De-gassing overly carbonated bottle-fermenting beer

[MisterBoy]

I had a suspected stuck brew of Raja's Reward a few weeks ago. After 2 weeks agitating it and no change on the gravity at all, I figured I'd bottle it at 3.7%. I used one carbonation drop per 500ml bottle which is a fairly low amount.
After 1-2 weeks it seemed ready so I put a bunch of the bottles in the fridge. All good. But a week later I put the next batch in only to find they are really over-carbonated. No explosions, but enough it starts gently foaming out of the bottle a few moments after opening. Virtually impossible to pour, doesn't taste good.

So, I went round and cracked the seal on a bunch of bottles with my opener. Just enough to let the fizz out, then immediately back into the bottle capper. A few I was too slow and they started to foam before I closed them. I did not use new caps.

First impressions are that this has worked well - opening these bottles 24-48 hours later there is barely a fizz but just as you near the end of pouring, a nice 1/4" of head appears and doesn't immedaitely disappear. The beer tastes great - actually one of the nicer ones I've made for a while.

So - I wondered if this is a common trick? Maybe others might like to try it on "ruined" batches. Perhaps there are problems or warnings others can give why this is a bad idea?

I was a bit worried about effectively re-using ther same caps but they seem quite resilient. I've also tried it the opposite way on some cider that never carbonated - popped the cap, dropped in a carbonation drop, re-capped and left to see what happens.

 

[kelper]

If my keg beer is too gassy, with loads of foam, I just dispense into a large jug and let it settle for a few minutes. I'm sure this would work with bottled beer too. Half the foam turns back to beer and, in a plastic jug, it does not lose its chill.

 

[MisterBoy]

If my keg beer is too gassy, with loads of foam, I just dispense into a large jug and let it settle for a few minutes. I'm sure this would work with bottled beer too. Half the foam turns back to beer and, in a plastic jug, it does not lose its chill.

I've done this before but it adds a lot of faff to having a beer if it's every bottle. And if you ever want to drink out of the bottle, unworkable.

 

[kelper]

drink from the jug!

 

[MisterBoy]

Ha, I do have a 1L stein I could use. You do have to wait a while though and I find it affects the taste as well. If I can fix a batch of bottles reliably and easily, it'll be a big help because I often find older batches start to get a bit over-carbonated.

 

[kelper]

You do have to wait a while though and I find it affects the taste as well.

Three minutes ain't gonna affect the taste!

 

[MisterBoy]

No I mean the beer still tastes odd if you just wait for the foam to die down. Maybe there's still too much gas dissolved in the beer.

 

[kelper]

ok

 

[dwhite60]

I did the same thing with a stout last year, cracking the cap, venting, and resealing. Worked well. Think mine wasn't quite finished when I bottled.

 

[terrym]

I've done this before but it adds a lot of faff to having a beer if it's every bottle. And if you ever want to drink out of the bottle, unworkable.

That's truly a first for me. In 50 years of brewing beer, I didn't even imagine people would want to drink homebrew out the bottle, given the layer of yeast that will be disturbed and cloud the beer and change its taste.
Each to their own though. But I'll decline and drink my beer out of a glass, having carefully decanted it off the yeast.

 

[dwhite60]

I've done this before but it adds a lot of faff to having a beer if it's every bottle. And if you ever want to drink out of the bottle, unworkable.

When I've had to do this a few days in the fridge seemed to settle everything back out.

Worked for me.

 

[MisterBoy]

That's truly a first for me. In 50 years of brewing beer, I didn't even imagine people would want to drink homebrew out the bottle, given the layer of yeast that will be disturbed and cloud the beer and change its taste.
Each to their own though. But I'll decline and drink my beer out of a glass, having carefully decanted it off the yeast.

it's interesting you see some brewers saying you SHOULD drink the yeast on purpose.
On my part I will test the first few bottles because it varies hugely... Sometimes there's loads of loose muck, sometimes it sticks to the bottle. Depends on how carefully I rack etc.
Something more pilsner-like is great in bottles at a BBQ if the sediment is well behaved.

When I've had to do this a few days in the fridge seemed to settle everything back out.

Worked for me.

do you mean you degasses then chilled, or just chill?

Anyway here is one I did this to. Poured almost flat but this nice head appeared and hung around

 

[Drunkula]

it's interesting you see some brewers saying you SHOULD drink the yeast on purpose.

I find that's the same amount that say you should eat the tea bag when you have a luvvly pot of rosie int'arrrttttanooon. And that you should eat the paper when you has a bagga chips.

P.s. if you want to drink my yeast I'll meet you in the car park.

 

[An Ankoù]

I had a suspected stuck brew of Raja's Reward a few weeks ago. After 2 weeks agitating it and no change on the gravity at all, I figured I'd bottle it at 3.7%. I used one carbonation drop per 500ml bottle which is a fairly low amount.
After 1-2 weeks it seemed ready so I put a bunch of the bottles in the fridge. All good. But a week later I put the next batch in only to find they are really over-carbonated. No explosions, but enough it starts gently foaming out of the bottle a few moments after opening. Virtually impossible to pour, doesn't taste good.

So, I went round and cracked the seal on a bunch of bottles with my opener. Just enough to let the fizz out, then immediately back into the bottle capper. A few I was too slow and they started to foam before I closed them. I did not use new caps.

First impressions are that this has worked well - opening these bottles 24-48 hours later there is barely a fizz but just as you near the end of pouring, a nice 1/4" of head appears and doesn't immedaitely disappear. The beer tastes great - actually one of the nicer ones I've made for a while.

So - I wondered if this is a common trick? Maybe others might like to try it on "ruined" batches. Perhaps there are problems or warnings others can give why this is a bad idea?

I was a bit worried about effectively re-using ther same caps but they seem quite resilient. I've also tried it the opposite way on some cider that never carbonated - popped the cap, dropped in a carbonation drop, re-capped and left to see what happens.

I had a batch of Czech Pilsner that I rediscovered after a year and they were the same. And I did the same. Just cracked the caps open sufficient to let the gas and foam out, without actually removing the cap. Leave them for half an hour until they foam subsides- nothing's going to get in the bottle- and then cramp the cap back on. Leave a week for any sediment to sink back to the bottom and chill before serving.

 

[UKSkydiver]

So - I wondered if this is a common trick? Maybe others might like to try it on "ruined" batches. Perhaps there are problems or warnings others can give why this is a bad idea?

Yep, I did this with a couple of my batches that were over carbonated.... seemed to work well: UKSkydiver's Brewdays

 

[Ale House Rock]

Had a batch of Festival Summer Glory in PET bottles. Noticed several had leaked after a week of carbonation. When I opened one of these, it fizzed and foamed all over the place. So much so that the sediment was getting stirred up. As these were in screw top bottles, I carefully opened each one to release some gas. Tried a couple yesterday (around 3 or 4 weeks later) and they were fine. Result!