Over carbonated bottles.

[Ungoliant]

Ok so I did a beer kit, Hop Head Double IPA (see attached).

I followed all the directions, but I used a carbonation calculator for the bottling process. The way I bottle is, I make the sugar solution, cool it, then rack the beer on top of it in a bottling bucket. This batch I used 12 oz bottles and American flag bottle caps. Also I didn't cold crash it, last batch I cold crashed and ended up with a mostly flat stout with no head retention. I bottled 4 weeks ago.

So the bottles towards the end of the batch (seriously, like half the batch) are really over carbonated and have roughly 1/4 inch of yeast at the bottom. It takes slowly off gassing these beers for almost 20-25 minutes per bottle for them to be pourable, but by that time all the yeast has been kicked up and I get a super cloudy beer. Otherwise they gush everywhere and you either lose half the beer or have to chug foam.

EDIT: I used 3.94 ounces of corn sugar boiled in 2 cups of water, to hit 2.2 vol/CO2 in a 5 gallon batch.

How can I avoid this in the future?View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1436313438.660638.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1436313449.760334.jpg

 

[Hex23]

You didn't indicate how much priming sugar you added. Just because you used a calculator doesn't mean we can rule out wrong amounts due to user error

 

[Ungoliant]

You're right. My bad. I used 3.94 ounces of corn sugar boiled in 2 cups of water, to hit 2.2 vol/CO2. It's a 5 gallon batch.

I used this calculator:
http://www.yeastcalc.co/priming-sugar-calculator

 

[Brewer_Ben]

i had inconsistent carbonation a couple times, then i read somewhere on here to have a sanitized mixing spoon or just use your siphon to GENTLY stir the beer in your bottling bucket to evenly distribute the new sugar. Also do you make a whirlpool type motion when racking to your bottling bucket? It also helps alot.

 

[TheMadKing]

I had inconsistent carbonation because I made the mistake of putting my bottles near a heat source. All the ones close to the baseboard heater were way overcarbed and all the cooler ones were almost flat (it was the dead of winter).

Also if you didn't mix your priming solution thoroughly, it has a different density than beer and will sink so it won't mix on it's own. You have to stir it pretty well (without oxygenating!)

 

[Kee]

With 1/4 inch of yeast at the bottom of the bottles I would suspect that fermentation was not complete. What was your OG and FG? And it was US-05 that you used?

 

[Ungoliant]

I can't remember the OG/FG (it was a kit so I didn't record it), but I definitely hit my target FG. I used the Wyeast #1056 with a starter.

I also have never stirred my beers when bottling, so...That's a change I need to make.

 

[Ungoliant]

Also does anyone recommend cold crashing and/or intentionally disturbing the yeast layer during the bottling process?

 

[Hex23]

Back when I bottle conditioned lagers, I would intentionally dip the siphon in the trub cake near the end of transferring to the bottling bucket. I've been told it's not necessary, but I figure after a 10 week secondary a little insurance doesn't hurt.

 

[OkanaganMike]

I had inconsistent carbonation because I made the mistake of putting my bottles near a heat source. All the ones close to the baseboard heater were way overcarbed and all the cooler ones were almost flat (it was the dead of winter).

Also if you didn't mix your priming solution thoroughly, it has a different density than beer and will sink so it won't mix on it's own. You have to stir it pretty well (without oxygenating!)

I had the same experience as the OP with crazy pressure and fizzing so much I lose 1/2 the bottle. I've been conditioning in the garage and it's been pretty warm. Will the conditioning temp over carb the beer?

Edit: I carb'd 2 points on a Strong Scotch Ale and from secondary into bottling bucket with sugar solution just as OP did.

 

[TheMadKing]

I had the same experience as the OP with crazy pressure and fizzing so much I lose 1/2 the bottle. I've been conditioning in the garage and it's been pretty warm. Will the conditioning temp over carb the beer?

Edit: I carb'd 2 points on a Strong Scotch Ale and from secondary into bottling bucket with sugar solution just as OP did.

A warmer temp will result in more yeast activity which = more carbonation, so yes. Storing the bottles in a warmer place will carbonate them faster. I usually keep mine somewhere between 75 and 80.

Side note, your name is Okanogan with the Canadian spelling. I grew up in Okanogan county WA, which is just a few kilometers south of you.

 

[OkanaganMike]

A warmer temp will result in more yeast activity which = more carbonation, so yes. Storing the bottles in a warmer place will carbonate them faster. I usually keep mine somewhere between 75 and 80.

Side note, your name is Okanogan with the Canadian spelling. I grew up in Okanogan county WA, which is just a few kilometers south of you.

Ha ha Great catch! Throws me off every time I see a casino commercial or something down in that area with the "wrong" spelling Hotter than he11 up here lately with temp unseasonally in the high 30's (your 90-100's). That and the whole province is burning doesn't help a bit.
Oops , So I may have a problem with all my beer in the garage if its warmer than 80 I guess eh? Gonna move them all back into the house if thats the case.
So........Once they're like that, I don't presume there's anyway to reverse it is there? Like leaving them somewhere cooler for a month or so? Stupid question maybe but gotta ask.

 

[TheMadKing]

Ha ha Great catch! Throws me off every time I see a casino commercial or something down in that area with the "wrong" spelling Hotter than he11 up here lately with temp unseasonally in the high 30's (your 90-100's). That and the whole province is burning doesn't help a bit.
Oops , So I may have a problem with all my beer in the garage if its warmer than 80 I guess eh? Gonna move them all back into the house if thats the case.
So........Once they're like that, I don't presume there's anyway to reverse it is there? Like leaving them somewhere cooler for a month or so? Stupid question maybe but gotta ask.

You can pop the caps off to relieve some pressure than re-cap them with freshly sanitized caps. That should help at least

 

[Hex23]

You can pop the caps off to relieve some pressure than re-cap them with freshly sanitized caps. That should help at least

Another thing that will help the foaming is chilling them to a very cold (maybe even a bit below 32F). It won't change the total amount of CO2, but it will help more of it be dissolved in the beer. Then at least they may not gush as much when you open them. You'll still need to let them off-gas till they're not over-carbed. You could do this, then follow MadKing's suggestion. If even at the very cold temps they still gush out, you could try lifting the cap, just a tiny bit at first, to slow the chain reaction that leads to gushing.

 

[OkanaganMike]

You can pop the caps off to relieve some pressure than re-cap them with freshly sanitized caps. That should help at least

Tried it at the beach on the second one. Sounds easy enough but with flip tops its all or nothing then a mad scramble to try and cap it again before you're soaked. Need practice at this task I guess.
Tried am ESB I've got in the garage few days less conditioning than the strong scocth ale and its ok. The thermal laser dealie I have reads temp in there to be between 72-78F so don't think temp did it. I think I should've tried cold crashing it or I screwed up and put too much sugar in it or stirred it better before bottling. Either way its a process thing and a damn shame as this is the one I had conditioning in the carboy for 2 months after primary fermentation and was really looking forward to it.