Venting bottles - packaged too early

[cobrem]

A month and a half or so ago, I brewed John Palmer's Elevenses (AG from NB), using Windsor dry ale yeast. After two weeks, it was reading about 1.020ish, and a follow up reading a week later was the same. (Seemed kinda high - but Windsor is a low attenuator). Fermented at mid 60s, ramping up to about 70 after the first week to squeeze out as much attenuation as possible.

So I bottled it. Two weeks later, I chill one, crack it open, and a foam fountain ensues. Took a reading, and gravity was more in line for what I was hoping for (1.015). I'm quite surprised I didn't have any bottle bombs.

Anyway, following the advice on the forum here, I've been venting the bottles by slowly prying the caps (without bending the cap), letting some gas out, and sealing them up before the foam creeps up and out. So far, I must have done this at least a 20-25 times, and the last time I opened a bottle to check on the status, not much improvement...

I'd hate to dump the beer, because it tasted awesome before bottling. And if I let it foam out, and drink the remainder, the yeast that gets kicked up robs the beer of its rightful flavors.

Has anyone dealt with something like this? Any tips or words of encouragement? Or is this one of those "better luck next time" situations?

 

[slym2none]

Are the bottles chilled when you try to open them?

 

[cobrem]

Yep. In the fridge for at least 24 hours in each instance.

 

[joshesmusica]

You've done this 20-25 times now? Wow! You absolutely win the patience award.

Just out of curiosity, I would open one more fully, and decarbonate it (assuming you did that on the that you measured at 1.015?), and check the gravity. If it's lower than 1.015 it likely means you have an infection, and you will end up doing this another 100 times before they're finally right. At which point, you will find your beer a little funky/sour...

 

[cobrem]

I'll check one again tonight and post. De-carbed the first time.

I think one of the complicating factors is that they are all in bombers, so a lot more liquid volume holding onto the gas in comparison to the headspace.

 

[brewer_in_the_cap]

I had this happen to a porter that used Windsor. I tried venting like you but was not as patient! I recapped all of them and it helped to the point where I could carefully pour a full beer without getting a glass full of foam.
I don't think anyone's mentioned it yet but I'd drink these quick and store them somewhere safe and cold (if possible) to stop any more fermentation in the bottle since they have potential to be bottle bombs. I had a 600ml bottle that didn't get recapped but was in the fridge, when I opened it beer and foamed gushed up about 2 feet!

 

[joshesmusica]

I had this happen to a porter that used Windsor. I tried venting like you but was not as patient! I recapped all of them and it helped to the point where I could carefully pour a full beer without getting a glass full of foam.
I don't think anyone's mentioned it yet but I'd drink these quick and store them somewhere safe and cold (if possible) to stop any more fermentation in the bottle since they have potential to be bottle bombs. I had a 600ml bottle that didn't get recapped but was in the fridge, when I opened it beer and foamed gushed up about 2 feet!

Fermentation won't stop (at least technically speaking) until you reach extreme cold or extreme heat. You know how humans are really good at adapting to extreme climate temps? Yeast are incredibly more adept. But it will slow it down significantly.

Since he's venting so often, I doubt he will experience a bottle bomb, though I suppose it's possible.

 

[cobrem]

Ok. Decarbed and it came out to 1.014. Could be a drop from continued fermentation (or infection), or maybe I decarbed better this time around. The foam seemed to be a bit better, so I'll chug along and vent away. Taste was a bit sharp, but not unexpected for an overcarbed, yeasty beer. Time will tell.

Yet another reason to switch to kegging. Thanks all!

 

[joshesmusica]

Actually, after re-reading your first post, I don't believe that it's the yeast still fermenting it. I think you have an infection. When de-carbing it, you can stir it around with a spoon for a few minutes, and then let it sit out (covered) for a couple of hours.

And gushers are definitely not a good reason to switch to kegging. There's obviously a big flaw in your process somewhere, and you need to fix that first. Otherwise the problem will just be carried over into kegging.

 

[cobrem]

I think you are right. But it seems to be happening at the bottling stage. The de-carbed sample had a medicinal edge that wasn't there in the prebottled flat beer. Time for new plastic.

 

[brewer_in_the_cap]

Did the beer look normal at bottling time (ie no pellicle or lacing)? You may have an infection but you more likely had stuck fermentation, even with ramping temps up you only hit 3.3% ABV assuming you hit the FG of 1.045. Windsor is quite well known for stuck fermentation, it's happened twice to me and there are several posts on here. One time fermentation completed and the other one was exactly your scenario, check gravity and find it's still high, ramp up temps, check a week later and same gravity so I bottled, gushers all over the place! I thought of packing it all in after that brew but the brews after have gone well so don't let this one get you down!

 

[cobrem]

No pellicle or lacing. Hopefully the harshness is yeast bite, and all is well. Maybe it's a wild yeast. Time will tell. Thanks for the encouragement! Good to know what Windsor does.