bottle infection need help

[stevestone1988]

These were new bottles soaked in star san caps included. Even so, half the batch is infected, gushed when opened film at the neck of the bottle, and the other half is mostly fine no film with no gushing. No idea what to do now, how do I save the gushers? Can I even? AND HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?!

 

[brewski08]

have you tried the beers that you think are infected? do they taste infected? do they smell infected?

you could have possibly got an uneven spread of your priming solution throughout your beer, causing some bottles to be more carbonated than others, causing some to gush.

 

[pohldogg]

You can't. Infected is infected. I'd keep the other half cold though just in case the infection hasn't shown up yet. New bottles don't mean sanitized, they're just new. Your batch could have been contaminated already, or it was in your bottling bucket or spigot and just didn't infect every bottle. Do you cover your bucket, was the AC on? There's plenty of ways a batch can get infected even with starsan.

 

[stevestone1988]

No infection taste or smell. Just gush. I kept it in a just bought New fermentation bucket. Which was also sanitized. (everything was) and was kept in a closet.

 

[BrewByLos]

How did you calculate your priming sugar? By weight or volume?
I also take apart my spigots and sanitize before attaching to the bucket.

 

[stevestone1988]

I take it apart as well. I used northern brewers calculator. Said to use 6.65 oz of corn sugar

 

[BrewByLos]

Did you use a cleaner before sanitizing? I soak bottles in oxiclean free (rinse well) before starsan.

I would also check the hydrometer for a stable reading for a solid three days.

 

[brewski08]

No infection taste or smell. Just gush. I kept it in a just bought New fermentation bucket. Which was also sanitized. (everything was) and was kept in a closet.

this sounds like more of a carbonation issue rather than an infection issue to me...especially since you sanitized well and there isn't an infection taste or smell.

try cracking open one of your non-gushing beers. does it seem under carbonated? if so, perhaps your priming solution wasn't mixed well enough with your beer in the bottling bucket. this would cause more sugar to accumulate in some bottles while neglecting others. this could lead to over carbonation (gushers) in some bottles and under carbonation (non-gushers) in others.

 

[user 103238]

What kind of a brew were you bottling? That seems like a lot of sugar.

I take it apart as well. I used northern brewers calculator. Said to use 6.65 oz of corn sugar

 

[stevestone1988]

It was a saison. Dang good to. The gushers have a light film at the neck of the bottle though. One bottle case is good to go the other isn't. I just used the star san sanitizer since they were brand new and didn't have any residue.

 

[schittbreff]

6.65 oz is a lot of sugar for priming. I usually use 4-5 oz

 

[stevestone1988]

If I put it in the fridge would it stop the gushing?

 

[rmcgill]

I always run my bottles through the dishwasher with about 1/8 of normal dish soap... then a good rinse after I take them out... then a Starsan dip before bottling... problem does sound like a carb / priming sugar issue though

 

[duboman]

I take it apart as well. I used northern brewers calculator. Said to use 6.65 oz of corn sugar

6.65oz of priming sugar is a crazy amount for a 5 gallon batch, depending on style 3.5-4.5oz is typical

Keep them in the fridge for a couple weeks but with that much sugar you may not be able to reduce the gushing

 

[jmelbye]

Since the beer tastes fine, and only some bottles are affected, uneven carbonation does seem likely. However, the OP says there is a film in the bottles that gush.

These were new bottles soaked in star san caps included. Even so, half the batch is infected, gushed when opened film at the neck of the bottle, and the other half is mostly fine no film with no gushing.

Can you say more about the film, or provide a picture? How long has the beer been in the bottles?

 

[kerant]

I have a batch of red ale that definitely is infected with the white film and lines across the top of my pail. As soon as I caught it - within a day I transfered to a glass carboy and filled to the top. I believe mine was too much head space in secondary. Anyhow I still have a film on top of carboy. What are the odds on bottle bombs and anyway to minimize or handle this. Thanks

 

[ChaosStout]

delete

 

[Obliviousbrew]

Can be just like others said uneven carbonation the ring in the bottles doesn't have to be sign of infection it just can be residue from a mini krausen... just my 2 cents

 

[stevestone1988]

Yeah all signs point its overcarbination. So just chill it in a fridge and pray?

 

[BrewinHooligan]

Stick in the fridge for a few days, if they are very overcarbonated that may not prevent the gushing but should help.

 

[kerant]

I have a batch of red ale that definitely is infected with the white film and lines across the top of my pail. As soon as I caught it - within a day I transfered to a glass carboy and filled to the top. I believe mine was too much head space in secondary. Anyhow I still have a film on top of carboy. What are the odds on bottle bombs and anyway to minimize or handle this. Thanks

Getting back to my issue- The infection is still coming back even with only about an inch of head space. Any recommendations on how to handle this going to bottling. It's a 1.058 red ale and only 3 weeks in so I can let secondary for more time. What are your recommendations?

 

[iambeer]

Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

 

[pohldogg]

Getting back to my issue- The infection is still coming back even with only about an inch of head space. Any recommendations on how to handle this going to bottling. It's a 1.058 red ale and only 3 weeks in so I can let secondary for more time. What are your recommendations?

Headspace won't stop an infection that isn't oxygen dependent. If it's brett, lacto, pedio, etc headspace won't do a thing. Maybe it would slow down acetobacter but that's about it. Really all you can do is taste it and see if it's a sour worth drinking, and if not then it'll be a total loss.

 

[brewski08]

Getting back to my issue- The infection is still coming back even with only about an inch of head space. Any recommendations on how to handle this going to bottling. It's a 1.058 red ale and only 3 weeks in so I can let secondary for more time. What are your recommendations?

post a picture of it. i thought i had an infection several times before, but it always turns out to be me just worrying too much.

i've had slightly murky films on the top of my beer before as well...usually turns out to be nothing.