Gushers

[Galena]

I binned a small batch of bottled beer yesterday. Brewed with Ringwood to an ASBV of around 6.8%. I made a few mistakes in the brew and it was to say cloudy would be putting it mildly. On opening the bottles it gushed with foam so much it was impossible to taste it, the bottle continued to gush for 10 mins or so until it settled enough to taste. I poured 15 bottles down the sink which was full to the brim with foam.
What causes that? It had been 14 days in the FV and had finished at 1.012 from an OG of 1.064

 

[Clint]

Infected...

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

If your bottles are not fully sanitised I believe this can occur?

 

[Galena]

If your bottles are not fully sanitised I believe this can occur?

My bottle cleaning is I think very good, fully rinse immediately after drinking. On bottling day I rinse and bottle brush in VWP, rinse with water and then flush with Starsan immediately prior to bottling so I'm fairly certain it's not that, it was every bottle. Also it was a split batch with a different yeast and the other batch was absolutely fine.
That would lead me to think it was my yeast which was made as a starter from a previous overbuilt starter, but then I have subsequently made another up from the same batch of yeast and it was all good. However yesterday I opened the yeast jar to build up another starter and there was a slight fizz from it, something I have not had before, that is currently fermenting on the stir plate but it is giving me some doubt as to its quality, I will of course taste it prior to use or should I ditch it?

It may have been the FV I suppose but I rinse them well with starsan prior to use.
Always possible some wild yeast got in there I suppose, but that would seem odd that it finished fermenting out would wild yeast still cause a problem?

 

[RichardM]

Sounds like an infection in the fermenter.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I think if you’re in any doubt, give everything a good clean and make a new starter. It would be upsetting to have the same thing happen again.

 

[Galena]

I think if you’re in any doubt, give everything a good clean and make a new starter. It would be upsetting to have the same thing happen again.

Yes, I think that is the way forward, cheers

 

[Leon103]

If I have a gusher I usually put it down to my technique. We have been married nearly 11 years now so got the technique down to a T

 

[Galena]

If I have a gusher I usually put it down to my technique. We have been married nearly 11 years now so got the technique down to a T

 

[Sandimas]

I've had my fair share of gushers and bottle bombs over the years. It could be an infection, or it could be the yeast re-starting, or maybe it hadn't finished fermenting?

• When were these bottled? Infections usually take a while to get going so if bottled recently probably not that.
• Where were they stored? Mine start gushing when they get a bit too warm in the garage in summer time.
• What yeast did you use? Some yeasts are notorious for re-starting after seemingly finishing.
• Did you cold crash? If the beer was cloudy when bottled there may have been a lot of yeast still in suspension.

 

[Galena]

I've had my fair share of gushers and bottle bombs over the years. It could be an infection, or it could be the yeast re-starting, or maybe it hadn't finished fermenting?

• When were these bottled? Infections usually take a while to get going so if bottled recently probably not that.
• Where were they stored? Mine start gushing when they get a bit too warm in the garage in summer time.
• What yeast did you use? Some yeasts are notorious for re-starting after seemingly finishing.
• Did you cold crash? If the beer was cloudy when bottled there may have been a lot of yeast still in suspension.

They were bottled 18th October, 10 litres with Adnams Yeast (okay) 10 litres with Ringwood (not okay)
14 days at room temperature, then since then in a cool stone built garage with concrete floor, it did get a bit warm in high summer but pretty sure I missed the high temperatures with this one.
I didn't cold crash, I did forget the Whirfloc and there seems lots of protein in suspension in the Ringwood batch, you could not even see a very bright torch shining through from the other side. The Adnams batch, apart from under attenuating was clear and a pleasant drink.

 

[Sandimas]

Unfortunately that does sound like an infection then. 3-4 months in seems to be the time they take hold and start producing gushers.

 

[dwhite60]

I've got a stout I'm working through right now. Majority of the bottles have been perfect. I've also had a couple bottles over-carbonated and one that tasted like, no kidding, dirt.

I've never had a spread like this. It's usually all, or none. No way to know which were filled earlier or later.

Weird.