Am I making bottle bombs??

[bendog15]

Bottled 2 one-gallon batches today. When I started, the gravity was 1.000, then I added some dextrose (corn sugar). I was attempting to bring gravity up to 1.005, as I was instructed that was all you needed to make a nice carbonated cider. I think I added too much dextrose because gravity was 1.010.

I know, I know, my bad for not adding a little at a time and checking gravity as I went along. Instead of just dumping the dextrose in the jug, I boiled it with a little water and then added it to the jug. Not sure if that makes much of a difference.

Anyways, I went ahead and bottled the 2 batches. They're sitting on my back porch in milk crates as I anxiously await the sound of exploding bottles. Have I added too much sugar or what????

 

[caseymac91]

With that much sugar you are currently at 5 volumes of CO2, so bottle bombs are likely. You would have issues starting at 4 volumes. What I would do is uncap a bottle or two and transfer it to an empty soda bottle. Than you can keep track of how much pressure the batch is at. Once it feels like an unopened soda bottle you can stovetop pasteurize. The only other option I see is to uncap them all, pour it back into the fermenter, than re bottle once your gravity hits 1.005.

 

[rocketsan]

With that much sugar you are currently at 5 volumes of CO2, so bottle bombs are likely. You would have issues starting at 4 volumes. What I would do is uncap a bottle or two and transfer it to an empty soda bottle. Than you can keep track of how much pressure the batch is at. Once it feels like an unopened soda bottle you can stovetop pasteurize. The only other option I see is to uncap them all, pour it back into the fermenter, than re bottle once your gravity hits 1.005.

Your plan is flawed. As soon as you open and transfer, you'll lose the co2 so you won't know where the rest of the bottles are at as they will be further ahead than your newly made tester...

 

[Pickled_Pepper]

I would just keep them as close to freezing temps as possible and drink them over the next week or so. Just put it down ad a learning experience and get another batch going.

 

[caseymac91]

You would lose some, but not all of the co2 in solution. Chilling it helps. I've done this exact same thing when forgetting to make a tester a week into carbing. Not to mention he just bottled today. Carbing starts out slow and speeds up towards the end.