Airlock clogged, beer carbonated in bucket

It's been 2 weeks in primary fermenter bucket. A new bucket that still has it's tight seal. Was thinking about moving it to a secondary to save space and also re-use the yeast. Opened it and see 2 inches of bubbles. Airlock was clogged and upon tasting it, realized that it's carbonated! I cleaned out the airlock, replaced it, and now it's bubbling like crazy. How will this affect the beer? The taste, for a young beer, seems normal, not sweet like it didn't finish fermenting for the most part. An APA, about 4.3% ABV. And how would the beer carbonating in a bucket affect gravity readings/taste/finished product, etc?

You're always going to get some dissolved co2 during primary. How hard it ferments will govern how much. No worries m8.

It's not carbonated, like Union said there's always co2 in solution in fermentations. That's why in mead and wine making people always talk about "degassing."

Your lid would have blown long before that pressure built up enough to force the co2 into solution. That's why crown caps have to be crimped tightly and the other types have to be screwed of clamped down.

It's also a reason they ask for highest ferment temp in priming calculators. It's trying to compensate for dissolved co2.

Just be thankful you discovered it before it blew the lid off the bucket.

unionrdr said:

No worries m8.

Click to expand...

Thanks.

Revvy said:

It's not carbonated, like Union said there's always co2 in solution in fermentations. That's why in mead and wine making people always talk about "degassing."

Click to expand...

So the bubbles in the airlock now mean it's just doing that de-gassing thing, I see. I knew it couldn't be fermenting so much this late.

Beernik said:

Just be thankful you discovered it before it blew the lid off the bucket.

Click to expand...

Yes! Or had it in glass and a really big kaboom! Though in glass I think I would have noticed much sooner that the airlock was clogged. Just getting used to using buckets and not being able to see what's going on in there. Glad I checked on it.

Thanks guys.