Risk of 'Splosion???

[superslomo]

Just finished off three batches, bottled etc.

They were in the primaries for over four weeks, I had no remaining airlock activity, and after a two day stretch in the middle where they got a bit too chilly (power outage after the nor'easter) I kept them in the boiler room at a nice solid 64-67 degrees. These were extract kits from Northern Brewer... all done with dry yeast, one nukey (S-04), one ESB (S-04), one smashing pumpkin (US-05).

So.

I didn't have a hydrometer when I did the initial batches, but checking the finished batch I noticed that they were definitely higher in FG than I had expected... 1.013 to 1.021. The pumpkin was the heaviest to start with, but all of them were still higher G than I had expected to finish at.

So.

Are these all going to blow up in my basement in the bottles? I bottled with 2/3 cup of dextrose for each batch, mixed into the full bottling bucket to make it uniform. Bottled in a mix of 12's and 22's.

Or...

Does S-04 just not attenuate all that far down??

Any advice, warning, note of caution is much appreciated. The US-05, as always before, made a BEAUTIFULLY uniform yeast cake. Always blows my mind how clean/fast/easy that yeast is.

 

[Double_D]

The hard part is you couldn't measure to make sure the gravity was consistent for about three days. The air lock isn't the best indicator of fermentation or how vigorously it's going. I've had some beers that just coasted down to their final gravity one point at a time for days.. But the short answer is you should be ok if they were there for a month.

 

[stratslinger]

Agreed with Double_D.

I'd keep a wary eye on those beers that finished up in the 1.020 neighborhood...

And next time, make sure that you get stable gravity readings for at least 3 consecutive days before bottling. The OG doesn't do anything for you, except to help you figure out the alcohol content once you finally hit FG. But the only way to know you've hit FG is if you've got the same gravity reading for at least 3 days in a row.

 

[superslomo]

The expected initial gravity was 1.050-1.054 roughly... They all have some darker tones that are (I assume) non-fermentable. The Nukey was the one at 1.020, and is the one I'm most concerned about...

The odd bit is that I have never had a problem with beers I did where I didn't use the hydrometer Whenever I use the hydrometer, I get on edge and it makes me stressed out.

I think the solution might be to just break this hydrometer accidentally as well... and assume that all's well

How long does it take for things to start blowing up if it's going to happen??

 

[superslomo]

They were in for over a month, really... it would have been 5 weeks on Friday/Saturday.

 

[Double_D]

Breaking the hydrometer is a bad thing. Just learn to relax when you have more information. It's insurance.

 

[BamaRooster]

I would be cautious about the 1.020 ..... you could get a plastic storage bin at a local home center to store those bottle grenades in. If they do blow at least the clean up will be easier.

 

[stratslinger]

I had a brew that I left on for about a month before I thought it had hit FG (1.013 for that brew). Either it didn't, or the pre-measured packet of DME for priming that came with that kit wasn't so well measured, and I wound up overcarbing the bottles and I had several bottle bombs.

I think the first went at close to the 3 week mark. YMMV.

 

[ThickHead]

I wouldn't be worried about bombs at all really. The extract batches that I did prior to going AG never got down much below the 1.020 point. Often, when using extracts, I noticed higher levels of unfermentable sugars which is why the yeast didn't finish lower.

My advice...RDWHAHB.

 

[unionrdr]

It seems to me that more color &/or body signifies more unfermentables. Depending once again on what the maltster used exactly. But I never have too much trouble getting a OG 1.050 down to 1.010-1.012.
That said,my Burton ale was OG 1.065,& it stopped at 1.020. I roused the yeast & warmed it up. That dropped it down to FG 1.018. I bottled it 10 days ago with 4.1oz demerara sugar to 2.0 volumes. It cleared in 3 days. No bombs yet...
My wife's summer ale got bottled with 4.7oz to 2.3V last Monday,FG1.011. And that one had a pound of plain wheat malt added to the bill.
So it's likely that you should be ok. Just as long as the bottles are well sanitized & clean,& capped tightly. And don't let them get too warm during conditioning.

 

[superslomo]

Wondering also whether it makes a difference that I dipped the sanitized hydrometer in the fermenter, instead of using the little sample tube for this round...

The bottles were indeed well sanitized, were clean, and are capped as tightly as I could figure out with the twin-lever I've got.

Basement stays in the low to mid-sixties, which is where they are conditioning.

I'll see about some kind of a tote to store them in, they are presently in cardboard case boxes...

