Help burping overcarbed beer.

[Kahless]

I have a heavily overcarbed batch, but no bottle bombs yet. I've moved them out to the shed (5-10 degrees C; 41 to 50F) for now. Around 8 seconds after opening, foam starts billowing out the top, bringing the sediment up with it.

I tried "burping" one 2 days ago by taking the cap off and re-capping. I just opened the test bottle to see how gassy it is and it is as gassy as though I had done nothing at all. Has anyone else had success in burping beers this way? How long should I wait after opening, and do I have to let it foam out somehow?

Cheers!

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Additional information regarding possibility of contamination: the bottles did have small rafts of something in the neck at week 3, but at week 4 there are less of these and the beer finally started going clearer (until you open the bottle). At week 3 the beer tasted somewhat sour, but at week 4 this taste is gone (I am thinking it was just the carbonic acid - In the two I tasted this week I poured them heavily to degass so that I could check the FG hadn't moved), and the aroma is now a hint of fusel alcohol + acetone, followed by pleasant peanuts (Belgian Blonde using Safale SF-T58, fermented at 22-23C/72-74F, OG 1.064, FG 1.009).

 

[ABVIBUSRM]

sounds like you might have a wild yeast infection...nothing much to do except drink them fast or dump

 

[ABVIBUSRM]

Sour?..definitely some sort of bacteria or wild yeast..And they will continue to cosume carbohydrates that the sacc yeast cannot and bottle bombs will happen..i would say drink if palatable if not dump. But lets hear what others think..cheers

 

[Billy-Klubb]

I have successfully "burped" over carbed beers by putting them in the fridge and slowly releasing CO2 1-2 times a day. it can be a long process that can take days or even weeks. and on that note, I've never done it with an infected batch. I'm sure it could work, but infected beer will remain infected.

 

[mikescooling]

cool those beers out, then drink them fast. last thing you want is bottle bombs and a face full of glass.

 

[RM-MN]

Sour?..definitely some sort of bacteria or wild yeast..And they will continue to cosume carbohydrates that the sacc yeast cannot and bottle bombs will happen..i would say drink if palatable if not dump. But lets hear what others think..cheers

You can get a wild yeast infection that does not sour the beer but will still consume the (normally) unfermentable sugars which will lead to overcarbonation and/or bottle bombs. It's hard to release the carbonation and as Billy-Klubb says it's a long process. I've given up on the process and just deal with it when I open the beers. Chill them well, bring them to somewhere that a spill won't make a big mess like the sink or outdoors, then just crack the seal on the cap and let a jet of foam spray into your glass or other container. Let the cap reseal if the glass get full of foam and let the bubbles get big and pop, then crack the seal a bit again...and again, until the foam quits spraying out. This might take 3 to 5 minutes but you'll get almost all the beer in your glass with practice.