I have over primed my beer, what should I do to salvage it?

[Just Jacob]

I brewed some Pilsner and yesterday I primed and bottled my beer.
The big mistake I made was when using a priming calculator website to figure out how much dextrose to use, I forgot to convert it from Litres to Gallons. So I primed my pilsner for 22Gallons when it was supposed to be 22L, resulting in me using 280g of dextrose when I was only supposed to use 75g.
24 hours later (the time I'm writing this post) I've understood my error and I have quickly moved all of the bottles into my fridge to slow down the process. My fridge's tempurater is around 4C (+/- 1C).
What should I do to salvage my batch of pilsner and stop my glass bottles from becoming exploding granades.
I've heard to just leave it as the fridge would be cold enough to slow down the process. I've read to re-rack the beer into a carboy, but if I do that, what would the next steps be and the process after that, I've also read to just remove the caps and put tin foil over the bottle tops, if so, when do I re-cap them?
any help would be muchly appreciated.
Thank you so much.

 

[Rish]

Welcome to HBT!

I've done something similar. I uncapped the bottles, covered the top tightly with foil, put in a warm area. Check your sg in a few days then check again in 2-3 days. If it's the same, add correct amount of priming sugar to each bottle and cap them. If it's not, check every couple of days until the readings are the same the prime and cap.
Good luck!

 

[marc1]

I find myself in a very similar situation.
I had brewed some pilsner and put in the amount on a priming sugar calculator for 23L in as 23gallons. Resulting in priming 23L with 280grams of dextrose instead of what should have been 75g. I did this less than 24 hours ago and have only just realized my mistake. That glass bottles have been capped and I've since stored them in the fridge at around 4C. Do you have any information or experience as to what I should do to salvage my Pilsner?
Should I re-rack it into a carboy? If so, what are the steps after that?
Should I removed the caps and cover the bottles with tinfoil? If so, how long do I do that for until I re-cap them.
Any help would be appreciated. thank you

I'd put the beer back into an airlocked fermenter with very little head space and let all the sugar ferment out at 70F or so, then rebottle with the correct amount of sugar. Once bottled, I'd keep them warm, in the 70s F until carbomated (maybe 2 to 3 weeks). Then put 1 in the fridge for a couple days and try it,. If good carbonation, move them all to the fridge.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

The big mistake I made was when using a priming calculator website to figure out how much dextrose to use, I forgot to convert it from Litres to Gallons. So I primed my pilsner for 22Gallons when it was supposed to be 22L, resulting in me using 280g of dextrose when I was only supposed to use 75g.

4x the sugar (gallons vs liters) is clearly in the "bottle bomb' (not gusher, bottle bomb) range.

Much of what you read on-line will be outisde the "range of experience" for this situation.

I've understood my error and I have quickly moved all of the bottles into my fridge to slow down the process. My fridge's tempurater is around 4C (+/- 1C).

Good choice.

what would the next steps be

Simplest thing possible is to dump the bottles.

I've also read to just remove the caps and put tin foil over the bottle tops

Did any of those posts mention how to do that a 4x the sugar approach?

I've seen true "bottle bombs" - not "gushers" - "bottle bombs". Don't go there. Cut your losses.

BTW, the analysis of that "bottom bomb" experience was suspected to be a 2x dose of "carb drops".

You are at 4x.

Plan accordingly.

 

[Just Jacob]

4x the sugar (gallons vs liters) is clearly in the "bottle bomb' (not gusher, bottle bomb) range.

Much of what you read on-line will be outisde the "range of experience" for this situation.


Good choice.


Simplest thing possible is to dump the bottles.


Did any of those posts mention how to do that a 4x the sugar approach?

I've seen true "bottle bombs" - not "gushers" - "bottle bombs". Don't go there. Cut your losses.

BTW, the analysis of that "bottom bomb" experience was suspected to be a 2x dose of "carb drops".

You are at 4x.

Plan accordingly.

I've gone with the option of removing the caps, leaving the bottles at room temperature and tightly putting foil around the tops. I will check the SG in a couple of days, and then checked it again several days later.
Is this a viable option, or should I just dump it and start again?
The upsetting thing is that this is my first ever batch that I've done, and I've spent a good amount of time and money on this hobbie and interest, would be such a shame and very disheartening to have to dump it all and start again.
But I understand if it's a necessity.
Jacob

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I've gone with the option of removing the caps, leaving the bottles at room temperature and tightly putting foil around the tops. I will check the SG in a couple of days, and then checked it again several days later.

Thanks for the update.

What you are doing is outside of my experiences, so I have nothing further to offer.

 

[AlexKay]

The safest thing to do would be to transfer all bottles back to the fermenter, and measure gravity every day or few until you have consecutive stable readings.

Obviously not great from an oxygen exposure standpoint, but -- who knows? -- it might taste good anyhow. Better than dumping before you have to.

 

[Just Jacob]

Thanks for the update.

