Exploding bottles - now I'm afraid of beer!

[howdo]

I brewed and bottled a dunkelweizen about a year ago. I wasn't crazy about the taste so I had about 10 left over. Several weeks ago, a couple of the bottles exploded, within a couple of hours. I really want to understand why this could possibly happen so it doesn't happen again. I would hate to give a couple of bottles to a friend and have the bottles explode. The mess was unbelievable. There was glass shards everywhere.

What would cause bottles to explode a year after bottling? If I used too much priming sugar, I would expect to bottles to explode sometime within the first month when I suspect most of the carbonation is taking place. And why several bottles in one night? There were some weird storms going on outside, so maybe a drop in barometric pressure? Any ideas?

 

[1ratdog]

i dont know, but you got my attention

 

[vitrael]

Huh... that's really weird. Did you move the bottles, or did the temperature change drastically in the days/weeks before they exploded? Were they fridged for a period and later room temp? Do you have the FG at bottling time recorded?

 

[honeybadger]

Maybe they were over carbed right to the limit that the bottles could take. One finally gave way and caused a chain reaction. Just a thought.

 

[lumpher]

they were probably right on the edge, and maybe got to the just-wrong temp. i had the same thing happen some time ago; i've been strictly kegging ever since, as me and my wife got into a debate about brewing, and strictly kegging came up as the final answer. i stored the beer bottles about 10 feet from her computer...

 

[WhiskeyR]

they were probably right on the edge, and maybe got to the just-wrong temp. i had the same thing happen some time ago; i've been strictly kegging ever since, as me and my wife got into a debate about brewing, and strictly kegging came up as the final answer. i stored the beer bottles about 10 feet from her computer...

Awesome debate, awesome outcome, awesome wife.

 

[howdo]

Huh... that's really weird. Did you move the bottles, or did the temperature change drastically in the days/weeks before they exploded? Were they fridged for a period and later room temp? Do you have the FG at bottling time recorded?

The temperature did likely change drastically in the days before, we have some weird whether in chicago. The beer may have been refrigerated for a short time over the 1 year since bottling.

The target FG was 1.012, and I measured 1.014 at bottling. One weird thing during fermentation was the terrible rotten egg smell was some have attributed to the wyeast 3068 i used. The whole room smelled. I guess i didnt check the gravity during fermentation more than once, though. Between the primary and secondary it was fermenting for about a month. People with better palates than me said the beer had a diacetyl flavor. Maybe the beer had an infection? (whatever that means)

 

[lumpher]

had to twist my arm pretty hard to buy a couple more kegs to make up for the lost space

 

[lumpher]

The temperature did likely change drastically in the days before, we have some weird whether in chicago. The beer may have been refrigerated for a short time over the 1 year since bottling.

The target FG was 1.012, and I measured 1.014 at bottling. One weird thing during fermentation was the terrible rotten egg smell was some have attributed to the wyeast 3068 i used. The whole room smelled. I guess i didnt check the gravity during fermentation more than once, though. Between the primary and secondary it was fermenting for about a month. People with better palates than me said the beer had a diacetyl flavor. Maybe the beer had an infection? (whatever that means)

fementing beer will put out a sulfurous smell. that's part of the process, and wheat beers do it more, and 3068 is infamous for it. as far as the diacetyl flavor (buttery), how long did you ferment and at what temp?

 

[howdo]

fementing beer will put out a sulfurous smell. that's part of the process, and wheat beers do it more, and 3068 is infamous for it. as far as the diacetyl flavor (buttery), how long did you ferment and at what temp?

About a month fermenting. No control of temp, but if I had to guess I would say low to mid 70's. I have since realized the importance of temperature control during fermentation.

I think like you I might be migrating to kegging. My bottles exploded in the kitchen and I can't believe my wife hasn't "suggested" kegging yet.

 

[ChandlerBang]

Wow. I figured after the first month or so in the bottle, all clear. I guess if I bring anything out of the basement I'll go directly to the fridge with it.