Bottling Explosion Question?

[martyjhuebs]

I am getting ready to bottle a Low Gravity Saison (1.048 OG). I used Wyeast Belgian Saison yeast for primary and White Labs Belgian Sour Mix for secondary. I have had the beer in my carboy for 3 weeks now and plan to bottle soon since I do not have much change in my gravity at this point. I know Saisons should be aged for at least month int he fermenter but I do not see any reason to not bottle. My question is, with using a high Carb profile and bottle conditioning with a slow acting sour yeast mixture, am I at risk for a bottle explosion sometime in the late future. I would hate to save a beer for a year plus just to have it explode.

 

[KartRacer54]

If your fermentation has finished ( gravity reading unchanged in several days).
Adding correct amount of priming sugar and gently stirred in the bottling bucket will result in good carbonation and no issues with bottle bombs.
Bottle bombs are generally caused by too much or improperly mixed priming sugar or bottling before the fermentation is complete.
More experienced Brewers feel free to correct me but I have not had any issues by following normal procedures. I only bottle and have done approximately 20 cases of beer without an issue.
Good luck!

 

[blizz81]

If your fermentation has finished ( gravity reading unchanged in several days).
Adding correct amount of priming sugar and gently stirred in the bottling bucket will result in good carbonation and no issues with bottle bombs.
Bottle bombs are generally caused by too much or improperly mixed priming sugar or bottling before the fermentation is complete.
More experienced Brewers feel free to correct me but I have not had any issues by following normal procedures. I only bottle and have done approximately 20 cases of beer without an issue.
Good luck!

The thing is it is common to have saison yeasts take a while to finish / they just seem to keep munching and getting more dry the longer you let them.

I'd say worst comes to worst, keep an eye on your caps and if they dome up, put them in the fridge. If you can get your ferm vessel warmer (warm room / sunlight + towel) to help eek out any late points, that's a plus.

 

[martyjhuebs]

I'd say worst comes to worst, keep an eye on your caps and if they dome up, put them in the fridge. If you can get your ferm vessel warmer (warm room / sunlight + towel) to help eek out any late points, that's a plus.

My carboy has fluctuated slightly between 77-79 degrees the entire time. I have had a FermWrap on it set at 80 degrees for the past 3 weeks. The yeast should have been nice and happy the entire time. Ill check the gravity tonight. The target gravity according to BeerSmith is 1.014.

 

[m00ps]

I would strongly advise against bottling any beer with brett or bacteria before giving it at least 2 months to ferment down. The gravity may seem stable right now, but it will very likely drop a few more points over the coming weeks. Even just a drop a 0.001 in the bottle will create a large amount of additional pressure in that tiny headspace. You would have to correctly guess the amount of gravity points it still will drop and adjust your priming sugar accordingly. Or else you are looking at bottlebombs guaranteed.

 

[KartRacer54]

That is what is so awesome about this forum!
I learn something new every day. Did not realize there were yeast Strains out there that would mess up my brew process.
I will now have to try to remember if I brew with a saison yeast!

 

[martyjhuebs]

With the possibility of a change in gravity, would it be approriate to say that by adjusting to Carb profile to somewhere around 2.4 instead of the 3+ for a saison would adjust for a potential shift in gravity?

 

[BierGut]

1.014 seems kind of high for a FG. What was your most recent gravity reading?

 

[martyjhuebs]

Last reading as on friday and it was 1.020

 

[m00ps]

With the possibility of a change in gravity, would it be approriate to say that by adjusting to Carb profile to somewhere around 2.4 instead of the 3+ for a saison would adjust for a potential shift in gravity?

You'd have to find a similar thread where more knowledgeable people can give more accurate numbers on expected gravity changes.

