too much head?

[moodusbeer]

Never thought I would complain about too much head, but here it goes.
I have opened several bottles of an IPA(my second brew) and the foam is out of control on the pour. 1/3 beer in the glass foam up and over the rim. The bubbles are very fine and robust similar to champagne. Does anybody have any suggestions for the cause/cure to this problem?
IPA brewed with LME, specialty,Dry hopped,Wyeastliquid, and corn sugar to prime.
Taste is very good, no off flavors.
Thanks

 

[WOP31]

Sounds like they got an infection. You should try and let enough for a sample sit out and go flat and then take a gravity reading, you will probably see that it is around 1.000. Sorry dude.

That out of the way, please feel free to insert jokes now.

Cheers

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I doubt it's an infection if the flavor is fine. How, exactly did you prime (amount of corn sugar, method, etc)? It sounds like simple overcarbonation to me.

Possible solution: Chill one down A LOT (put the bottle in a pitcher of ice water with a heavy dose of salt). Pour it into a COLD (frozen?) glass. Same problem?

[JOKE]
The only time there is such a thing is after a vasectomy. And even that's debatable.
[/JOKE]

 

[Pumbaa]

Sounds like they got an infection.

where did ya figure that?

The OP posted "Taste is very good, no off flavors."

It sounds like 1 or 2 things to me. Either you were like my baby brother when I made my blonde ale and overprimed your beer -AND/OR- you need to work on your pouring technique. Either way a simple way to fix the problem for this batch is when you pour your beer keep the glass on the lowest possible angle to your pour and if thats not helping enuff . . . as ya pour stick your finger in the glass

 

[WOP31]

where did ya figure that?

The OP posted "Taste is very good, no off flavors."

It sounds like 1 or 2 things to me. Either you were like my baby brother when I made my blonde ale and overprimed your beer -AND/OR- you need to work on your pouring technique. Either way a simple way to fix the problem for this batch is when you pour your beer keep the glass on the lowest possible angle to your pour and if thats not helping enuff . . . as ya pour stick your finger in the glass

While it is likly that they would have an off flavor, they don't have to. I have seen and unfortunatly have some in my closet still that the flavor is fine, but no matter what I do they gush every where, and when I checked the gravity on it: 1.001. went into the bottles at 1.015. Just my opinion though, and while I know that it isn't as valuable as all the EAC opinions out there, thought that I would share it anyway. not like I told him to dump it all, all I said was to check the gravity of it to see if that was what it could be.

Cheers to too much infected head.

 

[homebrewer_99]

As long as there's no ring around the neck of the bottle it sounds like overprime/too warm conditioning temp to me.

Best way to pour your brew? Get it extra cold (water/salt solution), open and pour several bottles into a pitcher.

No one but yourself will know the difference.

 

[Dustin_J]

One other thing, make sure that the final gravity of your beer hasn't changed for a few days before you bottle. Some yeasts work very slow and keep attenuating a bit, even after you stop seeing rapid bubbling in the airlock.

 

[BierMuncher]

No infection there. You simply (did what I do sometimes and) bottled with too much fermentable sugar still present.

If you repeat the recipe, add a few days to the primary and secondary...take more readings to insure your fermentation has stopped.

As for your current batch? Do what I do for my APA (gusher city). Open a few beers, pour em into a pitcher and serve from the pitcher. The double pour will flatten out the beer enought to make it relatively enjoyable.

 

[Pumbaa]

Just my opinion though, and while I know that it isn't as valuable as all the EAC opinions out there, thought that I would share it anyway. not like I told him to dump it all, all I said was to check the gravity of it to see if that was what it could be.

Cheers to too much infected head.

No reason to get all defensive all I asked is
where did ya figure that?

With the info he posted, infection would have been the last thing to enter my mind, and was hoping that if you knew something that I hadnt thought of you could educate me in what made you think it was infected. I'm always looking to learn . . . but yeah, instead I learned nothing

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

Settle down, both a yas.

It does sound like overpriming to me as well - not saying anyone here is wrong, just maybe need to go lie down for a while.



Another trick when trying to pour fizzy beer (be it overprimed or infected) is to chill it down to near-freezing. Works like a damn.

 

[moodusbeer]

Thanks for all the replies. I primed with 3/4 cup corn sugar into the bottling bucket. Conditionining temp- 64-68 degrees. The extreme chill and pour to a pitcher sounds like a good idea. Also will check the gravity. The fina gravity was at the hig end of the range for the recipe but I had checked it 3 times a couple days apart and was convinced it was done. SG-1.043 FG-1.016

Much appreciation for the help.

 

[Craig5_12]

It seems this is a pretty common problem for begining brewers and a lot of the time it's an inconsistent mix of the corn sugar. Make sure when you add the sugar it gets stirred up really well, I'm in the habit of adding it first and then racking my beer onto it. Even when the bucket is full it won't hurt to stir it up some more. (but don't oxygenate!)
You did mention that a few of the bottles had excess head, but I'm interested to know if youre whole batch is like this. If it is then it won't be an inconsistent mix of the corn sugar and most likely the issues aforementioned.
Happy Brewing!