 

[ThickHead]

Wondering also whether it makes a difference that I dipped the sanitized hydrometer in the fermenter, instead of using the little sample tube for this round...

Nothing wrong with that, mate. RDWHAHB...

 

[unionrdr]

At those temps,it'll take longer to carbonate & condition,but that could be a safeguard in this instance. Just give'em a couple more weeks than normal to carb & condition. And the case boxes are fine,I use the sturdy 12 pack/case boxes for mine. I need a thermometer in here,just for science's sake. But this time of year it's easy to keep the primary at 20-22C. So the boxed beers should be in about the same range in my instance.
3 weeks in the bottles for good carbonation. But conditioning & a bit better carb at 5 weeks. At room temp for me. Might be 5 or 6 weeks for you at those cooler temps. Then 2 weeks fridge time for better head & carbonation.

 

[superslomo]

I have had batches with US-05 where they were carb'ed and well drinkable in under a week. I'm not expecting that in this case... HOWEVER, maybe I should try to drink them all in under three weeks to keep the explosions down.

 

[ThickHead]

HOWEVER, maybe I should try to drink them all in under three weeks to keep the explosions down.

Have you had a bottle burst yet? Ever?

I absolutely see nothing, from the information that you have given, to suggest that you should expect bottle bombs. In all my time of brewing I have had only 1 bottle bomb. I have bottled many extract batches at a 1.020 FG without any issues whatsoever. In fact, the one bottle bomb I had was from a 5.5 gal batch of AG pale ale that finished at 1.010. I have no idea why that bottle burst. Hell....it could have been a weak bottle.

Were these 5 gallon batches that you bottled?

 

[xjmox14x]

Many, if not most, extract batches rarely get below 1.018-1.020. Certainly nothing out of the ordinary and most likely finished.

 

[drew1d]

I'm new.

I always crack one open after a couple of days and check the carbonation, if it looks vigorous, I put all the beer in the fridge. If not, wait a few days and try again. Eitherway, after two weeks, I put it all in the fridge.

 

[unionrdr]

@ xjmox14x-Not in my case. I get anything up to OG 1.050 down to 1.009-1.012 regularly. But the Burton ale at OG 1.065 wouldn't go down lower than 1.018. But at ten days bottled it's all good. So it likely is ok. The Burton ale was my first in the heavier category,as it fits in the Strong Ale category with this batch.
I was concerned that since his OG's were lower than mine was,that the higher FG's could be a problem?...

 

[superslomo]

I've gotten definitely lower than 1.020, and even I think below 1.010, but these were beers this time that had not only specialty grains but were made with at least partly amber extract... I usually use pale, and had no issue with that.

I've never had one blow up, but I haven't been doing this THAT long since I picked it up again.

Finally, I definitely can't put it all in the fridge... I just bottled 6.5 cases yesterday, making a total of probably about 12 in the basement, 5 and change are in the "drink me now" phase, some are not much of a RUSH, but I'm working through 'em. I don't own that big a refrigerator

 

[ThickHead]

I always crack one open after a couple of days and check the carbonation, if it looks vigorous, I put all the beer in the fridge.

Really? Was this advice that was given to you or did you decide to go with this approach on your own without any advice from experienced brewers?

 

[superslomo]

I don't put them in the fridge early, but I do confess that I'll open one ever few days through the carb'ing to see how they are shaping up... I just can't WAIT However, generally, the two to three weeks are worth waiting for, and sometimes more to let the flavors settle down a bit.

 

[ThickHead]

I've gotten definitely lower than 1.020, and even I think below 1.010, but these were beers this time that had not only specialty grains but were made with at least partly amber extract... I usually use pale, and had no issue with that.

I've never had one blow up, but I haven't been doing this THAT long since I picked it up again.

Finally, I definitely can't put it all in the fridge... I just bottled 6.5 cases yesterday, making a total of probably about 12 in the basement, 5 and change are in the "drink me now" phase, some are not much of a RUSH, but I'm working through 'em. I don't own that big a refrigerator

Again, I see nothing for you to be concerned about. If you used 2/3 cup (5.333 oz) of dextrose to prime each 5 gallon batch (I am still assuming at this point since you did not clarify) I don't see any reason for concern. However, your beer will more than likely have a higher carbonation level (volumes) than are stylistically appropriate (with little risk of bottle bombs).