But I would not bottle this soon. Like the last poster said 1.014 is higher than I've ever seen a saison finish. Typically they are below 1.010 if you brewed it right. Plus you've got the wild yeast that will take it down even further. B

But the main reason you want to wait to bottle is for the wild yeast character to go come through. If you bottle now, you will have mostly wasted the yeast you added in the secondary. Youll typically see brett and bug spiked recipes being conditioned for at least a few months

 

[Hopper5000]

Yeah that is a high FG for a saison and will leave quite a bit for that sour mix to eat, especially if it's a lower gravity beer. What kind of bottles are you bottling in? The standard USA ones are only designed to handle about 3 volumes of C02. For every .2 gravity points that get fermented down it will contribute about .5 volumes of C02. Thus, I am in agreement that you should wait.

That being said you could bottle and just drink one monthly to see where it's at. That is risky though due to the bombs. It can take the bugs upwards of 18 months to finish but usually 6 to 12 is a safe bet.

 

[martyjhuebs]

With all that being said is there an issue with opening the bottles at 6 and 12 months to release the pressure that has been built up? Its not like its going to introduce anything wild thats a lot different than what is in there. I am looking to use standard 12oz bottles. I have several that are flip top that I will be using for long term storage as well. I may have bit off a bit more than I could chew with this brew, just really want to start my next beer and figured that the bottle conditioning would age the beer well.

 

[m00ps]

you could do that but still, have you ever seen a bottle bomb? its terrifying. Realize, they dont bust out the top like a champaign bottle. They crack around the sides and shoot tiny (and large) shards of glass everywhere. I've found shards in an entirely different room from where I tracked the explosion to. And itll take you days to find all the glass pieces.

My thoughts are this: let's say you are checking on one 1 month down the line to see the carbonation. If this particular bottle is approaching bottle bomb levels, the disturbance from you picking it up will likely be enough to make it explode in your hands. From there, you'd just be lucky if the shards missed your eyes and throat. When I had a bottle bomb and a lot of gushers in a batch, I put on all the safety equipment I could find and dumped them all in the tub

just buy another fermentor and youll be set for you're next brew. Yeah any time you use wild yeasts, be prepared to dedicate that fermentor for several months. If you'd just used the saison strain, it can finish in less than 3 weeks (especial the French Saison). With saison yeasts, its best to crank up the temp to get them to finish. My last 3 all were done before 3 weeks

 

[Psylocide]

Go buy a new bucket for your next brew for less than 20 dollars and save yourself a hell of a lot of hassle/worry.

1.048 down to 1.020? That beer should have a LONG way to go.

 

[Hopper5000]

If the FG is at 1020 it seems like you had a stuck fermentation. If OG was 1048 then you have a 3.5% beer on your hands and 57% attenuation. This brew will for sure cause bottle bombs which are very dangerous. Yes you could bottle it but what is the harm in waiting? You stand to lose this whole batch from bottles exploding and causing a huge mess to clean up.

 

[Hopper5000]

From the website for Wyeast Belgian Saison:

This strain is notorious for a rapid and vigorous start to fermentation, only to stick around 1.035 S.G. Fermentation will finish, given time and warm temperatures. Warm fermentation temperatures, at least 90°F (32°C), or the use of a secondary strain can accelerate attenuation.

Thus, sounds like this one got stuck. However, if it's in secondary already what is the harm in leaving it in there for a while?

 

[martyjhuebs]

After taking all the feedback into consideration I have decided to let this brew run its course. It will stay in the fermenter for a bit longer with the occasional gravity check just for assurance. Guess its time to test my patience.

 

[Hopper5000]

That is probably your safest choice. It can take the bugs a couple months to really start ramping up.

 

[martyjhuebs]

Checked my gravity today and I'm sitting around 1.010. It tastes delicious already

 

[Hopper5000]

Nice, I would check it in a month-ish and see if it has dropped down anymore

 

[martyjhuebs]

Just an update on this one... I have had consistent gravity readings of 1.010. My temperature has remained between 78-79 degrees and I have absolutely no airlock activity. It actually seems to have more liquid on the primary side than the secondary like a normal fermentation should. I plan to let it sit for another month to let the bugs do their work...