fear the bottle bomb?

[woody34]

Just bottled 5 gallons yesterday. At what point can I stop worrying about bottle bombs? I had what seemed to be a full fermentation ...2 Weeks primary 2 in secondary. Bottles resting on the dark at room temp.

 

[DrummerBoySeth]

It is never too late to stop worrying about bottle bombs if you did not measure the gravity. Since you fermented for one month (great patience!) there is about a 95% chance that your beer will be just fine, but you cannot KNOW that without taking measurements. This is why the hydrometer is so important. If you had done measurements and verified a stable finishing gravity for 3 consecutive days (usually below 1.020 for extract recipes, or as low as 1.005 for all grain recipes or really good yeast) then you could be nearly 100% certain that you have no bottle bombs.

Obviously, this does not account for infected bottles, which can cause bombs too, but that is usually not a problem with good sanitation.

If you do not have a hydrometer, then I suggest getting one before your next batch. It will give you the peace of mind that you need, so that you do not worry about bottle bombs. It also gives you a critical measuring tool to assess the quality/condition of your brew at many stages in the brewing process. This will allow you to make better/more consistent beer!

 

[woody34]

I'm a noob. Sorry I didn't mention my gravity readings. It was 1044 OG and. 1006 final. I thought my final gravity seemed too good to be true for an extract though? Maybe I read it wrong?

 

[HopSong]

Sounds like no problem to me... IF.. you didn't over prime your bottles. Depending on the style, you are looking at 5-6 oz of priming sugar.

 

[DrummerBoySeth]

I'm a noob. Sorry I didn't mention my gravity readings. It was 1044 OG and. 1006 final. I thought my final gravity seemed too good to be true for an extract though? Maybe I read it wrong?

1.006 is completely finished. As long as you did not over-prime, then you do not need to worry about bottle bombs at all. 1.006 is really great attenuation. What yeast did you use?

 

[Cromwell]

Well... you don't need to worry about bottle bombs due to unfinished fermentation. An infection could still cause bottle bombs months after bottling. This is really my only big problem with homebrewing - bottle bombs are extremely dangerous, and as far as I can tell it's nearly impossible to guarantee you won't get one, due to an infection.

 

[BrewScout]

I'm a noob. Sorry I didn't mention my gravity readings. It was 1044 OG and. 1006 final. I thought my final gravity seemed too good to be true for an extract though? Maybe I read it wrong?

I've done 2 extract batches that both came out around that same gravity using Nottingham, and haven't had a single bottle bomb yet. As long as you didn't over prime, you should be just fine. Now starts the biggest test of patients, waiting for them to bottle condition.

 

[woody34]

I used dry yeast, danstar I believe. It fermented at 64 degrees in my dark cellar for a full month.

 

[MrSpiffy]

I just had concerns of bottle bombs, myself. I brewed up a hefeweizen, which, by style, has more carbonation than typical ales. So, I carbed per the style, not realizing it may be an issue with pressure in the bottles. If you look around, you'll see information stating not to go too much over 3 volumes of CO2 in bottles. (Has to do with how much dissolved CO2 is in the beer for carbonation, and what that volume of CO2 would look like not dissolved in a liquid.) I carbed to somewhere around 3.6 volumes, which is considerably higher than recommended. Maybe I've gotten lucky (probably the case), but I've had zero bottle bombs, thus far. I'm still leery of opening them, but I've kept them cool in the basement, at around 65°F, which will help keep the pressure down a little. And I always chill in the fridge before opening them.

With normal carbonation rates and full fermentation, I'd say you're just fine. Typical carbonation rates only sit around 2.5 volumes.

Here's some info on carbonation:
http://www.byo.com/stories/techniques/article/indices/21-carbonation/1137-master-the-action-carbonation

 

[CBXBob]

When I began home brewing (last August, still a noob)) I spent a lot of time worrying about bottle bombs, storing the conditioning bottles in plastic bags. Haven't done that since 4th batch, probably still not a bad idea. I just bottled my 8th brew Friday, and as previous posters have said, if finished gravity is consistent and low, bottles are clean, and sanitized, priming sugar is consistent, you become more confident about not having bottle bombs. I also admit to being more patient when it comes to letting fermentation go longer, 2 weeks primary, 2 weeks secondary, and minimum 2 weeks in bottle.
Sure wish I had a basement, so I could store at a cooler temp. I've totally run out of fridge space.

 

[Johnnyhitch1]

Best part of (noob) homebrewing is when you learn to trust you actions and know you have done everything correctly, not to sound like a snob but i am a perfectionist and after 10 batchs with no problems so far theres just a point where u gotta stop worrying and trust yourself!

there is always that 5% chance something can go wrong after meticulous brewing, bottling....but what kind of a way is that to live your life!? enjoy another homebrew :fro:

 

[rico567]

I bottle in 10 gal plastic tubs that have lids. When the batch sits upstairs (where it's warmer) for the first two weeks, the lids ensure that a bottle bomb won't make a mess. When I transfer the bottles downstairs onto the shelves in the basement, I'm less concerned.

Overall, though, as some previous posts have stated, one absolutely needs to take the FG reading to ensure that the beer has fermented completely before bottling. And priming sugar should always be measured by weight, not by volume. That's five ounces on a scale, not in a measuring cup. I always follow these procedures, and in five years of brewing, I've yet to have a bottle bomb.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

I have only had 2 bottle bombs and I'm pretty sure it was the result of a gusher bug and can only assume I was rushing sanitation. I did notice that in the bottles that blew, there was a krausen that formed in the bottle that stayed there until they went boom. I have noticed krausen form and drop in the bottle on other brews and only get concerned if I see it there for more than a few days.

 

[mmonteiro]

i think i might have bottled before fermentation was done... i heard if i open the caps a little to relieve pressure after a couple days then recap ill be all set. any truth?

 

[kerant]

If your bottles are in a case and you get a bomb will it shatter the rest of your bottles?

 

[BrewinHooligan]

When I had mine, they were in the box and only two blew. I now keep them all in a rubbermaid tub with a lid until they go into the fridge for easy cleanup just in case. If you think they are overcarbed, you can definitely re-cap them, but stick them in the fridge first to 1, make them safer to handle, and 2, prevent them from gushing all over when you open them.