Brewing Master

Question:

If you were building up that much pressure you better check what kind of locks you use…..and never use that yeast again.

I think this statement is unfair.  Obviously the problem is not with the yeast, but with the brewer not allowing the beer to ferment completely before bottling (or else adding too much sugar).  He should have checked the F.G., which would have clearly indicated whether it was ready to bottle or not.  Yeast cannot be blamed for this. Mark

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I bottled batch of Weizen (was to be my last of the Summer) about a week and a half ago.  After returning from Canada for the long weekend, my bathroom was covered with billions of pieces of glass and the walls with sticky beer.  It must have been a great show, but I missed it all. …. This has never happened to me yet in my limited experience (10 months) of brewing beer.  My only thought was that I put in too much priming sugar, but I only used about a cup for a five gallon batch.  The only other variable that I changed was my yeast.  I used a liquid yeast that was ready to pitch.  In fact, it was called RTP wheat yeast (came from somewhere in MA).  During the fermentation, the top of my airlock blew off a few times and beer splattered the ceiling.  This I have not experienced before. Tim Fulton An air lock blowing off is definately not a normal thing, under any circumstances. If you were building up that much pressure you better check what kind of locks you use…..and never use that yeast again.

I tend to disagree with Matt’s statement.  Under the circumstance of a vigorously fermenting yeast and no blow-off tube, problems with the airlock are not so unexpected.  In my first and only batch of Weizen beer so far, I had exactly the same problem–the fermentation was so vigorous that stuff got pushed into the airlock, which proceeded to get clogged up, and then I had to remove it before the lid blew off my fermenting bucket.  After cleaning it up and replacing it, it just got clogged again, so I finally just left it off until things settled down. I think the wheat yeasts must be quite vigorous in general–I was using Wyeast Weihenstephan for that batch. I’ve got a batch brewing right now with Wyeast German Ale (#1007), and even fermenting between 57′F and 63′F, the yeast was so active that the airlock clogged and the lid blew.  No big deal–wait for things to calm down, clean it up, continue.  I was forewarned that this was an active yeast, so it didn’t surprise me when it happened… As to what caused the beer grenades (the original question), my only suggestions are that maybe the batch hadn’t finished fermenting, or some infection took hold in the bottles.  Are the OG and FG of the batch known?  Were refined enzymes used, and if so, how long was the fermentation period?  Were there any signs of infection in any of the non-exploded bottles?  How did those bottles taste?

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( … My only thought was that I put in too much priming sugar, but I only ( used about a cup for a five gallon batch.     Was that a cup of *corn sugar*?  If so, you probably over-pitched.  I’ve always seen 0.75 cup of corn sugar, or 1.25 cup DME maximum for a five gallon batch.

Response:

of brewing beer.  My only thought was that I put in too much priming sugar, but I only used about a cup for a five gallon batch.  The only other variable that I changed was my yeast.  I used a liquid yeast that was ready to pitch.  In fact, it was called RTP wheat yeast (came from somewhere in MA).  During the fermentation, the top of my airlock blew off a few times and beer splattered the ceiling.  This I have not experienced before.  My fiancee was very patient with me, but made it pretty clear that she did not appreciate being in such close proximity to mini hand grenades.  I don’t want to have  this happen again.  Any thoughts?? Tim Fulton

Bummer!!!! In my EXTREMELY limited experience I’ve been told that 3/4 of a cup is Plenty of priming Sugar. I’d suggest using 5/8-3/4 cup next time you try this yeast. IMO better to have to re prime than clean up after exploding beer bottles

Response:

If you were building up that much pressure you better check what kind of locks you use…..and never use that yeast again. I think this statement is unfair.  Obviously the problem is not with the yeast, but with the brewer not allowing the beer to ferment completely before bottling (or else adding too much sugar).  He should have checked the F.G., which would have clearly indicated whether it was ready to bottle or not.  Yeast cannot be blamed for this.

Well, if you were to have read his post, and my reply even a little more closely, I was referring to the air lock, not bottles.

