Overcarbed

[bzwyatt]

Second batch I've brewed that is over carbed for me, just opened a couple bottles. First was BM's Black Pearl Porter, this one was another porter, my own recipe. I only used 3.5 oz corn sugar for more than 5 gal. It is good (especially if I swirl it for 5 min before I drink a glass) just over carbed.

I used Wyeast 1028, fermented for 4 weeks, no secondary, 65-67 deg until final week at 70. FG was 1.018. I think there must have been a some fermentables left at bottling, can't think of anything else. I suppose an infection but I can't taste anything and I had no other problems or signs of infection.

What is a good way to ensure full fermentation? Am I missing something?

 

[dinnerstick]

assuming your bottling sugar math is appropriate for the level of CO2 you want, it could always be a wild yeast infection. some friends of mine always get a weird infection when they brew in one guy's basement, the beer starts out overcarbed and quickly becomes very thin bodied and cloudy, and the taste gets a bit yeasty. hopefully this does not apply to your beer! if everything is fine with the beer and you are confident about your fermentation, then... add less sugar?

 

[tally350z]

To answer your last question, the best way to ensure fermentation has completed is to take the gravity samples over a period of days. If the gravity hasn't dropped over that time then you know it has hit its final gravity.