Bottling Mishap

[yesferatu]

Hey guys,

So, it turns out I bottled way too soon and I have 4 cases of bottles that won't stop spitting out their corks. I've been making still mead for years and I've never seen this before.

Now, I understand I should have crashed it first or tossed in some sulfates, but I've never used wine bottles before and I've never had mead carbonation problems before.

What should I do?

 

[W0GWT]

Ugh.

That is pretty awful. I guess the only thing I can think of to do is -gently- pour them all back in the fermenter and wait it out. I haven't really heard great things about doing that, but I'm not sure what else to do. I've heard of people recorking/recapping bottles to relieve pressure, but there's no telling how much fermentation is yet to take place.

There are some threads on here about pasteurizing bottles, but I don't know the details. Besides, you've already got carbonation in the mead you intended to be still.

I had an issue like this once, but it was due to a bottle infection, so I threw it out.

Best of luck to you!

 

[yesferatu]

Thanks. I knew better the next day. It was actually part of two 5 gallon batches.
I needed to sweeten a blueberry and I had a traditional sweet that I used to correct it.
They've both been aging for over a year, so I figured they must both be done. Not so much.

I'm tempted to pour them both back into carboys or gallon jugs and crashing/treating them.
Plus, I'd need to remove something like 40 corks without doing too much damage.
The other options would be just drinking them quickly or uncorking them all, re-carbing them and letting them finish out for who knows how long.

 

[botigol]

Are you sure that it is continued fermentation and not trapped CO2 escaping due to increased temperature and/or falling barometric pressure? Maybe either of these coupled with corks that didn't set properly? I ask, because, even though my first thought was to concur, after a year they really should be done.

 

[yesferatu]

That's an interesting point. This is the first year I've stored cases in my basement, which is warmer. I hadn't considered that. So...if I do decide to rebottle or something, how can I be sure it won't happen again?

 

[bernardsmith]

That's an interesting point. This is the first year I've stored cases in my basement, which is warmer. I hadn't considered that. So...if I do decide to rebottle or something, how can I be sure it won't happen again?

If you open one of the bottles you suspect is fermenting and you check the gravity and the gravity is about .994 or below then the issue - I think - cannot be fermentation - at least the mead cannot still be fermenting. What you have is trapped CO2 creating too much pressure for the corks you have used. What you might then do is open the bottles and allow the mead to degas before rebottling. If the gravity is at 1.000 or thereabouts and you have not stabilized the mead then there is still enough sugar in the mead to create bottle bombs if not simply popped corks.

 

[botigol]

First, as W0GWT suggested, get everything back into a fermenter (unless you are going to have one heck of a party this weekend and take care of it ). Did you previously take SG readings to determine if they were done? If so, I would hit it with a dose of k-meta. If not, check the SG and wait a few days to see if there are signs of fermentation and then also take another SG reading. If it is stable, dose it with k-meta. Then you would have to either degas or let it sit for a good while longer to naturally degas. Sprinkling dry k-meta in a sample will usually fizz if there is trapped CO2. How warm is your basement? The closer to the low 70-75 the temp, the more quickly that the gas will naturally diffuse. What size cork did you use? I've had some size 8s wiggle, but 9s so far have always stayed put. The corks should be dry upon insertion to maximize staying potential. Did you lay the bottles down immediately after corking? This can prevent them from seating properly. What did you bottle in before?

 

[yesferatu]

Here's a stupid question...
How can there be any residual sweetness if the gravity is at .994?
Am I just measuring that wrong? Shouldn't a sweeter mead finish over 1.000?

*Botigol...
1. I took SG readings initially from both. The blueberry was sour, but at around 1.000. The sweet was like 1.020.
2. I then combined some of the traditional with the blueberry.
3. They were both a year old, so I thought they were done fermenting.
4. I put the bottles into the box they came with, straight up.
5. Apartment's 70 (ac) basement is probably 60-90, but varies.
6. I used 9s - first time corking - I had been using brown flip tops, but changed after a pasteurization accident.

 

[botigol]

Sweetness is a matter of perception, but yes, normally it would be over 1.000 to have much perception of sweetness.

Bottle process-wise, I think that you have things covered. How long since you bottled?

The blueberry still being at 1.000 concerns me; my melomels and fruit wines always end up in the low 0.990s. How did you get the 'sweet' mead to finish that high? Did you add potassium sorbate to either?

 

[yesferatu]

It's only been about a month. They're pretty well carbonated at this point. I'm going to need to find a good way to yank out 40 corks and degas. Once they're back in the carboy, I need to decide if I should just let them finish or I should stop them artificially. I normally don't need to backsweeten, so I'm a little out of my depth.

I've been avoiding potassium and sulfates because a few of my locals are allergic.
I've actually been making mead for years, but I normally just let it finish out and then bottle.
It's never been necessary to crash or sulfate or pasteurize anything. It almost always finished by now.

This is my first time with a melomel, so I probably miscalculated something.
I liked where it was, so I'd probably do it again, but I should focus on process at this point.
I finally picked up 5 gallons of local clover honey, so the ingredients are quality.

 

[botigol]

Since they are "pretty well carbonated", especially given the relatively high SGs, I think that we are back to fermentation not being complete. Yes, definitely get those corks out ASAP. The only process suggestion that I have left, based on our discussion, is that after corking leave the bottles upright for 3-7 days and then lay them on their sides. This helps the corks to stay moist and not shrivel with time. Good luck and check back with updates or any additional questions!

 

[yesferatu]

So, I remeasured a minute ago.
The blueberry is at 1.000
The traditional is at 1.030
I've poured all of the traditional back into a carboy with an air lock.
I might just be able to live with the blueberry.

I had a couple hopefully quick questions for the FUTURE!:
1. If I do want it to be a little sweeter, how do I get it to stop before hitting that .999 spot? Should I just get a yeast that can't handle a high gravity and pre-plan for it to conk out with some remaining sugars?

2. Can you ever really backsweeten without chemically stopping the fermentation so it doesn't restart?

3. At what point should it stop fermenting on its own? Is that just once either the sugars or the yeast runs out? How do you know for sure if it's done?

Thanks for all your help guys.