Response:

Sounds like you either bottles before fermentation was complete or you used too much priming sugar. You may have lost a significant amount of beer when your airlock blew.  How many bottles did you end up getting from the 5 gallon batch.  If that was much under 2 cases I think you definitely used too much priming sugar.  I can usually get by with 2/3 – 3/4 cups of sugar and get excellent carbonation. I think it is unfair to blame the yeast because I have not found significant variations in carbonation with different strains of yeast.  If you have a vigorous fermentation this is just a sign that it is going quickly or that there are lots of sugars to ferment (you should have seen my 1.078 OG Imperial Stout ferment, I lost 1/4 to 1/2 gallon through my blow off tube.) Rich

Response:

writes: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I bottled batch of Weizen (was to be my last of the Summer) about a week and a half ago.  After returning from Canada for the long weekend, my bathroom was covered with billions of pieces of glass and the walls with sticky beer.  It must have been a great show, but I missed it all.  The bottles that went first were the large ones that the microbrews come in nowadays.  I had a case of 12 oz’ers that I thought would be ok.  I covered them just in case, which turned out to be a great move; they all blew up during the night.  I managed to save a few bottles by putting them in the ‘fridge.  When I opened them the beer came spurting out like a geyser. This has never happened to me yet in my limited experience (10 months) of brewing beer.  My only thought was that I put in too much priming sugar, but I only used about a cup for a five gallon batch.  The only other variable that I changed was my yeast.  I used a liquid yeast that was ready to pitch.  In fact, it was called RTP wheat yeast (came from somewhere in MA).  During the fermentation, the top of my airlock blew off a few times and beer splattered the ceiling.  This I have not experienced before.  My fiancee was very patient with me, but made it pretty clear that she did not appreciate being in such close proximity to mini hand grenades.  I don’t want to have  this happen again.  Any thoughts?? Tim Fulton

Maybe  with RTP you need to be RTD ( Ready To Duck). "I should have known! Only a lager will kill a vindaloo."  -  Red Dwarf

Response:

Not a good sign. I find I can’t even stick exactly to PUBLISHED recipes. I keep notes, but have an occasional boilover, accidentally splash out substantial amounts of ingredients, so why worry anyway. That’s half the fun. I relaxed after reading Papazian’s TNCJOHB, specifically the part about substitutions. He notes it is OK to switch ale and lager yeast (keeping in appropriate temperature ranges), to substitute one kind of hops for another, to feel free to use more or less malt, or to substitute malts if necessary.  After all that, there’s not much left. . . except to have fun–and excellent beer. I made one free form batch this spring that I didn’t think much of, so I tried to finish it off quickly. By the time it got to the final bottles, my friends told me it was the best beer I’d ever made. Gary Daum

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Over the years I have brewed a lot of beer, but have never brewed the same batch twice.   I often start out with the intentions to replicate a prior batch EXACTLY.  I can never do it. Invariably, I am drawn to tinker with ingredients and techniques.  I only check specific gravities when I can remember, and estimate measurements on ingredients (with the exception of priming sugar).   It must be something in the wort.   Any comments?

I tried to exactly duplicate a very good batch once.  The copy was just barely drinkable – I think I offended Ninkasi. If you never fail, you aren’t challenging yourself.

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: Not a good sign. I find I can’t even stick exactly to PUBLISHED recipes. I : keep notes, but have an occasional boilover, accidentally splash out : substantial amounts of ingredients, so why worry anyway. That’s half the : fun. : I relaxed after reading Papazian’s TNCJOHB, specifically the part about : substitutions. Gary’s right!  I make up my own recipes all the time, and the results are very fun.  I’ve made some pretty interesting beers, and quite often, my friends’ first response is "better luck next time", they eventually end up saying "how do you make that stuff, anyways?".  Luckily I do keep careful records of my improvised recipes….  E-Mail if you want any, I’m not too proud to share…(if you dare)

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Over the years I have brewed a lot of beer, but have never brewed the same batch twice.   I often start out with the intentions to replicate a prior batch EXACTLY.  I can never do it. Invariably, I am drawn to tinker with ingredients and techniques….

