Overflowing bottle upon opening

[NativeSun]

I’ve brewed a brown ale with vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chocolate (using vodka to absorb into cocoa nibs)

I’ve let it sit for close to 2 weeks. (1 week and 4 days) I went and tried to see where it is in the carbonation process and when I opened the bottle it made a decent release of air noise and began to foam up and out of the bottle.

No shaking had been done prior to opening.
What can be the cause of that? I used one sugar droplet per bottle as recommended. And it is in room temperature.

How can it be over carbonated if it hasn’t been two weeks yet? When I tried it, it still tasted flat-ish.

What to do?

 

[myndflyte]

Sounds like it wasn't done fermenting before you bottled. What was the SG and FG and how long did you let it ferment before bottling?

 

[NativeSun]

I let it sit for awhile. 2-3 weeks. I forgot about it for awhile and it was sitting in my basement. My basement was cold for awhile which may have hindered that process.

If that’s the case and it was cold and not done fermenting, would letting it sit in the bottle cure it?

 

[CJ-3]

Sometimes this can happen simply because the beer is warm. Put a bottle in the fridge for a day or two and see if it's better.

 

[NativeSun]

I did bring the beer upstairs from the basement because it was getting too cold and it’s in a room temperature setting a couple feet from a heater

I did take one bottle and put it in the fridge. I’m going to leave it in there for a few hours to see what it is like.

 

[ancientmariner52]

Leave it there for a couple of days, not hours. I can't explain why it makes a difference, because I don't know, but I assure you it does.

 

[NativeSun]

I have a New Year’s eve party coming up that I want to hand out these bottles for. I don’t know if I should give it to people to drink at the party or take home as a gift

 

[ancientmariner52]

Gotcha. You don't have to decide til the last minute, do you?

 

[NativeSun]

No, I mean it’ll prob be a game time decision. I’ll let this one sit in the fridge for the rest of the day and try it tonight. If it’s not where I want to be I’ll put another one in the fridge and let it sit till New Year’s Eve mid afternoon.

If those two don’t work out the way I want them to then I’ll tell everybody to take it home and put in the fridge for a couple days and try it

 

[Sadu]

If the fermentation isn't finished there is a chance the bottles can explode. This isn't great when the bottles are at your place and you can take due precautions but you don't want to be handing these out if you want people to try your brews again. See how you go with a couple of days in the fridge, but I wouldn't be handing out gushing bottles to friends, its a safety thing.

 

[philly224]

If the fermentation isn't finished there is a chance the bottles can explode. This isn't great when the bottles are at your place and you can take due precautions but you don't want to be handing these out if you want people to try your brews again. See how you go with a couple of days in the fridge, but I wouldn't be handing out gushing bottles to friends, its a safety thing.

Yeah agreed....

If you want to bring some to drink there then just open/pour them for people if you think they are okay by then. I wouldn't hand any out though.

 

[Oldskewl]

Just be careful. If they are gushing, you could be giving your friend bottle bombs. It happened to me a couple months ago. I had a Caribou Slobber batch that must have fermented a bit more in the bottles. I gave some to my boss, and it was in his car. Car got a bit warm and "kapow" glass and beer everywhere. This was on a 70 something degree day, but in the car it was warmer from the sun. Just enough to increase the pressure in the bottles. I now cool these bottles before I give them to anyone.

 

[NativeSun]

Fair enough!!! I appreciate everyone’s input. Soooo no gifts for New Year’s we will just drink at my house!

 

[singybrue]

spices and additives can cause foaming as well.