Cause of pressure build-up in my cider bottles?

[TMRBeer]

A made cider from a kit a few months ago. The cider is NOT carbonated. However, today I open one that was under pressure and was very fizzy. When I looked at the remain few bottles, most have at least some extra pressure and one had so much pressure that the plastic bottle was distorted and I feared it may blow the cap. I opened it the tub and shielded myself with the curtain. It blew foam like a champaign bottle!! I'm assuming I shouldn't drink this stuff since it is not supposed to be carbonated, and the first dozen bottles weren't carbonated. What has happened in my cider bottles? Is there active yeast yet?

 

[ChshreCat]

Sounds like you bottled too soon and there was fermentables left. What was your SG when you bottled?

 

[TMRBeer]

But, why would it take 3 or 4 months for this to happen? Is it ok to drink?
I must have thrown out the paper once it was bottled and don't have the SG reading, but I'm an amateur at this and wouldn't have bottled until I had the necessary reading. That doesn't rule out a mistake on the reading though.....

 

[Yooper]

It's perfectly safe to drink. Put all the bottles in the fridge if you can- that will minimize any further fermentation. If you have glass bottles, those will be dangerous, so place them someplace safe (like in a rubbermaid container with a lid).

It does sound like the fermentation was "stuck" and maybe warmer weather helped to get it fermenting again. There is a possibility that an infection is causing this foaming, but if it tastes ok then it's probably not an infection.

 

[homebrewer_99]

YOU MUST KEEP ALL YOUR NOTES AND RECORDS!!!!

Only they can tell you what you did wrong.

If your bottles are overcarbonated and you did not add any priming sugar then you bottled too soon.

You have to pay attention to your gravity readings and the yeast's potential attenuation. Without these you're only guessing.

 

[TMRBeer]

Thanks Yooper - It has recently got warmer in our apartment.

 

[gregbathurst]

It's quite possible for a malo-lactic fermentation to cause carbonation of a still cider. If it had plenty of camden tablets it probably wouldn't but there is lots of malic acid in cider. I don't know if there is enough to cause the symptoms described but a malo is usually caused by a rise in temperature. Traditionally when cider was aged in barrels it would go through a malo in spring and then be considered ready to drink.