You too, huh ? Each and every time I say "good stuff, gonna make some more", I never follow through — 100% of the time tinker or modify something along the way. I guess this is what happens when you are an "artist". Or as my dear wife would say, "yeah, right." ja

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Over the years I have brewed a lot of beer, but have never brewed the same batch twice.   I often start out with the intentions to replicate a prior batch EXACTLY.  I can never do it. Invariably, I am drawn to tinker with ingredients and techniques.  I only check specific gravities when I can remember, and estimate measurements on ingredients (with the exception of priming sugar).   It must be something in the wort.   Any comments? stefan m.

Me too.  Also I don’t keep notes so I can’t always remember what I used.  I can usually remember the grains but I don’t usually decide on a hopping schedule until the kettle boils.  It always seems to come out great and a little different each time.  For me that’s part of the fun. todd

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i use a full cup of suger quite often in bottling 5 gallons. what kind of bottles are you using? I find Bud and Coor’s (though bad beers) bar bottles to be the best for strenght. Concord, Massachusetts <http://www.tiac.net/users/mirkwood "Girls are always running through my mind. They don’t dare walk"                                            -Andy Gibb

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -M. ) writes: Over the years I have brewed a lot of beer, but have never brewed the same batch twice.   I often start out with the intentions to replicate a prior batch EXACTLY.  I can never do it. Invariably, I am drawn to tinker with ingredients and techniques.  I only check specific gravities when I can remember, and estimate measurements on ingredients (with the exception of priming sugar).   It must be something in the wort.   Any comments? stefan m.

This is scary.  I could just delete your name from the bottom of this and put mine in its place.  I even used the book "Drawing on the Left Side of the Brain" to try to teach myself to draw, which I assume you must have done also; hence, the reference. You’re not also married to a wicked and treacherous woman from Boston, are you? "I should have known! Only a lager will kill a vindaloo."  -  Red Dwarf

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Having only put my sixth batch in the fermenter a few days ago, I can’t really draw upon many years of experience.  I will say, however, that of the 6 batches I have made, two were supposed repeats of previous batches, and both were different enough to be a different beer altogether.  In one case much better than the original, the second is pending (fermenting)!  I suppose it’s the human urge to always tinker, always try to do something better.  _Dave. -…government, even in it’s best state, is but a necessary evil; in it’s worst state an intorlerable one…. Thomas Paine

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Tim, I would say it’s time tio invest in a hydrometer!  I agree that it sounds like you fermentation was not complete.  I also agree that an active yeast should not be blamed.  You should have an idea of what your Final Gravity should be based on your original gravity.  If you didn’t have your original gravity, it’s hard to say whether fermentation is actually complete or just stalled.  I also agree that 1 cup is probably too much priming sugar.  For a 5 gallon batch, 3/4 cup sugar is quite enough. Chalk it up to experience and don’t worry! Cheers! Jason

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Over the years I have brewed a lot of beer, but have never brewed the same batch twice.   I often start out with the intentions to replicate a prior batch EXACTLY.  I can never do it. Invariably, I am drawn to tinker with ingredients and techniques.  I only check specific gravities when I can remember, and estimate measurements on ingredients (with the exception of priming sugar).   It must be something in the wort.   Any comments? stefan m.

Response:

I was making a stout from extract. I put in 3/4 cup priming sugar and bottled. dome were in 24 oz bottles but I had a six pack of 12 oz. all but one of the 12. oz bottles exploded (I still have black spots on my celing!) It turned out that I had only made a half batch (hard to explain) but added a full batches priming sugar.

Merely doubling the priming sugar from what is calculated for the fairly low carbonation of an English ale is not going to make bottles explode. Think of such highly carbonated beers as Duvel, which comes in a fairly thin-walled bottle yet does not explode. What was your final gravity just before bottling? Pierre — Pierre Jelenc                Why should I have to  w o r k  for everything?!                                                             Calvin & Hobbes http://www.columbia.edu/~pcj1/                              

Response:

I bottled batch of Weizen (was to be my last of the Summer) about a week and a half ago.  After returning from Canada for the long weekend, my bathroom was covered with billions of pieces of glass and the walls with sticky beer.  It must have been a great show, but I

