Wedding ale - gushers risk

[baggins22]

Hey everybody,

I am getting married in a few months and since we don't like champagne, we decided to hand out homebrew for the toasts.
I am brewing about 4-5 batches and so far I have3 done.

My only problem is gushers. So far none of my batches i sampled had gushers, but I have this fear of me giving a toast and everybody opening their beers to have them explode over all the guests.

So my question is, what can I do to not have that happen? Is there anything I can do to lower the chances of gushers once I have already bottled?

Thanks

 

[MuddyCreek]

You're using beer to replace champagne! You should purposefully produce at least 1 gusher!

 

[tjpfeister]

Pasteurization is an option, but comes with it's own set of risks. I would recommend just keeping the bottled beer as cold as possible to keep whatever living organisms may be inside a bottle as dormant as possible.

 

[baggins22]

Yes, I have read already about keeping the beer cold. Any suggestions on how long and how cold?

Thanks

Alex

 

[Pratzie]

If ur getting gushers with beer, that may be a sign of infection.

 

[baggins22]

I have not gotten any gushers yet. I have tries 2beers from each batch.. I just worry that maybe that's not a big enough sample

 

[sweetcell]

you're being a tad paranoid - RDWHAHB. have you had problems with gushers before? if you haven't, then i don't see why it would be a problem now. is this the brewer's version of cold eet/wedding jitters/etc?

gushers are almost always caused by an infection. so to safeguard future batches be a nazi about sanitation: if it touches your beer at the boil, it better have either been boiled or soaked in star san. for batches already made and bottled, keep them cold - for as long as you can, ideally the entire time up until the wedding. maybe get a chest freezer than can hold that many bottles? (would need a temp controller). if not, maybe alternate your beers in & out of a fridge, or use coolers with ice, etc.

 

[Pratzie]

I have not gotten any gushers yet. I have tries 2beers from each batch.. I just worry that maybe that's not a big enough sample

No i think u'll be fine with beer. Its more of a concern with Cider then beer but u could always sample one here and there and see how they are. You know, just for quality control

 

[homebrewdad]

If you waited to bottle until gravity was stable and you primed correctly, you won't have gushers (provided your sanitation was solid). Beer doesn't just magically gush for no reason.

 

[BinghamtonEd]

I have this fear of me giving a toast and everybody opening their beers to have them explode over all the guests.

Maybe it's because I'm not the one getting married, but that scene would be hilarious. Yeah, it's definitely because I'm not the one getting married.

Good luck!

 

[JoppaFarms]

Does it gush if it's over primed?