One bottle bomb--should I be worried about others?

[zgo]

I had a bottle of northern brewer's patersbier spontaneously go off a while ago. They were bottled about a week ago.

As far as I can tell, a buddy of mine (with whom I brewed and bottled the stuff) used the entire .5oz packet of priming sugar that came with the kit. I think that ends up being 1 cup, whereas the instructions called for 2/3 cup. Fooling around with the NB priming sugar calculator, thats 3.45 vols., which is around what would be needed for a triple.

My question: should I be worried about other bottle bombs, or was it just a fluke with the one bottle? Just to be sure, I've got all of them in a rubbermade container in a utility closet.

Other questions:
- We've used this particular bottle probably once before, maybe twice--could multiple uses of bottles lead to a loss in the structural integrity of the thing?
- 3.45 vols is way overcarbed for a patersbier (~4.5%), but will it significantly affect the taste of the beer in a negative way?

Thanks (my wife is half scared of anything brew related now)

 

[Waynep005]

I would open one of the others to check on the carbination. Do it outside on in the sink in case it gushes. If it is super carbed I would assume the rest probably are. if not I would let them go but keep them in the rubbermade. I have bottles that have been used many may times and never had a problem. But maybey it got knocked arround a had a small hairline crack or something.

 

[BirdBrau]

Seeing as you've got them in a rubbermaid in a closet and there isn't much you can do about it now, I wouldn't worry about it. Just be prepared for what may happen when you open them. (My buddy redecorated his kitchen with an over-carbed hefeweizen last night... That was fun to watch.)

 

[djfriesen]

Was the sugar mixed properly? If so, I would be concerned. If there's a possibility of inconsistent priming, then you might not lose them all, but chances are you'll lose some. Either way, not a bad idea to put them in a tote.

Depending on treatment, mulitple uses could stress the glass, I would think. I have no experience with patersbiers, so I have no idea what a significant overcarb might do to the flavor.

 

[HopSong]

Put a few in the fridge and let cool well.. then open one. BTW, at what temp have they been carbing??

 

[zgo]

It's only been a week at around 70 degrees. If I open any of them now, after only 7 days, they'd all gush, wouldn't they?

 

[JLem]

What was your FG?

Also, overcarbonation can affect flavor - it can make it seem thin and can add an acidic (carbonic) bite to it.

 

[zgo]

FG was 1.012 from 1.047.

I hope it doesn't affect it too much. It tasted great going into bottles.

The thing blew up when I was bottling a 7.5% munich/hallertau smash--so I'm consoling myself with a bit of that. I was about to kill my buddy at first (even told him the packet was more than we needed), but now I'm much calmer...

 

[D0ug]

What temp was your beer at when you primed? Usually 5 oz. of priming sugar is pretty good for a typical brew that was bottled around room temp.

 

[zgo]

We bottled in an outside laundry room, so probably low 60s. But they've been conditioning inside at around 68-70.

If I open up another after only one week conditioning, am I going to be able to tell the difference between overcarbed/bomb and just one week carbing?

 

[D0ug]

Was your gravity stable before you bottled, with two readings at least three days apart that came out the same?

I don't think the amount of sugar you added would be enough to make bottle bombs if it was.

I don't know if you'll be able to tell by cracking one open after a week unless it was extremely over carbed, because they can be foamy and gush early on in the conditioning period anyway.

 

[zgo]

I took two readings: post boil and after 4+ weeks in primary. It had to have bottomed out.

From what you're telling me, it must have been the bottle.

 

[D0ug]

I took two readings: post boil and after 4+ weeks in primary. It had to have bottomed out.

Or did it? Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha

It's probably fine, good luck!

 

[fluidmechanics]

I did a WIT for a cookout last summer, it was close to being done but the gravity was still falling slightly so I waited until the last day I could and bottled hoping that I could serve it at the cookout. The night before my wife was doing laundry in the basement and suddenly she heard a boom and was hit with a piece of glass (no injury). I covered the Rubbermaid tub and put it in the garage and for the next week all but 8 bottles exploded one by one. The bottles that didn't explode I was determined to save from this massive rookie mistake, I uncapped ( imagine old faithful made of beer) and tried to drop a carb tab in and recapped. That worked pretty good. The moral of my story is that if over the next week or so you don't have any more grenades you are probably ok. If you open it and it's over carbonated just uncap outside, to avoid spraying beer on your kitchen ceiling and drop in a priming tab and re cap. Good luck.