What you are doing is outside of my experiences, so I have nothing further to offer.

I appreciate the help regardless, thank you very much to the quick replies.

 

[Just Jacob]

The safest thing to do would be to transfer all bottles back to the fermenter, and measure gravity every day or few until you have consecutive stable readings.

Obviously not great from an oxygen exposure standpoint, but -- who knows? -- it might taste good anyhow. Better than dumping before you have to.

This was another option that was given to me, to transfer back into a carboy and seal it. But I don't have one spare. I can ask my friend from work who has one and pick it up later.
When I get home from work today, I will take the foil off the tops of the bottles and transfer it into a carboy. Should I keep it at room temperature as well? Between 19C-22C?

 

[AlexKay]

This was another option that was given to me, to transfer back into a carboy and seal it. But I don't have one spare. I can ask my friend from work who has one and pick it up later.
When I get home from work today, I will take the foil off the tops of the bottles and transfer it into a carboy. Should I keep it at room temperature as well? Between 19C-22C?

Room temperature is good. You're not going to change the taste profile with the little bit of extra fermentation left, so might as well give the yeast an easy environment to finish their work.

 

[Just Jacob]

Room temperature is good. You're not going to change the taste profile with the little bit of extra fermentation left, so might as well give the yeast an easy environment to finish their work.

I'll get my friend to lend me his carboy and get straight to work.
Thank you for the help

 

[IslandLizard]

I'd put the beer back into an airlocked fermenter with very little head space and let all the sugar ferment out at 70F or so, then rebottle with the correct amount of sugar. Once bottled, I'd keep them warm, in the 70s F until carbomated (maybe 2 to 3 weeks). Then put 1 in the fridge for a couple days and try it,. If good carbonation, move them all to the fridge.

When pouring out the bottles, there's a high risk of oxidizing the beer, which doesn't improve flavor.

As was mentioned in this thread before, cracking the caps every few days to let off the pressure, then recrimping them, will keep your beer better. Keep doing this until there's no more pressure build-up. Low 70s would be a good temp for doing that, yes.

Then reprime each bottle with priming solution, easiest administered with a syringe.

 

[AlexKay]

When pouring out the bottles, there's a high risk of oxidizing the beer, which doesn't improve flavor.

As was mentioned in this thread before, cracking the caps every few days to let off the pressure, then recrimping them, will keep your beer better. Keep doing this until there's no more pressure build-up. Low 70s would be a good temp for doing that, yes.

Then reprime each bottle with priming solution, easiest administered with a syringe.

I agree this would be best for beer flavor, but I don’t like it for safety. Forget to crack one, or wait too long, or the yeast in one bottle decides to go turbo, and you’ve got an explosion. If you’re going to go this route, keep the bottles in a sturdy, covered container, and use eye protection when handling.

Going back to the fermenter adds oxygen exposure, but completely removes explosion risk. And there’s some chance that there’ll be enough active fermentation with all the priming sugar to counter some of the effects of oxygen exposure.

 

[mac_1103]

cracking the caps every few days to let off the pressure, then recrimping them, will keep your beer better

With this much excess sugar, I would crack the caps every day for the first week at least. Unless they are very sturdy bottles.

 

[IslandLizard]

With this much excess sugar, I would crack the caps every day for the first week at least. Unless they are very sturdy bottles.

Yup, that's probably the safest way to avoid (potential) calamities.
Still wise to wear protection, especially for the face and hands, when handling those bottles.

 

[BongoYodeler]

Too much of a risk for exploding glass (very dangerous), or oxidized beer (very distasteful). If it were me I'd cut my losses, carefully open and drain pour the bottles, wearing safety goggles and gloves of course. Consider it a learning experience while rejoicing in not severing an artery or losing an eye. No beer is worth that.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Picture from a July 2012 topic (link) on bottle bombs.

 

[duncan_disorderly]

The foil idea seems sound to me. It should work. Stick to the plan I say. I've been bottling for years and I did once empty my bottles and rebottle the beer and it was ruined by oxidation, so I wouldn't do that again. If you fit foil tightly over the bottle neck it will protect the beer and the excess CO2 produced will escape.

The tricky part will be putting more sugar into them as they are likely to gush when you do that as there will be dissolved co2 in the beer. You may not need to reprime. Remove foil and cap. Try pouring a bottle to check the carbonation level. Good luck.

 

[Snuffy]

You may have just discovered double fermented pilsner. Pour it out and you'll never know.

 

[Rish]

Dumping bottles back to a FV really increases O2 exposure. Uncapping and covering with foil is not ideal but there will be less oxidation chance. Good luck!,

 

[tracer bullet]

What if the caps were all removed, and the new caps placed on top but not crimped? It'd be a start on keeping new O2 out.

Maybe with a smidgen of weight on them, a small rock like from landscaping (golf ball size or so, no boulders).

Just thinking out loud.