I'm having a problem with a English Ale extract beer I made. I've bottled in 16 oz. growlers and as soon as I pop the top, massive head comes rushing out. Enough that I pour a pint (of foam) and the head still is climbing in the bottle. The beer tastes good but I've made this beer before without this issue. I usually put the beer in the fridge the same day I'm going to drink it. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
Foam Gusher when opening bottles?
- Thread starter dmoney
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The usual questions:
1. How long did you have it fermenting?
2. What is the recipe or kit you used?
3. How long has it been in the bottles?
4. Did you add anything that could cause more than the usual bubbles?
5. Have you tried leaving them cool longer?
1. How long did you have it fermenting?
2. What is the recipe or kit you used?
3. How long has it been in the bottles?
4. Did you add anything that could cause more than the usual bubbles?
5. Have you tried leaving them cool longer?
I fermented 10 days in primary 10 days in secondary. Popped first bottle 3 weeks after bottled. Its been about 3 weeks since that time and I'm still having the same problem. I used a local homebrew store's recipe and ingredients. I put some in the fridge last night and will leave them alone over the weekend and see if that makes any difference. This was only my fifth batch so I try to stay with the recipe and not fiddle with adding or subtracting ingredients.
6 lbs Muntons Light LME
4 oz. Gambrinus honey malt
8 oz. Briess Crystal 80
4 oz. Melanoidin
4 oz. Muntons Pale Ale malt
1.75 oz. W.G.V. hops (Bittering)
1 oz. First Gold (UK) hops for 20 min.
(Flavoring)
1 oz. Fuggle (UK) hops (Finishing)
2 tsp. calcium carbonate
1 tsp. Irish moss
3/4 cup corn sugar to prime
Wyeast 1968 London ESB
6 lbs Muntons Light LME
4 oz. Gambrinus honey malt
8 oz. Briess Crystal 80
4 oz. Melanoidin
4 oz. Muntons Pale Ale malt
1.75 oz. W.G.V. hops (Bittering)
1 oz. First Gold (UK) hops for 20 min.
(Flavoring)
1 oz. Fuggle (UK) hops (Finishing)
2 tsp. calcium carbonate
1 tsp. Irish moss
3/4 cup corn sugar to prime
Wyeast 1968 London ESB
It sounds like it was over primed, or wasn't quite done fermenting before bottling (although it looks like it had plenty of time).
Are they crown caps, or something you could release some pressure and reseal before it starts gushing?
Are they crown caps, or something you could release some pressure and reseal before it starts gushing?
I over carbed my stout a while back....very disappointing. How many bottles did you get out of this batch? If it was less than 48 12oz bottles its possible that you may have added too much priming sugar. Did you use 3/4 cup by volume or weight 6 oz?
Maybe it's just me, but all my batches using the "3/4 cup" method of priming ended up as gushers. Maybe not right away - they were great at first, but eventually were overcarbed.
According to the TastyBrew priming calculator, 5 gallons carbonated to 2 volumes needs 3.1 oz of corn sugar. You were probably close to double that amount.
According to the TastyBrew priming calculator, 5 gallons carbonated to 2 volumes needs 3.1 oz of corn sugar. You were probably close to double that amount.
bknifefight
Well-Known Member
3/4 cup of priming sugar is roughly 3.7 oz. I don't know where the number 6 came in here. If you truly did use 3/4 cup, it seems that your beer was not done fermenting when bottled. Did you take any gravity readings?
How does it taste?
Some bottle infections can produce lots of gas, over carbonating it and causing it to emulate Ol' Faithful.
TB
Some bottle infections can produce lots of gas, over carbonating it and causing it to emulate Ol' Faithful.
TB
Beer_Guy
Well-Known Member
Another option even if they are crown capped is to gently pry on the cap. Just enough to let some pressure off but still seal back up when you let it go.
You may wind up with a very low carbed brew this way, but it beats gushers. If there is a LOT of Co2 in suspension then you might have to do it a few times to get just the right amount of Co2 left in there.
You may wind up with a very low carbed brew this way, but it beats gushers. If there is a LOT of Co2 in suspension then you might have to do it a few times to get just the right amount of Co2 left in there.
