Beer fountain (over carbed bottles)

[CreekBrewery]

I just did my first 10 gallon batch and split it up to make two different kinds of beer as an experiment.

Last night I bottled the first 5 gallons with table sugar using 9.2oz like BeerSmith told me. Not until I sat down later that night to record my notes did I realize that 9.2oz was for all 10 gallons!

Can I let theses carb for a while, maybe two week, then release some CO2 and recap them. I realize the cardbonation might be all over the place from bottle to bottle but it would be better than exploding bottles. Also if I use new O2 absorbing caps I could minimize oxygenation.

Anyone else ever try something like this? Hopefully I can salvage this train wreck:cross:

 

[harrymanback92]

I haven't had a problem like this yet, but I'm pretty sure that's exactly what you should do.

I've also heard of people gently pouring into a fermenting vessel, letting the sugar ferment out and than restarting the process.

I'd go with the former.

 

[scone]

I've done something exactly like option 1. You NEED to chill the bottles before you uncap them to absorb as much CO2 as possible, otherwise you will lose a lot of beer. Then the trick is to figure out how long you need to let them sit uncapped before recapping them. I'd recommend waiting until they are just under being carbed up to the right level (by refrigerating one every 48 hours or so and checking it) and when you think it's used up a bit less than half the sugar, refrigerate them all, uncap 'em, let them come fully to room temperature, and recap them.

 

[CreekBrewery]

scone, nice to hear I'm not the first

So how long did you let them carb before you chilled then opened them? Just so I'm clear; you chill, open and let them warm up to slowly (EDIT: warm up slowly while still uncapped) to release the excess CO2? I figured if I opened them early enough I wouldn't need to chill because they wouldn't be bottle bombs... YET.

 

[RM-MN]

I misread the scale I was using when priming a batch and ended up with 8 ounces of corn sugar when I intended 5. I have not had a bottle bomb from the batch but after chilling I just open the bottle and set it in another container for half an hour. The bottle will slowly foam out the top and down the side of the bottle. At the end of a half hour I end up with over-carbed beer yet and about a 1/4 cup of beer that has escaped. I don't know how long I need to let it set to end up properly carbed.

 

[scone]

scone, nice to hear I'm not the first

So how long did you let them carb before you chilled then opened them? Just so I'm clear; you chill, open and let them warm up to slowly (EDIT: warm up slowly while still uncapped) to release the excess CO2? I figured if I opened them early enough I wouldn't need to chill because they wouldn't be bottle bombs... YET.

Yeah it's a fine line. Problem is if you open 'em unchilled and they are even a bit carbonated, they'll probably foam out a decent amount and you'll lose a bunch of beer.

When I did it I made the mistake of NOT chilling before opening, and some of the bottles were ok (no fountain), and some lost half or more of the beer inside. Time wise it's hard to say, I would chill one every day and check it.