Expect a Bottle Bomb?

[bufordtjones]

So, without thinking about my beer, I left my apartment for two weeks and the air on around 87. I have my bottles in cases in dark closets... still the temperature will be near the AC temp (it is Texas after all). Of course all of my gravity readings were stable before I bottle and I am certain fermentation had stopped. Will the 2 weeks of high temperatures do anything? Should I be careful when I run in my door to taste and see how my beer has aged?

 

[chode720]

I think you will be fine. The bottles carbonate based on how much priming sugar you add, not the temperature. If anything 87 degrees would have made them carbonate faster than normal, but not more than normal

 

[camiller]

I think you will be fine. The bottles carbonate based on how much priming sugar you add, not the temperature. If anything 87 degrees would have made them carbonate faster than normal, but not more than normal

+1, think about it this way, most of the bottled beer you see in stores (even the bottle conditioned ones) are delivered on non-refrigerated trucks even during the sweltering days of summer and they don't go boom with any regularity.

RDWHAHB

 

[Eigenmusic]

IMHO, the only thing you may have to worry about is that higher temperature fermentation may have produced some off flavors, just as if you had done your primary fermentation at a high temperature. Of course, since the yeasties are only consuming a small amount of fermentables you added to the bottle, I doubt it will be completely noticeable.

Did these two weeks occur just after bottling, or were these brews bottled several weeks prior to that?

 

[Munsoned]

Agree with all of the folks above. From what I understand, after fermentation is done, the only thing that "excessive" heat will do to a beer is make it age/break down faster (IBUs will break down, oxygen will permeate through the cap faster, etc.).

Two weeks shouldn't be a big deal on that score--I think this is more of a problem if they are stored warm for months or years.

 

[bufordtjones]

They were bottled for about 4 weeks before I left. I think they should be fine. I just wanted a second opinion (or 5) before I popped a top and got a surprised.

 

[bufordtjones]

As a follow up, the bottles were just fine. In fact, the beer matured very nicely!