Over primed bottles

[HauckBrewer]

Okay first time for everything but I decided to screw up a DIPA with 2 lbs of hops in it.
I made the mistake of adding 1 1/4th cup opposed to 2/3 cup for this 5 gal batch. I am using coconut palm sugar to carbonate and I read you can put the bottles in in the fridge to make the yeast go dormant. I was wondering if they were taken out of the fridge would they continue carbonating? Please help!

 

[jtratcliff]

Don't panic. RDWHAHB. First you need to figure out the priming potential of coconut palm sugar. Not sure how you would do that. But you use different amounts of priming sugar based on the type of sugar.

You can google for priming sugar calculators to see how much different sugars to use. Maybe you can find one with coconut and/or Palm sugar.

If they're over primed they'll continue to carb once they warm up.

 

[MindenMan]

How many days has the beer been bottled? What temperature are they being conditioned at?

 

[HauckBrewer]

Its at 64*F and has only been in bottles about 12 hours. Coconut palm sugar is comparable to brown sugar. According to Northern Brewer its still about 2 times the amount needed. I do appreciate your input.

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

Be gentle and do something sooner then later.

 

[mdbrewer1]

Be gentle and do something sooner then later.

That's how I'm approaching my stout that I overcarbed due to higher than expected trub loss. I'd offer two options, based on whether or not he has the ability to cool all of the bottles at once.

I don't have the space to cool them all down at once, and I plan to travel with them for a long drive, so my plan is to 'burp' them tonight (4 days since bottling) by opening them ever so slightly to release some of the CO2 that has been created so far and then tightening the caps back down. It's going to be a bit of a guess, and it is possible I've waited a little too long to burp them, which will lead to it being undercarbed, but I'd prefer that to gushers.

If you have a way of cooling the entire batch, you can check a bottle each day until you get to the desired level of carbonation and put them in the fridge to put the yeast to sleep. As was mentioned, warming them back up will start the process back up, so be aware of that.

If I were further along, I'd be happy to give you some real world advice, but those are the two options I've decided make the most sense.

 

[HauckBrewer]

Well I have no means of cooling them all. I guess I will have to go the burping method. I treat my beer like its my baby anyhow.

 

[mdbrewer1]

Well I have no means of cooling them all. I guess I will have to go the burping method. I treat my beer like its my baby anyhow.

I went ahead and burped the bottles last night. The first several I did were very highly carbed already and some beer even gushed out of the tiny opening. I can only imagine what those would have been like fully carbed. The remainder opened with a much smaller hiss and only a couple of those even foamed up a tiny bit in the bottle.

The only difference between the first several and the remainder is that the early ones were in a 6-pack holder right next to the rest that were in a case-sized box. I can't figure out if that has anything to do with it, or perhaps those 6 were some of the first ones bottled and got some extra priming sugar. I did remember to swirl gently with the siphon, but I've also done batches without swirling and ended up with fairly evenly carbed bottles.

Now we wait.... I'll probably let them sit until Christmas time and see where they ended up. I might even buy some commercial beer if my stockpile runs out before then, which may very well happen since I'm bringing a mix of my previous batches to Thanksgiving.

 

[BadBeagleBrew]

Take all the caps off, sanitize some plastic wrap and tie to the bottle tops. Wait a week for sugar to ferment out. Add roughly 1/2 Tsp sugar per bottle (I use 450ml grolsche, this amount works well for them) cap and relax. No worries of oxidation priming sugar currently in bottles will create a CO2 barrier.

 

[Rockindaddy]

If they are not cooled they will continue to carbonate and bottle bombs are very real possibility. I over carbed a batch and got bottle bombs (not fun) and after cooling them tried the burping method many times over until I finally gave up and dumped the batch. Best of luck to you!

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85wiSfIAsoQ[/ame]

 

[mdbrewer1]

Take all the caps off, sanitize some plastic wrap and tie to the bottle tops. Wait a week for sugar to ferment out. Add roughly 1/2 Tsp sugar per bottle (I use 450ml grolsche, this amount works well for them) cap and relax. No worries of oxidation priming sugar currently in bottles will create a CO2 barrier.

That's a brilliant idea. Removes all the potential guesswork. Plus, I have just enough green bottle caps to re-cap. Since I'm planning on waiting a while before trying them, the extra time for the current sugar to ferment out and the new sugar to carb them back up isn't a concern.

How do you tie the plastic wrap to the bottle tops? String? Would a rubberband cause too much of a seal? I'm guessing not, but figured I'd ask.

Do you do anything to the sugar for sanitation purposes?

 

[BadBeagleBrew]

Anything will work for holding the foil in place. Easiest thing would be to read use the caps you removed. Just set them on the foil gently, just need enough of something to hold it in place. I don't do anything for the sugar, there is enough alcohol to keep your beer safe. Only bad thing that might happen is you lose a bit of hopage, though being a double ipa, you should be alright. Good luck

 

[FloppyKnockers]

"Uh oh. Here come the neighbors. They're going to want to know what I'm doin'."

(referring to the video)

 

[mdbrewer1]

Anything will work for holding the foil in place. Easiest thing would be to read use the caps you removed. Just set them on the foil gently, just need enough of something to hold it in place. I don't do anything for the sugar, there is enough alcohol to keep your beer safe. Only bad thing that might happen is you lose a bit of hopage, though being a double ipa, you should be alright. Good luck

Thanks for the response. I'll be giving this a shot tomorrow.

Mine was a stout and has been bottled since Sunday. How long would you suggest waiting before adding the sugar? 2 weeks?

 

[BadBeagleBrew]

Sorry md i thought you were the op, a week should be more than enough time, the reason bottles take so long to carb is your waiting for the c02 that was released via the mini fermentation to disolve back into the beer. Most of the sugar should be consumed within a few days, a week would prob be more than safe enough.

 

[mdbrewer1]

Take all the caps off, sanitize some plastic wrap and tie to the bottle tops. Wait a week for sugar to ferment out. Add roughly 1/2 Tsp sugar per bottle (I use 450ml grolsche, this amount works well for them) cap and relax. No worries of oxidation priming sugar currently in bottles will create a CO2 barrier.

What vol of CO2 do you shoot for? In my calculation, I came up with 1/2 tsp. per 12 oz. bottle to get to 2.4 vol CO2. Admittedly, my coffee might not have fully kicked in yet, but I think my math is right.

Life got in the way so I have had a chance to bring these up and get them re-primed yet, but I should be able to get to them tonight while I'm toasting the pecans for my maple pecan porter that is on deck this weekend. I just wanted to make sure I don't end up overpriming them again. That would be a real bummer.

 

[shortyz]

i know for young wine in austria they used tin foil and an elastic band over the top, kept the co2 in but allowed for some venting..

 

[BadBeagleBrew]

You're math is most likely correct, just add the amount that will give you, your desired carbonation level.

 

[MindenMan]

I strongly suggest you make your re-priming sugar into a solution. If there is any, I do mean any, carbonation left in the beer and you add granular sugar; think Mentos and Diet Coke.