Came downstairs this morning to a burst bottle

[moto748]

Never had that before. Got bottles in the corner of the kitchen on the floor, covering an area of what, about 2 square metres. There's probably around 120 bottles. Big brown stain on the floor spreading across the kitchen. Right in the middle of the bottles, there's the broken one. It's not the crown cap that has failed, the actual bottle has broken in half at the base. So the underside of every bottle is now covered in sticky gunge. Every bottle needs picking up, washing down and drying, and the floor thoroughly cleaned.

So that took a while!

I don't think I need to draw any heavyweight conclusions here, I regard this as a one-off which I don't expect to see repeated in the near future. But following on from pouring away that batch of mysteriously over-hopped stout (See What Did You Brew Today thread), it hasn't been a great 24 hours. Anyway, I knocked up another batch of stout last night, and will be watching the hopping closely.

Anyway, a batch of 'Grey' Sheep is on the go right now, let's hope I have better luck with that!

 

[dad_of_jon]

Never had that before. Got bottles in the corner of the kitchen on the floor, covering an area of what, about 2 square metres. There's probably around 120 bottles. Big brown stain on the floor spreading across the kitchen. Right in the middle of the bottles, there's the broken one. It's not the crown cap that has failed, the actual bottle has broken in half at the base. So the underside of every bottle is now covered in sticky gunge. Every bottle needs picking up, washing down and drying, and the floor thoroughly cleaned.

So that took a while!

I don't think I need to draw any heavyweight conclusions here, I regard this as a one-off which I don't expect to see repeated in the near future. But following on from pouring away that batch of mysteriously over-hopped stout (See What Did You Brew Today thread), it hasn't been a great 24 hours. Anyway, I knocked up another batch of stout last night, and will be watching the hopping closely.

Anyway, a batch of 'Grey' Sheep is on the go right now, let's hope I have better luck with that!

if you use a single pet bottle as a carbonation tester it would give you a warning if the the batch is well carbonated Othewise as you say could just be a one off bottle with a weakness in the glass. I use wheat beer and belgian beer bottles as they hold a higher level of carbination than many traditional ale bottles. I found the batemans bottles were prone to bursting.

 

[Sandimas]

I don't think I need to draw any heavyweight conclusions here, I regard this as a one-off which I don't expect to see repeated in the near future.

Suggest opening 1 or 2 bottles from the same batch to see how much CO2 is in there. Maybe do that outside (yes I have stained the kitchen ceiling)! I have had rogue weak bottles in the past, but more often than not if one bottle goes then others in that batch are affected too, and it's only a matter of time before the next one goes bang.

 

[moto748]

It was actually from a batch I had thrown out, but had held back a couple of bottles for some reason. But yes, fair point.

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Came downstairs this morning to a burst bottle

I would suggest - to make sure that this doesn't happen again, that you move to a bungalow

 

[dad_of_jon]

Came downstairs this morning to a burst bottle

I would suggest - to make sure that this doesn't happen again, that you move to a bungalow

he could still have a cellar?

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Having taken advice from my "people" m748. I would suggest that you move to a bungalow that doesn't have a cellar and that you clean the mess up that you may have left on the stairs carpet this morning

 

[An Ankoù]

he could still have a cellar?

Or sleep on the roof.

the actual bottle has broken in half at the base.

That's not a "bottle bomb" it sounds more like a weak bottle with a hairline fracture. I've had two over the years, where the bottle looks intact but half the beer has seeped out through a crack all around the bottle.

 

[chopps]

@NPi makes a good bottle bomb! Perfectly timed to go off ‘live’ in the presence of about half a dozen homebrew forum members at a BBQ. And he had the cheek to blame the kids.

 

[moto748]

In all seriousness, I guess An Ankoù is probably right! But I poured away the 'probably wasn't going to be any good anyway' other last bottle of that batch, just to be on the safe side!

 

[Twopan]

It has been warm recently. I have used clear Newkie Brown bottles and had two of them go in the garage. One the bottom blew off, the second went off like a grenade. The remainder drink well but are very lively, but not gushing when opened. I suspect they have got too hot in the garage and the clear bottles are not as robust. I have never had a standard brown bottle go, nor have I had one explode in the first two weeks of carbonation. I conclude it's down to longer term storage conditions getting too warm at times.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I put an old towel over my bottles when they're carbonating. However only fracture was like yours from the base. Because I store the bottles in plastic storage boxes no spillage to the floor, only 19 bottles to wash.

 

[Twopan]

Yep! I now take the precaution of the old towel indoors, and also in the garage to avoid any flying glass. Good tip about using plastic storage boxes indoors. I will adopt that.

 

[borischarlton]

I have had a few bottles go off over the years, you would think that it is the crown cap that is the weak point but if the caps are on right they are stronger than the glass. This means the bottle actually explodes or if there is any weak point in the glass it goes at that point.

 

[NPi]

@NPi makes a good bottle bomb! Perfectly timed to go off ‘live’ in the presence of about half a dozen homebrew forum members at a BBQ. And he had the cheek to blame the kids.

It's not my fault toddlers can't hold their booze!

 

[moto748]

Fwiw the broken bottle was a brown one, not a clear.

 

[Neale]

a batch of 'Grey' Sheep is on the go right now

Hi Moto can I ask what your 'Grey Sheep' is, is it a Black Sheep clone of some description? I was thinking of brewing something like Black sheep ale next.

 

[jof]

Well it must be something about this time of year.

I had one go on me at 1:30am in the utility room. Woke me up thinking drunken teenagers had returned late & knocked something big over.

Nope, found glass fragments all over floor & some made it into the kitchen (no door between).

Had 15 bottles there, 12 in a plastic box, but no, it had to be one of the others, so was mopping the floor & picking up shards at 2am.

Remains of offending bottle

Was originally a cider bottle.

 

[moto748]

Hi Moto can I ask what your 'Grey Sheep' is, is it a Black Sheep clone of some description? I was thinking of brewing something like Black sheep ale next.

Yes, it's from the old Graham Wheeler book. But of course he doesn't quote a yeast. I don't kid myself it's going to taste much like Black Sheep, hence I don't like to use the term 'clone', but if turns out 'of that type', and tastes good, I'll be more than happy.

 

[moto748]

jof>

Ouch! I'm sure it *is* something to do with the time of year, last night for the first time this whole summer I discarded even the lightest duvet and slept under the duvet cover only. Something I might expect to do in July, not September! Some very warm and humid nights lately.