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Over Carbonated Bottle Conditioning

TheWorm

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I have spent quite some time looking on this forum, but couldnt quite find what i was looking for.  Sorry if this is already out there.  Anyways.  This is related to bottle conditioning using the beersmith carbonation tool.

So I am having issues with bottle bombs/over carbonation since using Beersmith.  I am convinced this is user error as I have had 100% success copying recipes from other brewers.  But every time I use beersmith I have this problem.

My last 2 batches I followed the beersmith instructions to a T. 

Beersmith says I should add 5.14 oz of DME for roughly 4.25 gallons of  volume.

Checked, and double checked that gravity is stable.
Meticulously sanitized bottles and equipment.
Measured DME out (by weight) and boiled for about 5 minutes then cooled.
dropped DME solution in bottling bucket then added beer.
Bottled and capped.  Placed in an ice chest in living room.  Bottle explodes after just 2 days.
the result is 100% of my bottles are way over carbonated (see video)

The ONLY thing I can think of is that I do not have a fermentation chamber yet, and the temperature did reach the high 80's in my house for a day or so.  but this has never been an issue on the last 10 batches of beer i have made.

As I type this, I am in the process of putting together a fermentation chamber with a dual stage temp controller.  I just want to make sure i'm not missing anything else before I explode another batch of beer.  I know that a stable temperature is key, but I cant help but feel that I am getting the wrong measurements on the priming sugar. 

Looking forward to your feedback, Cheers!!

Heres the video.  http://youtu.be/FXtusxdLRzY
 
Can you post your recipe please?  Maybe if we have a look at it, we might find what is happening.
 
Type: All Grain 
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 8.24 gal Asst Brewer: 
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Stainless Kegs (10 Gal/37.8 L) - All Grain
End of Boil Volume 6.24 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 4.25 gal Est Mash Efficiency 86.4 %
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage

Ingredients

Yeasts Used
1.0 pkg California Ale (White Labs #WLP001)



Ingredients

10 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 80.8 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 2 11.5 %
1 lbs Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 3 7.7 %
1.00 oz Warrior [15.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 47.7 IBUs
0.75 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 45.0 min Hop 5 28.5 IBUs
0.75 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 6 15.6 IBUs
0.50 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 7 -
0.50 oz Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 8 -
0.75 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Aroma Steep 15.0 min Hop 9 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [35.49 ml] Yeast 10 -
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 6.0 Days Hop 11 0.0 IBUs

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.067 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.054 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG Measured
Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.1 %
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.8 %
Bitterness: 91.8 IBUs
Calories: 178.9 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 12.8 SRM 

Mash Profile

Mash Name: Temperature Mash, 1 Step, Medium Body Total Grain Weight: 13 lbs
Sparge Water: 5.74 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.20

Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Saccharification Add 20.25 qt of water at 164.2 F 152.0 F 60 min
Mash Out Heat to 168.0 F over 10 min 168.0 F 10 min

Sparge Step: Fly sparge with 5.74 gal water at 168.0 F
Mash Notes: Temperature mash for use when mashing in a brew pot over a heat source such as the stove. Use heat to maintain desired temperature during the mash.
Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Bottle Volumes of CO2: 2.3
Pressure/Weight: 5.14 oz Carbonation Used: Bottle with 5.14 oz Dry Malt Extract
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 70.0 F Age for: 30.00 days
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage Storage Temperature: 65.0 F
Notes


 



Is the beer really 70F when you bottle it?  That temp is supposed to be what the beer is currently sitting at when you bottle it, so as to capture the inherent carbonation leftover from fermentation. 

If it is 65F, or cooler, then there would be more retained CO2 in the beer than you are telling BS2 there is, so you're adding more primer than needed.  But only a 1/4 oz, so that seems unlikely to explode in two days.................Maybe with the high temps, but I thought DME was slower than sugar........

Is it possible your DME is higher potency than whatever BS2 is assuming?  Have you ever tried priming with the recommend amount of sugar for comparison? 
 
it is close, but i never actually took temp.  That's something i will watch next time!

it is also possible that my DME is a little different.  i will switch over to corn sugar for my next batch also. 

Thanks for the input!
 
Are you really losing nearly 2 gallons from the end of the boil to bottling?  That seems like a lot!  If your bottling sugar calculations are based on a 5 gallon batch and you're only bottling 4.25 gallons, that might account for your over carbonation.
 
Yeah, that seems to be trub loss.  i did account for the lower final bottling volume though.  Thinking it might just be bad bacteria getting in the wort before bottling.  Anyone think that might create this type of reaction?  i always just thought it would impart some off flavors.  Sad thing, is i am very clean especially when bottling....
 
Check for a little ring of scum in the bottles at the fill line.  If there is a little ring, then it is an infection.  If it is an infection, don't beat yourself up over it.  It happens to just about everybody sooner or later.

If you determine that it was an infection, replace all of your hoses.  Take all of your valves apart and clean and sanitize them.

One of the places that harbors bacteria is the inside of valves.  When I say take all of your valves apart, I mean "apart" and not just off, so that you can get to every little nook and cranny.

 
Scott Ickes said:
Take all of your valves apart and clean and sanitize them.

One of the places that harbors bacteria is the inside of valves.  When I say take all of your valves apart, I mean "apart" and not just off, so that you can get to every little nook and cranny.

+1 and Amen!  After a brew, I drop my valves in the hot Oxyclean and swish them around, open and closed.  The photo is typical of what I find AFTER that basic cleaning.  There's always wort juice in there.  Let that sit there a couple weeks, and then the next batch passes right through it on the way to the fermenter.  Yuck. 

 
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