Man you guys are great help. I got roughly 36 bottles @ 16oz. Dont know the technical name for them but have the metal and rubber snap caps that are reusable. All the kits I've done seem to have 3/4 cup priming sugar and haven't had that problem so maybe I rushed the fermenting process. I'm still new to the gravity readings (final was 1.016 I think)and I might of messed up due to the temp variance. Sounds like I might of got in a hurry on this one. I've got to get my inventory up so I'm not so anxious. Still tastes good - better that a Bass not quite as good as Fullers.
If I wanted to release some of the pressure is it too late? They've been bottled for 5 or 6 weeks now.
If I wanted to release some of the pressure is it too late? They've been bottled for 5 or 6 weeks now.
I just finished a batch of Pliney the Elder that I overcarbed. I use 16oz flip top bottles, when I opened the bottles it sounded like a small calibur gun going off, lol. I opened them in the sink and then poured them into a pitcher and let the head settle before I drank them. They tasted great just too much foam. I had never made this beer before and didn't realize how much all the dry hopping would diminish the volume. I didn't even think about it when I added the malt sugar at bottling. Hey no worries it was still very drinkable, just had to wait for the foam to settle.
Beer_Guy
Well-Known Member
Hmm? A picture or link maybe would help.
bknifefight
Well-Known Member
He's talking about flip tops.
That's the usual culprit of gushers. If they are good younger and the flavor and gushing gets worse with time, you have a bottling infection. Bottling is probably the easiest place to pick up an infection. Try taking the gravity reading of one of these beers. Pour off a sample and let it decarbonate, then check the gravity. It might be really low, which would indicate an infection. I have Belgians primed to 3.5 volumes and they don't gush.
Grinder12000
Well-Known Member
Normally it's an infection. 1.016 is a good number which makes me believe it was done fermenting. The amount of sugar you used might be high but not enough to over carb that much.
When you tried your first bottle was it OK? in fact was it fully carbed early?
If I was a gambling man (which I am) I'd say you have an infection especially of you have brewed this one before. NOW the trick is to see where it came from.
When you tried your first bottle was it OK? in fact was it fully carbed early?
If I was a gambling man (which I am) I'd say you have an infection especially of you have brewed this one before. NOW the trick is to see where it came from.
I over carbed a holiday ale I did but it is not gushing out when I open one rather there is a steady stream of foam that is coming out. I only did 4 oz of dextrose for 5gal. I usually use the Palmer nomograph but did not for this batch. That is what I get for not following directions
My normal bottling method is:
1.Wash with antibacterial soap and water after drinking and put back into cardboard box from which then came in. I leave the flip tops on.
2. Day of bottling load them in dishwasher - rewash and add "Sani-Rinse" cycle and hi heat dry.
3. Take them directly from the dishwasher and fill with the standard bottle filler.
Didn't invest in a bottle washer when I first started but maybe that will be on the Christmas list. It is possible that I infected the entire batch during one of the transfers during fermentation?
As for the first beer being fully carbed, they all have been. Taste has been good throughout. Getting better with age. Just messy.
1.Wash with antibacterial soap and water after drinking and put back into cardboard box from which then came in. I leave the flip tops on.
2. Day of bottling load them in dishwasher - rewash and add "Sani-Rinse" cycle and hi heat dry.
3. Take them directly from the dishwasher and fill with the standard bottle filler.
Didn't invest in a bottle washer when I first started but maybe that will be on the Christmas list. It is possible that I infected the entire batch during one of the transfers during fermentation?
As for the first beer being fully carbed, they all have been. Taste has been good throughout. Getting better with age. Just messy.
TANSTAAFB
Well-Known Member
Flip tops make it pretty easy to release some pressure. If it is overcarbed and not an infection it might help. I would think you would taste something off if they were truly infected.
What was your highest stable (1-2 days at least) fermentation temp? That is the big variable when determining the amount of priming sugar. The colder the fermentation, the less you need. The warmer the fermentation, the more sugar you need. Say you fermented at 65* but ramped up to 70* for a couple days to let the yeastie beasties clean up the diacetyl, you would plug 70* into a priming sugar calculator.
What was your highest stable (1-2 days at least) fermentation temp? That is the big variable when determining the amount of priming sugar. The colder the fermentation, the less you need. The warmer the fermentation, the more sugar you need. Say you fermented at 65* but ramped up to 70* for a couple days to let the yeastie beasties clean up the diacetyl, you would plug 70* into a priming sugar calculator.
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