underfilled bottles

[wilsojos]

Is it my imagination or does an underfilled bottle result in overcarbed beer? I know you should top off, but not when I bottled this batch.

 

[carlisle_bob]

Hi

No obvious reason to get overcarb unless the under fill is air (which it probably is). Air gets the yeast all excited and strange things can happen. Overcarb is probably the "least bad" strange result.

Bob

 

[atimmerman88]

Funny you mention it, I grabbed the last bottle that was bottled (mouthful there) from my 1st batch. Bottle was about half full, I popped the cap and it can came off with some force. The beer didn't seem to be terribly over carbed. Kinda scared me when I opened it

 

[mewithstewpid]

No it's not your imagination. Don't half fill bottles. Ka boom!

There was a thread in here explaining the science of it, but I don't remember off the top of my head. It increases the pressure and may lead to bottle bombs.

 

[atimmerman88]

I guess you learn something every day!

I've got one sitting in my basement, I guess I'll guzzle it down she blows!

 

[carlisle_bob]

Hi

If you put priming sugar in each bottle before you put in the beer, then you will have to much sugar in a half full bottle. To much sugar in the beer = over carb. If you mix the sugar and beer before it goes in the bottle - not an issue.

Bob

 

[atimmerman88]

That's the I prefer to carb, so per volume the sugar concentration should be the same

 

[Yooper]

Believe it or not, it's true that underfilled bottles may blow up, even with the proper amount of sugar! The amount of headspace in the bottle is the cause.