Some bottles overcarbed, some OK

[jojacques]

Hi people.
So I brewed a Zombie Dust clone that is available here (such an amazing brew) and I had questions regarding the carbonation and bottle conditioning.
Fermented at 66F I carbonated with S-04. 4.5oz of Priming sugar for a 5.5Gal batch. Been in bottles for 2months.

1- Some bottles are over carbonated (will "explode" when I open the bottle, making a nice little mess). And once I pour in my glass, the head is so intense, it stays there until I physically remove it.
2- I noticed that the over carbonated bottles usually have a lot of trumbs in them, and when I pour in my glass, there is a lot of activity in it. I see trumbs floating everywhere in the bottle. Kinda looks like what is happening in the carboy during the first days of fermentation.

Any idea what is up? Any tips for it not to happen again?
Merci!!! (That means thanks, by the way )

 

[timdsmith72]

How did you mix in the priming sugar before bottling?

 

[jojacques]

Sorry, I should have put that precision.

I pour the sanitized water mixed with the priming sugar in my bottling bucket, then rack the beer on top. Mix quickly with my paddle and then rack into the bottles..

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

Sounds to me like your bottles weren't successfully sanitized and some of them became infected.

 

[flars]

Just to add to what @AZCoolerBrewer. Some bottles were not cleaned and then sanitized. Sometimes bottles need a good soak in PBW solution to loosen dried crud and brushed before they can be sanitized. Dirty bottles usually come back from friends who you have graciously given some of your home brew.

 

[Epos7]

Funny, I brewed the same recipe and am having the same issue. No issues with a different recipe I bottled in the exact same way the day before. You can see the thread I posted a few days ago here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=593098

I clean all my bottles pretty thoroughly. I rinse them well with hot water, soak in a PBW bath overnight, soak in water, rinse well again, then sanitize with Star San just before bottling.

My conclusion was that I need to stir the priming sugar in the bottling bucket. I have been slowing adding my (boiled and fully dissolved) priming sugar/water mix to the bottling bucket as the beer siphons out of the fermenter, taking advantage of the whirlpool action the siphon creates, but I guess that wasn't enough to mix it in well enough. On the other hand, I'm wary of stirring and having issues with oxidation. It sounds like you DID stir your priming sugar in, and are still having issues though, so I'm stumped.

 

[normonster]

Gotta either be the priming sugar not mixed, as stated, or an infection, as stated. The only other thing I can think of is that all bottles should be over carbed because too much sugar was used, but the capper didn't do it's complete job on some of the bottles.

I vote for stirring in the sugar, or better yet, using these (they have never failed me, ever).

 

[Epos7]

Gotta either be the priming sugar not mixed, as stated, or an infection, as stated. The only other thing I can think of is that all bottles should be over carbed because too much sugar was used, but the capper didn't do it's complete job on some of the bottles.

I vote for stirring in the sugar, or better yet, using these (they have never failed me, ever).

Definitely going to try stirring next time. I ordered a long stainless steel spoon to use that will be easy to sanitize.

Do you find that you can bottle nice, hoppy IPAs and pale ales, or do you need to keg those beers for them to really shine?

 

[normonster]

Definitely going to try stirring next time. I ordered a long stainless steel spoon to use that will be easy to sanitize.

Do you find that you can bottle nice, hoppy IPAs and pale ales, or do you need to keg those beers for them to really shine?

To be honest, I've found bottling much more pleasing for some reason than kegging. I have bottled my last 3 batches and left the kegerator with only apfelwein that whole time (which I absolutely hate, by the way). I have 6 kegs but I've never had them all full at once because I end up bottling.

I prefer my IPAs bottled too, but I pretty much brew blondes, wheats, pales and milds only.