Bottling Overcarbonation

[FunkedOut]

I had kegs before my first brew. Never bottled a batch, save for some experimental small batches. Always been kegging and adjusting carbonation as I consumed the keg.

If I want to bottle any beer, usually to empty a keg and tsp a new style, I fill the bottles from the tap once the carbonation is right. I have a case of 1 liter swing tops and a wing capper for regular bottles.

Regardless of bottle type, regardless of style, any beer I bottle is great out of the bottle right away. It’s a growler basically.
But if that bottle sits a few months, it is crazy over carbonated. Taste is fine, but the pours can fill a pilsner glass more than 3/4 with foam.

What’s going on here? My sanitation practices are good. I’ve never had an infection.
The beers are usually several months old when I bottle.

 

[Vale71]

Do you disassemble and sanitize the faucet and the lines before filling your bottles? If you don't then there's an excellent chance this is where your infection is coming from.

 

[IslandLizard]

Or do you keg before reaching terminal gravity?

 

[FunkedOut]

Do you disassemble and sanitize the faucet and the lines before filling your bottles? If you don't then there's an excellent chance this is where your infection is coming from.

No sir. I’ve never disassembled my taps. I CIP with a pump and some line cleaner, flushed with water, then StarSan. I make sure to open and close the tap during the process several times.

I’ve always worried about that.
But I figured that if bacteria was the cause, wouldn’t the beer taste sour? It always tastes the same as I remember.

 

[FunkedOut]

Or do you keg before reaching terminal gravity?

No, gravity is stable for days before cold crash, fining and kegging.

 

[Vale71]

Well if your beer has reached FG and I have no reason to doubt that since you say it sits for months in the keg before you start serving/filling your growlers, then the only way it can acquire more carbonation is through an infection of some sort. There's at least a 50% chance it's a lacto infection which might not be so easy to detect by tasting at first. If it were only the occasional bottle then I would recommended a better bottle cleaning regimen, but since it appears to be every single bottle then the only common factor would be the filler or in your case the faucet. Faucets are real cesspits as far as hygiene is concerned (I'm exaggerating but only slightly). Regular cleaning is fine if the beer that flows through them gets guzzled immediately, but if it has to sit in a bottle for weeks or months then whatever was in the faucet and is now in the beer has all the time in the world to get busy and wreak havoc in the bottle.

 

[FunkedOut]

I’ll try filling bottles from a bottle filler then.
I guess this year NHC entries are losers then!

 

[Vale71]

I’ll try filling bottles from a bottle filler then.

That's certainly your best option also as far as oxydation is concerned.
As for your NHC entries, while I think it's good to have the judges gushing over your beers the opposite is generally rather frowned upon...

 

[FunkedOut]

So today, I have one last attempt at bottling from my taps before dropping coin on a bottle filler.
I disconnected my kegs, and ran caustic line cleaner through the lines, QDs and taps for 10 minutes, then flushed for 10 minutes.
I ran a pint of sanitizer from a keg through the tap and a clean growler filler (short piece of hose) attached to the tap.
Tapped the keg and bottled a few bottles that will sit for a few months to see if the problem persists.
I'll report back with results. This is just too convenient (and free) a way to bottle to not try and work it out.