How do I fix this?!

[NYShooterGuy]

I just bottled a Bavarian Wheat beer in my returnable (Sam Adams, Sernac, Dogfish Head, ect) 12 oz. Pry off beer bottles primed for 3.6 CO2.

From what I've been reading these bottles will fail at 2.8 CO2 and above.

Do I pry off 48 caps, gently pour 48 bottles back into a bucket, cover and let the CO2 vent through an airlock....

Do I cover everything in plastic and Kevlar and wait for the explosions...

Do I gently pry up each bottle to vent and then immediately re crimp the caps to hopefully seal...

HOW DO I FIX THIS?!?

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I'd wait a week, uncap to vent, then recap. Wait another week, uncap to vent, then recap. Wait another week, then chill all bottles to serving temp.

Just my $0.02.

I could be wrong. That happened once before.

 

[NYShooterGuy]

I could be wrong. That happened once before.

Haven't we all.

 

[unionrdr]

I carbed my Bavarian hefe to 2.8 Vco2 & didn't loose a single bottle. Typical pop-tops are said to withstand 3-3.5 Vco2. I'd put'em in a tote or something similar to carb up. Then just leave'em be.

 

[JimRausch]

Not doubting your info. that standard bottles will fail above 2.8, but where did you find it?
Me, I think that I would chill them after 1 week, and keep them chilled. Or take a page from the cider folks and pasteurize the bottles to kill the yeast when they've reached the carbonation level I was comfortable with. There's a sticky in the cider forum on stove top pasteurization, also threads about doing it in a dishwasher, and my personal favorite, the cooler pasteurization method.

 

[JohnSand]

I've had some infection gushers in those SA bottles, but none burst. I'd pack them carefully and wait.

 

[NYShooterGuy]

I might just pasturize the bottles killing the yeast and ending the carbonation.

 

[NYShooterGuy]

Not doubting your info. that standard bottles will fail above 2.8, but where did you find it?

NorthernBrewer.com has an advanced bottling PDF that outlines different bottle styles and the max CO2 they can safely contain. 12 oz pry off bottles are rated for 3.0 max, but most shouldn't be trusted beyond 2.8.

For those reasons and because I have several bottles in my circulation that come from others, I can't be confident as to their physical integrity. I get nervous if I bang around the empties too much, let alone where the donated empties come from.

Like the Sam Adams and Dogfish Head bottles that have embossed glass with the company's logo right on the bottle, I know those came from my own stock, but then the others have been stripped of their lables the identification of with bottles were my own or which were donated is not possible.

Right now I'm very anxious about the problem I created for myself. I think the pasturization of the bottles to kill the yeast and end carbonation is my best option at this point.

 

[NYShooterGuy]

Maybe that and a plastic tote.

 

[unionrdr]

I use bottles from all over that are all mixed up in my boxes. Not a single one burst at 2,8 volumes. They can take more than that. Some folks on here have carbed higher than me if you search it.

 

[NYShooterGuy]

I use bottles from all over that are all mixed up in my boxes. Not a single one burst at 2,8 volumes. They can take more than that. Some folks on here have carbed higher than me if you search it.

I popped open a warm 12 oz. from the carbonating supply, and it gave a hiss, no gushing over or bubbling over.

I poured Into a 22 oz. wheat beer glass expecting it to have a big head. No head, but the mouth feel was very "champagne" like with carbonation, and the bubbles rising from the galss weren't too numerous in the amount of areas on the glass.

I placed another bottle Into the fridge and will see if the CO2 will be absorbed into the beer from the lower temperatures and adjust my plans from there.

If it seems to be carbonated to an acceptable level, I'll try and kill the yeast by pasturization and then keep them in a tote (just in case).