assure fermentation has finished? How long and at what temperature did you ferment?
Bottle conditioning - how long and at what temperature? How long did you cool the bottles?

Also make sure you are not getting an infection. If you do the beer could continue fermenting in the bottles increasing the pressure until the bottles explode.

 

[bleme]

You may have just had a weak bottle or inconsistent mix of the priming sugar. Are all the others in the 2oz batch over-carbonated?

If you are adding nutrient to the boil, there is no way it would contribute to over-carbonation, but that doesn't mean you aren't adding too much. Which brand are you using? And you used 5 teaspoons in each batch?

 

[BrewZer]

The instruction on the yeast nutrient says to add 1 teaspoon per gallon.

The nutrient I use (Wyeast) says to use 1/2 teaspoon per 5 gallons...1 tsp per gallon seems like a lot. What brand are you using?

 

[kh54s10]

I have some Fermax yeast nutrient and it does say to "use 1.0 - 1.5 teaspoons per gallon to optimize yeast activity, quicken or restart fermentation. I prefer the Wyeast for ease of use. (1/2 teaspoon)

 

[Bubbles2]

Ok so.... If I understand, you are adding Yeast Nute before racking? Yeast Nute is done 15 minutes before the end of the boil. Like Irish Moss is added.
You then ferment your beer, noting the temp of fermentation due to natural carbonation from it. "little light math"
https://learn.kegerator.com/how-to-carbonate-your-beer/

Then when you are done, @ final Gravity shows final attenuation (Yeast is done eating 1010,1008 etc) You then add priming sugar before you bottle. I usually ever add 4.5oz to 5.25 gallons, pending on fermentation temp, style.

 

[z-bob]

Why are you adding yeast nutrient? (I assume you're making beer) Malt generally has plenty of nutrients. 1 tsp per gallon is for wine. Apple juice has even less nutrients than grape and I add about 1/2 tsp per gallon with good results when making cider.

I suspect you're getting over-carbonation because you're bottling too early.

 

[BrewZer]

Ok so.... If I understand, you are adding Yeast Nute before racking? Yeast Nute is done 15 minutes before the end of the boil. Like Irish Moss is added.
You then ferment your beer, noting the temp of fermentation due to natural carbonation from it. "little light math"
https://learn.kegerator.com/how-to-carbonate-your-beer/

Then when you are done, @ final Gravity shows final attenuation (Yeast is done eating 1010,1008 etc) You then add priming sugar before you bottle. I usually ever add 4.5oz to 5.25 gallons, pending on fermentation temp, style.

I've never had noticeable carbonation out of the fermentation tank. All my carbonation takes place in the bottles, after adding additional sugars (usually dissolved DME) to the bottling bucket before filling and capping the bottles.

 

[RM-MN]

I've never had noticeable carbonation out of the fermentation tank. All my carbonation takes place in the bottles, after adding additional sugars (usually dissolved DME) to the bottling bucket before filling and capping the bottles.

Does your airlock bubble very slowly when your fermentation is done? If you bump the fermenter does that cause the airlock to bubble? That is from the carbonation of the beer. CO2 will readily dissolve in beer and will be released slowly. Unless you leave the beer in the fermenter for a very long time (months, maybe years) there will be some CO2 dissolved in it. That dissolved CO2 has to be accounted for when you calculate the sugars to add for priming.

 

[Sparkncode]

Co2 in beer in the fermentor becomes really obvious when you make a starter and shake it. Lots of co2 comes out of solution so it will be in the main beer batch too.

 

[BrewZer]

Unless you leave the beer in the fermenter for a very long time (months, maybe years) there will be some CO2 dissolved in it. That dissolved CO2 has to be accounted for when you calculate the sugars to add for priming.

I never considered that CO2 was going into solution in the fermentor since it's not under pressure... certainly not to the level where I'd consider it "carbonation."

One of my tests for complete fermentation in the tank is to deflate the 3-piece airlock and see how long it takes to refloat the center. If it takes a LONG time (or it doesn't refloat) I consider my fermenting done.