Why the foam?

[Rish]

Last few of these have foamed over immediately upon removing the cap. Doesn't seem to be overcarbed, normal sound when opening, no spewing. No off taste. Is there a potential problem?

 

[IslandLizard]

How long have they been conditioning?
Have the bottles been cold (fridge) for a few days, before you open them?

Gushers like that generally point to overcarbing, due to too much priming sugar, beer that's not finished fermenting, or STA-1 yeast use.

 

[Rish]

How long have they been conditioning?
Have the bottles been cold (fridge) for a few days, before you open them?

Gushers like that generally point to overcarbing, due to too much priming sugar, beer that's not finished fermenting, or STA-1 yeast use.

Meant to include that. Bottled 06/15/22, US-05 yeast, several days in the fridge at 42*F. 2/3 cup table sugar boiled in 1 cup water 20 minutes to prime. First bottles didn't do this. It just started a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Rish]

Also, sg 1.012 on 06/10 & 06/14.

 

[DBhomebrew]

Decarb a sample. Still 1.012?

 

[doug293cz]

Gushing bottles, that don't seem to be excessively carbed, are sometimes due to infections. Are you starting to pick up any off tastes?

Brew on

 

[Rish]

Decarb a sample. Still 1.012?

Used a room temperature bottle to try this. It did this:

Then as I was pouring back and forth to degas I dropped the wet glass. I think I'll wait 'til tomorrow to try again.

 

[Rish]

Gushing bottles, that don't seem to be excessively carbed, are sometimes due to infections. Are you starting to pick up any off tastes?

Brew on

The taste has changed, mostly the cantaloupe fading, but nothing that seems off or strange.

 

[Craiginthecorn]

Most likely the beer wasn't fully fermented at bottling time or you have some sort of contamination. Contamination could be in spite of generally good sanitation if, for example, you previously bottled a beer fermented with a diastatic yeast or brett using the same hoses. This can also happen when reusing bottles.

 

[ncbrewer]

I checked on Brewers Friend priming calculator and guessed at 4.65 gallons packaged, 3.0 volumes CO2, and 72F - that yields 5.4 oz of table sugar needed. That's about what you used. So you should have about 3.0 volumes - that's about the limit for most bottles and I can see it causing gushers. A possibility of bottle bombs. I would be very careful when handling these.

 

[Craiginthecorn]

I checked on Brewers Friend priming calculator and guessed at 4.65 gallons packaged, 3.0 volumes CO2, and 72F - that yields 5.4 oz of table sugar needed. That's about what you used. So you should have about 3.0 volumes - that's about the limit for most bottles and I can see it causing gushers. A possibility of bottle bombs. I would be very careful when handling these.

It's not pure volumes of CO2 that cause gushers. I have saisons bottle conditioned at 3.5 volumes in champagne bottles that have no problem when uncapped.

 

[ncbrewer]

It's not pure volumes of CO2 that cause gushers. I have saisons bottle conditioned at 3.5 volumes in champagne bottles that have no problem when uncapped.

I think the 3.0 volumes of carbonation still brings it close to the pressure limit. Am I correct?
(Note: I understand there are different wall thicknesses within the range that is considered "standard" bottles, but I've seen info that indicates 3.0 is a good value to use as a limit. I think it's best not to push the limit on this.)

 

[DBhomebrew]

The question of whether a bottle can hold 3.0 or 3.5 volumes isn't particularly helpful to the OP. The bottle could be a true champagne bottle and they'd still have their gushing beer. Also, I don't see where OP reported 4.65 gallons. At 5 gallons, 5.4oz is a comfortable 2.8vols.

 

[DBhomebrew]

@Rish

So, what is your packaged volume? Current SG?

 

[RM-MN]

Gushing bottles, that don't seem to be excessively carbed, are sometimes due to infections. Are you starting to pick up any off tastes?

Brew on

Not every infection leads to off flavors. I fought with a wild yeast that kept carbonating my beer until bottles burst from the pressure but the beer continued to taste just fine. Keep checking your beer to see that it doesn't continue to get higher pressures and that it doesn't develop off flavors. Both are signs of infections.

 

[Rish]

@Rish

So, what is your packaged volume? Current SG?

Thanks for the questions. They have helped come up with a possible answer. I went back to my notes and I had forgotten that I added the priming sugar to the bottling bucket then had problems with much more trub due to the particulates in the cantaloupe juice so I only got 4.1 gallons of beer. Should have topped up but just wasn't thinking I guess. Current sg is still 1.012. Should I just open these and send them down the drain? Maybe toss the bottles, too

 

[RM-MN]

Thanks for the questions. They have helped come up with a possible answer. I went back to my notes and I had forgotten that I added the priming sugar to the bottling bucket then had problems with much more trub due to the particulates in the cantaloupe juice so I only got 4.1 gallons of beer. Should have topped up but just wasn't thinking I guess. Current sg is still 1.012. Should I just open these and send them down the drain? Maybe toss the bottles, too

If the beer tastes good, why would you want to discard it? Pour the beer into a quart container and let the foam dissipate a bit, then pour it into your glass.

Keep an eye on the beer to see if it gets more carbonation. If so you have a wild yeast infection and will need to relieve pressure. This will take several days of lifting the lid just enough to let off some pressure, then letting it seal again.

 

[DBhomebrew]

Good that it's still 1.012.

4.1 gallons, 2/3c (~5.3oz). That's about 3.3vols. Safety warnings apply.

 

[AkTom]

I’m wondering if your priming solution was evenly distributed throughout your bottling bucket. If you didn’t give it a gentle stir, this could be part of the problem.
Cheers

 

[Craiginthecorn]

I think the 3.0 volumes of carbonation still brings it close to the pressure limit. Am I correct?
(Note: I understand there are different wall thicknesses within the range that is considered "standard" bottles, but I've seen info that indicates 3.0 is a good value to use as a limit. I think it's best not to push the limit on this.)

Yes, a good safety reminder, but that's not the question I was addressing, which was regarding foaming upon opening.

I found this article which brings up a cause that is intriguing - beer stone in the bottle causing nucleation.


https://nationalhomebrew.com.au/bre...eer-a-guide-to-gushing-bottles-and-foamy-kegs

 

[mashpaddled]

Thanks for the questions. They have helped come up with a possible answer. I went back to my notes and I had forgotten that I added the priming sugar to the bottling bucket then had problems with much more trub due to the particulates in the cantaloupe juice so I only got 4.1 gallons of beer. Should have topped up but just wasn't thinking I guess. Current sg is still 1.012. Should I just open these and send them down the drain? Maybe toss the bottles, too

This is your issue. You have fruit particulates in the bottom of the bottles which become nucleation points for CO2 to come out of solution. When you pop the cap the pressure change is kicking up some of the fruit particulates, creating nucleation points driving out CO2 and creating that foam.

There's nothing you can do to fix it but it isn't a problem to worry about, either. Just pop the cap and pour quickly. Problem solved.

 

[Rish]

I really wondered if that might be a big part of the problem. Thanks for the input!

 

[Craiginthecorn]

This is your issue. You have fruit particulates in the bottom of the bottles which become nucleation points for CO2 to come out of solution. When you pop the cap the pressure change is kicking up some of the fruit particulates, creating nucleation points driving out CO2 and creating that foam.

There's nothing you can do to fix it but it isn't a problem to worry about, either. Just pop the cap and pour quickly. Problem solved.

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