Re capping bottles HELP!

[pauljmuk]

Hi there

About 3 weeks ago I bottled a nice mild, and I have clearly primed with a touch too much sugar. It's a lovely drink, that I'd hate to waste, but I can't pour it like it is.

Opening it creates huge amounts of fizz, (and yes, I have tried chilling it first, not only do I not like chilled Mild, but it doesn't change it)

The main problem is the fizz is just raking up all the sediment - now I know Mild is a dark one, but this is a lovely dark ruby colour, that is crystal clear in the bottle.... until I open it.

Need some considered advice on my options. I am considering opening (carefully) and re-capping the bottles - will that cause beer to spoil? Will they re-pressurise and calm down a bit?

As I say, as they are, it's impossible to pour more than a third of a pint without two thirds head, and a lot of cloudyness.

Please help!!

[pauljmuk]

Cheers - need to be careful, even chilled, when opened, I immediately get Vesuvius..

Told you I over primed em!

[BeerHead]

I've had to reopen and recap and can report no major issues. I used plastic reseals which worked out for me. I agree with Chris-x1 if you decided to go with plastic reseals:

I wouldn't use them for long term storage.

[gullarm]

You dont need to actually take the cap off at all.

1) Stick em in the fridge on its coldest setting for a good few hours, or even the freezer get em really ice cold.

2) Ever so slightly lift the cap with a bottle opener, wait for the rush of expanding beer, let go of the opener.

3) Bingo its sealed again.

4) Put back in the fridge to wait for the fizzy head to dissapate.

5) Repeat


When the beer only rises slightly or there are not many bubbles coming out of the beer, leave for the sediment to resettle.

Its a bit hit and miss when it comes to drinking but at least you can recap them as the beer head only rises slowly as apposed to gushing out all over the kitchen.

Works for me everytime.

[pauljmuk]

Interesting Gullarm, though with 40 bottles, quite a job?

Might go with the total re-cap solution

[pauljmuk]

Have just had a go at venting my bottles. Slightly raised caps till gas escaped and froth started gushing up the neck, then stopped - out with the capper and gave them another go with that (using initial cap)

Seems to have sealed them, though the pressure was massive, and I think I might need to do this again later tonight or tomorrow.

Can't see them oxidising - the pressure involved tells me one thing for sure - the only thing in the neck of that bottle above the beer is CO2!

Wish me luck

[gullarm]

I dont like taking the caps off as you can lose quite a lot of the beer. Plus you need to put another cap on, I always seem to run out?

If you take your time with the cap release method it works fine. It can take a long time and you have to watch which ones you open, its easy to get confused which are ready and which are still over carbed.It took me a good few weeks to drink them all, but why waste your beer.



It takes a few weeks to brew/bottle/condition, a few weeks isnt going to make much difference

Now I use a funnel and a measuring spoon, get it right every time.

[pauljmuk]

venting them went reasonably well last night. Did each bottle about 4 times over course of evening, but they still are lively.

I presume the venting and the activity causes new pressure build ups too, as I had one explode over night (I've bottled over 240 pints into glass this year, and this is my first explosion)

As for the measuring - the odd thing is, I am pretty sure I got the measurement right, and followed same procedure for all my other beers. Only difference for this was I used demerara sugar. Only other thing I can think of was the beer was not finished in the FV, but it had been on for 10 days, and I had three identical hydro readings.

[BWT]

Hi There
Just read your last post about using DEMARRA sugar I botle in glass all the time and have never had a broken bottle until my last two batches both of which i primed wuth DEMARRA MuntonsIPA & Coopers Traditional Draught I find it almost impossible to open these bottles without soaking myself and everything around me. I have tried chilling these down to 1centigrade and sttill get volcanic erruptions tastes ok but for every pint bottle i get about 1/4 pint beer the rest is froth what a waste. Sorry about the long winded rant but I blame the DEMARRA and will not use it again both brews were down at 1.006 so fully fermented
Bee Tee

[pauljmuk]

maybe it is something in that sugar. All of my other brews, including a TC have used brewers sugar - about 2.5g per pint bottle, added in liquid suspension. No issues with them - in fact they could do with being a little fizzier, though not really too bad.

This one, with demerara has gone mad with the same volume of sugar.

[Mogwyth]

Hi guys

Not sure it is the type of sugar as I prime all my darker beers with demerara with no undue consequences.

Cheers

Bill