Overcarbonation in the Bottle - Check My Fix

[Pilgarlic]

Recipe: Amarillo Pale Ale

Briess 2-Row Pale 9# 8oz
Briess 2-Row Car 20L 1# 0oz
Warrior 1 oz @ 60
Amarillo 2 oz @ flameout
Amarillo 2 oz Dry hop in Secondary
Danstar Nottingham

OG 1.049, Yeast Pitched at 72.
Fermented 6 days in Primary at 68
21 Days in Secondary at 50, Cold Crashed 48 hours at 32.
FG 1.004

Bottled with 4.05 oz cane sugar, shooting for 2.5 vols. Conditioned in Bottle for 6 days at steady 80, then to 70.

Opened a bottle 6 days after bottling, 5/20. Fully Carbed. Delicious.

Opened a bottle tonight, 5/24, and it poured from the bottle but immediately foamed to fill the glass, with just an inch of beer on the bottom of a 20 oz pilsner glass, the remainder filled with a white, larger-bubbled foam. Second bottle did the same.

Fearing bottle bombs, I used a church-key to barely lift the caps of my 48 remaining bottles, releasing the "pfffffffft", and reset the caps with the capper.

Any other ideas? Will this removal of pressure allow CO2 to escape from the beer reducing the carbonation?

Since I've relieved the pressure and placed all of the bottles in a lockable marine cooler I'm no longer concerned about bombs, but I'd like to save this beer. Other than the carbing problem, it's delicious!

 

[TipsyDragon]

well since you didn't mention it in your post ill ask. did you chill your bottles before opening them? if so how and how long? what was the actual measured amount of beer in your bottling bucket? are you sure that the SG had stopped falling before you bottled?

being fully carbed at 6 days should of been a clue that something was amiss. beer usually takes 2-3 weeks.

 

[Pilgarlic]

Yes, I chilled them in the fridge for a couple of hours.

The amount in my bottling bucket was just over 5 gallons.

The beer had attenuated to 1.004 after six days, stayed there for 21 days while I dry-hopped in secondary.

 

[TipsyDragon]

a couple hours is not enough time. you need to chill them for a full day in the fridge. i usually chill mine for a week just so the yeast settle out. all the rest of what you said sounds fine.

 

[Pilgarlic]

Thanks, Tipsy. I'll get them all into a very cold fridge this afternoon.