 

[superslomo]

Yeah, I measured a non-packed 2/3s of a cup of dextrose in 2 cups of water for each batch. Allowed to cool a little, then put in the bottling bucket, siphoned all the beer onto it with an angle so as to swirl the mixture together.

Glad to hear that it should be fine. These three were batches I was quite looking fwd to as I'm a big fan of ESBs and English Browns. Also as it turns out the Smashing Pumpkin (not really pumpkin, more like pie spice) northernbrewer kit tasted fantastic in the "bottom of the bucket leftover tasting" sweepstakes.

 

[xjmox14x]

@ xjmox14x-Not in my case. I get anything up to OG 1.050 down to 1.009-1.012 regularly. But the Burton ale at OG 1.065 wouldn't go down lower than 1.018. But at ten days bottled it's all good. So it likely is ok. The Burton ale was my first in the heavier category,as it fits in the Strong Ale category with this batch.
I was concerned that since his OG's were lower than mine was,that the higher FG's could be a problem?...

Huh, I've gotten one or two down to the 1.012 area, but most hover in the high teens. I've seen most others report the same. Must not necessarily be just extract but more specific than that.

 

[superslomo]

I wasn't sure whether the 2/3s should be packed or on the loose side... holdover precaution from bread baking by baker's measures (always weight-based). So I measured loosely packed cups, which came out to 117 grams, definitely less than the 5.333 ounces you mention, by about 30g. Maybe not the end of the world, but hopefully it'll help...

Hoping that will leave ENOUGH carbonation, but can't be too picky.

 

[ThickHead]

Yeah, I measured a non-packed 2/3s of a cup of dextrose in 2 cups of water for each batch. Allowed to cool a little, then put in the bottling bucket, siphoned all the beer onto it with an angle so as to swirl the mixture together.

This is generally accepted as a decent general approach. Most experienced brewers will tell you generally 5 oz of dextrose per 5 gallon batch (this is one of those "ballpark" figures). However, if you wish to get a better idea of how much dextrose to use, specific for each batch, you should think about checking out some software like BeerSmith. It will tell you how many volumes of CO2 are appropriate for the style you are brewing and help you calculate how many ounces of dextrose will be required for your batch to get you there.

 

[unionrdr]

Huh, I've gotten one or two down to the 1.012 area, but most hover in the high teens. I've seen most others report the same. Must not necessarily be just extract but more specific than that.

Hmmm,well,I'm seeing that yeast pitch rate & ferment temps determines how fast it gets down to FG. But higher FG still wants to tell me that more unfermentables were involved that keep FG's higher. Like maybe where the extract malts came from,&/or how much crystal & the like were used to make them by the maltster. Or maybe how much maltodextrin & the like may've been added. That's about as near as I can explain the phenomenon. Also,I just use this free priming calculator; http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html

 

[superslomo]

I'd rather have it by weight, I think in these cases using volumetric measurement is a dangerous business... If you look at baking, the way in which you measure flour (heaped scoop, shaken to settle in a measuring pitcher, loosely sifted or packed) can make or ruin a loaf of bread. Same thing with kosher vs table salt... One person's cup measure is not the same as another person's, as you can tell given that my 2/3 cup is only 4.17 ounces

 

[ThickHead]

I'd rather have it by weight, I think in these cases using volumetric measurement is a dangerous business... If you look at baking, the way in which you measure flour (heaped scoop, shaken to settle in a measuring pitcher, loosely sifted or packed) can make or ruin a loaf of bread. Same thing with kosher vs table salt... One person's cup measure is not the same as another person's, as you can tell given that my 2/3 cup is only 4.17 ounces

The advice I was giving is by weight (oz = ounces). The volumes measurement is what you want to end up with in the finished beer. That is how carbonation is measured. The amount of dextrose required to get you to the desired volume of CO2 is listed in ounces.

 

[unionrdr]

I'd rather have it by weight, I think in these cases using volumetric measurement is a dangerous business... If you look at baking, the way in which you measure flour (heaped scoop, shaken to settle in a measuring pitcher, loosely sifted or packed) can make or ruin a loaf of bread. Same thing with kosher vs table salt... One person's cup measure is not the same as another person's, as you can tell given that my 2/3 cup is only 4.17 ounces

Yup. When I measured out the 4.1oz of demerara sugar for my Burton ale,or even the 4.7oz dextrose for her summer ale,it looked by weight to be more than a cup to me. Wish now I would've tried dumping it in a measuring cup just for comparison's sake. Weighing to priming calculator specs is def the way to go. No more guessing by volume for me.