Bottle bomb postmortem

[iXanadu]

Can you take a peek at this brew history and help me pinpoint where I went wrong. I think I know and will comment after history.

Base Recipe: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f62/cinco-de-mayo-kolsch-30242/
Actual Fermentables used:

3 lb Pilsner Malt
1.0 lb Vienna
1.0 lb White Wheat Malt
3 lb CBW® Golden Light Powder (Dry Malt Extract)

Missed Grav on first attempt - had to take 2 qt or wort and boil up 12 oz of dme to finish at 1.0485

12/31 brewed SG = 1.0485 @ 70º
1/11/09 SG = 1.016 @ 64º
1/21/09 SG = 1.016 @ 61º > Transfer to secondary and start cold crash
1-25 SG = 1.016 @ 53º Bottle
Used 3.7 oz of corn sugar for an anticipated co2 volume of 2.5.

Almost every beer is so carbed as to be undrinkable. Yesterday I found the top of a beer bottle on the top of the garbage bag that holds a 24 pack. Inside the bag were a total of 3 broken bottles. I have some of the 1ltr flip tops of these I'm afraid to handle now.

Based on the original recipe I expected this to be a quick beer, and that the kolsch yeast liked low-mid 60's to ferment at. Now I suspect I somehow suspended the yeast before it fermented out and when it warmed up in the bottling room went to town. Any help?

 

[llazy_llama]

When you went to bottle, did you adjust your hydrometer readings to include the temperature of the beer?

Also, when you went to bottle, did you give the hydrometer a few good taps to dislodge CO2 bubbles that cling to it?

 

[Yooper]

1.016 isn't terribly high for a FG. What yeast did you use?

At 53 degrees, though 3.7 ounces is quite a bit of priming sugar. That should still be ok, and not give you gushers.

 

[iXanadu]

When you went to bottle, did you adjust your hydrometer readings to include the temperature of the beer?

Also, when you went to bottle, did you give the hydrometer a few good taps to dislodge CO2 bubbles that cling to it?

My brew notes don't say - but my practice is to only write down temperature corrected readings - so I believe the readings to be true gravity.

We "dunk" the hydrometer several times because it has a tendency to stick to the side of the tube.

 

[iXanadu]

1.016 isn't terribly high for a FG. What yeast did you use?

At 53 degrees, though 3.7 ounces is quite a bit of priming sugar. That should still be ok, and not give you gushers.

WLP029 German Ale/Kolsch

 

[Yooper]

Well, your yeast should have given you approx 1.010-1.012 as a FG. So, you bottled a little high but not terribly so. Since the priming sugar was just a little high (but again, not terribly so), I have to make some assumptions. My first guess would be an infection- probably a gusher infection if the beer doesn't taste bad. A lacto infection if it tastes a little sour. If it's an infection, it will get worse. If not, it won't get worse.

A Fg of 1.016 will NOT give you bottle bombs unless you have poor quality bottles or something else going on.

 

[iXanadu]

I think I agree, given the brew notes. Shame - I'm drinking a 1ltr flip top that I was brave enough to chill and it tastes acceptable (not sure what a kolsch is supposed to taste like). Do you think its safe to chill all the 12 oz's? I have a bunch of them but after seeing how high the bottle top went I'm a bit afraid of handling them. I don't want to take any chances - SWMBO is getting along with this hobby ok - but more bombs will surely dim the acceptance.

 

[gointomexico]

How many 6 packs of beer did you end up with when you bottled?

 

[homebrewjapan]

What about carefully opening and recapping the bottles left?

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Chilling will reduce the pressure.

Do you notice anything odd floating on top or a ring around the neck where the top level of beer was?

What did you use for priming sugar?

What type of bottles are the ones that broke?


I've had some store bought Belgians that gushed 3 feet high when I opened them to warm. Bottles shouldn't be breaking though, unless they are infected.

 

[iXanadu]

Chilling will reduce the pressure.

Do you notice anything odd floating on top or a ring around the neck where the top level of beer was?

What did you use for priming sugar?

What type of bottles are the ones that broke?


I've had some store bought Belgians that gushed 3 feet high when I opened them to warm. Bottles shouldn't be breaking though, unless they are infected.

No floaties or ring and beer taste like beer (unfamiliar and not my favorite - a new recipe).

The standard priming sugar sold by LBHS - pretty sure its corn sugar.

They were 12oz from some commercial beer - tall neck seemed ok. The beers really are ubercarbed so I'm not convinced its a weak bottle - but maybe.

 

[iXanadu]

How many 6 packs of beer did you end up with when you bottled?

I think 5 6's a few 1ltrs and a deuce or two.

 

[iXanadu]

What about carefully opening and recapping the bottles left?

I may do that if I trust handling them long enough to get them in the fridge to cool them. If I "REALLY" liked the beer I would be more motivated - but its so-so. But then, my drinking pipeline (signature reflects has been not current drinking pipeline) is down to a couple choices - so I just might give it a try this week-end.

My real interest is in figuring out where I went wrong. I just invested in all-grain equipment plus 150lb of grains to I'm not ready to make the keg step yet.

 

[Kungpaodog]

I'm guessing that you crush your own grains? That can send all sorts of ugly buggers into the air, and if you crush anywhere near you bottling or brewing set-ups you may have let an airborne intruder into that batch on the cold side of the process.

 

[iXanadu]

Thats not the problem this time - I just started AG. I crush outside, but I do measure in the same room I currently have 30g in the fermenter - bad idea?

 

[Kungpaodog]

I think it depends on how paranoid you want to be, but I know that commercial breweries keep any grains that could kick up dust away from anything open, So it might be worth moving the weighing operation elsewhere if practical. I kind of doubt that this would ever cause you a big headache, though.