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Lisa Thornhill

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Hi I've brewed an IPA for the first time and done everything the same as the lagers we have brewed (even kept it longer before tasting). When we have gone to open them they have overflowed out of the bottle and lifted the sediment from the bottle. Any idea what we have done wrong. We use carbonated drops rather than sugar ??
 
is that 1.020 0r 1.002 if it is 1.020 that is probably why it has gushed as the finishing gravity is too high for bottling
 
The Baron's point probably outlines the most likely sounding scenario, but could you tell us how may drops you used in each bottle and how big the bottles are?

I think a carbonation drop is 4g of sugar (and dreadful value for money!).
 
Right so thats one possible problem eradicated the next question is if the yeast went as low as 1.002 what was the yeast and if it is not a very high attenuating yeast it could be a infection to take beer that low as it is usual for a average yeast to finish around 1.012 to 1.008. Have you tasted the beer?
 
It didn't taste nice as the sediment from the bottom came up before could pour into a glass. Although we have managed to get 2 bottles which didn't overflow and they tasted rather good.
 
What temperature was the beer when opened the bottle? And when you said they "overflowed" was there a couple of seconds and then a gradual welling up and overflowing, or did it come gushing out. Did much dry-hopping material get into the bottle? You didn't put a hop pellet in each bottle "for luck" by any chance (I did that once and I wouldn't recommend it). But most of all, how warm was the bottle when you opened it?
 
As a point I would check your hydrometer, and did you check the final gravity at 20C or adjust? Did the kit give a finishing gravity? I've never got as low as 1.002 before I thought 1.005 was low and that's with over pitching
I still think infection, what did the lively ones smell like?
 
What temperature was the beer when opened the bottle? And when you said they "overflowed" was there a couple of seconds and then a gradual welling up and overflowing, or did it come gushing out. Did much dry-hopping material get into the bottle? You didn't put a hop pellet in each bottle "for luck" by any chance (I did that once and I wouldn't recommend it). But most of all, how warm was the bottle when you opened it?
 
As a point I would check your hydrometer, and did you check the final gravity at 20C or adjust? Did the kit give a finishing gravity? I've never got as low as 1.002 before I thought 1.005 was low and that's with over pitching
I still think infection, what did the lively ones smell like?
 
Have you tested your hydrometer.
Dunk it in clean water at the calibration temperature which is usually marked on the hydrometer or in the instructions. It should read 1.000.
 
I would agree with the notion that 1.002 woudl have leant towards infection but by the sounds of things it possibly got a bit stuck during fermentation at 1.020 which is a normal sticking reading and as a result it has carried on and way over carbonated in the bottle
 
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