  <snip I tend to agree that your problem was probably that fermentation wasn’t complete, also possibly too much priming sugar.  Wheat beer is a very yeasty beer anyway.  About 3/4 cup in 5 gallons has always been plenty of priming sugar for my wheat beers, and I get excellent carbonation.  I generally leave them in a plastic 7 gal primary fermenter for a week.  This has plenty of room for foaming and I don’t have to worry about excessive pressure from clogged airlocks.  Then I rack to a secondary for a full second week.  I’ve tried bottling earlier than this and had over carbonation problems.  Yeast just stays healthy a long time in Wheat beer, sugars in the Wheat malt apparently ferment slower than Barley malts, and it takes a little longer.

Oh, so true.  I failed to record the amount of priming sugar (duh) in my first wheat beer. The head was so fantastic and the carbonation so high, I assumed it was a full cup of corn sugar. The beer was so good I wanted everything to be exactly the same for the second batch, so I used a cup to prime. Now; I’m pretty sure the first one was 3/4 cup. I takes me about 15 minutes to pour one of these bad boys (but, yum-yum when I’m done). Putting your current bottles in a cold environment (refrigerator) at 45 degrees or colder should slow down the hand grenade action, the colder the beer is the more of the CO2 will go into liquid and not stay a gas building up pressure. Photius+

I’m getting a real mental image of the inside of his fridge if this don’t work…. "I should have known! Only a lager will kill a vindaloo."  -  Red Dwarf

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I bottled batch of Weizen (was to be my last of the Summer) about a week and a half ago.  After returning from Canada for the long weekend, my bathroom was covered with billions of pieces of glass and the walls with sticky beer.  It must have been a great show, but I missed it all.  The bottles that went first were the large ones that the microbrews come in nowadays.  I had a case of 12 oz’ers that I thought would be ok.  I covered them just in case, which turned out to be a great move; they all blew up during the night.  I managed to save a few bottles by putting them in the ‘fridge.  When I opened them the beer came spurting out like a geyser. This has never happened to me yet in my limited experience (10 months) of brewing beer.  My only thought was that I put in too much priming sugar, but I only used about a cup for a five gallon batch.  The only other variable that I changed was my yeast.  I used a liquid yeast that was ready to pitch.  In fact, it was called RTP wheat yeast (came from somewhere in MA).  During the fermentation, the top of my airlock blew off a few times and beer splattered the ceiling.  This I have not experienced before.  My fiancee was very patient with me, but made it pretty clear that she did not appreciate being in such close proximity to mini hand grenades.  I don’t want to have  this happen again.  Any thoughts?? Tim Fulton

Sounds like a good time to get a kegging system… Support America – Buy a Congressman

Response:

If you were building up that much pressure you better check what kind of locks you use…..and never use that yeast again. I think this statement is unfair.  Obviously the problem is not with the yeast, but with the brewer not allowing the beer to ferment completely before bottling (or else adding too much sugar).  He should have checked the F.G., which would have clearly indicated whether it was ready to bottle or not.  Yeast cannot be blamed for this. Well, if you were to have read his post, and my reply even a little more closely, I was referring to the air lock, not bottles.

I did then, & I just did again now — I don’t see your point.  He did say that the primary blew off the airlock, but what happened in the primary is irrelevant to whether the bottles explode or not.  I reiterate, exploding bottles can’t be blamed on yeast OR what kind of airlock you have on the primary.  They explode either because 1) the original sugars weren’t allowed to fully ferment out (bottled too soon), or 2) too much new sugars to ferment (too much bottling sugar, which does not appear to be the problem according to the original poster). Or, I suppose, 3) because some more attenuative (wild) yeast got in during bottling time. Anyway, to the original poster — hope you sort it out.  I have had fermentation pick up on me numerous times.  In fact, my latest batch took off so strongly AFTER I TRANSFERRED TO MY SECONDARY CARBOY that I had to put a blowoff tube back on — and this was about 8 days after pitching!!  That’s why I like to use secondaries, among other things I can let the beer sit awhile before bottling without fretting about leaving it on the trub for too long. Good luck. Mark

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This is a first time homebrew story: I was making a stout from extract. I put in 3/4 cup priming sugar and bottled. dome were in 24 oz bottles but I had a six pack of 12 oz. all but one of the 12. oz bottles exploded (I still have black spots on my celing!) It turned out that I had only made a half batch (hard to explain) but added a full batches priming sugar. well….live and learn! Glenn Brown                                                              

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I bottled batch of Weizen (was to be my last of the Summer) about a week and a half ago.  After returning from Canada for the long weekend, my bathroom was covered with billions of pieces of glass and the walls with sticky beer.  It must have been a great show, but I missed it all.  The bottles that went first were the large ones that the microbrews come in nowadays.  I had a case of 12 oz’ers that I thought would be ok.  I covered them just in case, which turned out to be a great move; they all blew up during the night.  I managed to save a few bottles by putting them in the ‘fridge.  When I opened them the beer came spurting out like a geyser. This has never happened to me yet in my limited experience (10 months) of brewing beer.  My only thought was that I put in too much priming sugar, but I only used about a cup for a five gallon batch.  The only other variable that I changed was my yeast.  I used a liquid yeast that was ready to pitch.  In fact, it was called RTP wheat yeast (came from somewhere in MA).  During the fermentation, the top of my airlock blew off a few times and beer splattered the ceiling.  This I have not experienced before.  My fiancee was very patient with me, but made it pretty clear that she did not appreciate being in such close proximity to mini hand grenades.  I don’t want to have  this happen again.  Any thoughts?? Tim Fulton

I tend to agree that your problem was probably that fermentation wasn’t complete, also possibly too much priming sugar.  Wheat beer is a very yeasty beer anyway.  About 3/4 cup in 5 gallons has always been plenty of priming sugar for my wheat beers, and I get excellent carbonation.  I generally leave them in a plastic 7 gal primary fermenter for a week.  This has plenty of room for foaming and I don’t have to worry about excessive pressure from clogged airlocks.  Then I rack to a secondary for a full second week.  I’ve tried bottling earlier than this and had over carbonation problems.  Yeast just stays healthy a long time in Wheat beer, sugars in the Wheat malt apparently ferment slower than Barley malts, and it takes a little longer. Putting your current bottles in a cold environment (refrigerator) at 45 degrees or colder should slow down the hand grenade action, the colder the beer is the more of the CO2 will go into liquid and not stay a gas building up pressure. Photius+ It’s fear, not beer that makes men old!

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Dear Tim, I fear that you didn’t let the beer ferment itself out in the primary. Thus, you had too much sugar in your beer when you bottled. For ales, I usually wait until the foam has sunk into the beer before bottling. This method doesn’t work for lagers and i don’t recommended it for dry yeasts, which can alter the taste of the beer if they’re left too long in it. When the foam is gone, fermentation is over. You also could have a problem with sanitation, thus wild fermentation; however, if the beer tastes ok after it’s settled, then that’s not the problem.   Jeff

Response:

I bottled batch of Weizen (was to be my last of the Summer) about a week and a half ago.  After returning from Canada for the long weekend, my bathroom was covered with billions of pieces of glass and the walls with sticky beer.  It must have been a great show, but I missed it all.  The bottles that went first were the large ones that the microbrews come in nowadays.  I had a case of 12 oz’ers that I thought would be ok.  I covered them just in case, which turned out to be a great move; they all blew up during the night.  I managed to save a few bottles by putting them in the ‘fridge.  When I opened them the beer came spurting out like a geyser. This has never happened to me yet in my limited experience (10 months) of brewing beer.  My only thought was that I put in too much priming sugar, but I only used about a cup for a five gallon batch.  The only other variable that I changed was my yeast.  I used a liquid yeast that was ready to pitch.  In fact, it was called RTP wheat yeast (came from somewhere in MA).  During the fermentation, the top of my airlock blew off a few times and beer splattered the ceiling.  This I have not experienced before.  My fiancee was very patient with me, but made it pretty clear that she did not appreciate being in such close proximity to mini hand grenades.  I don’t want to have  this happen again.  Any thoughts?? Tim Fulton

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