Exploding bottles?!

[ATB]

Hello all

Am about to embark on my first brew - some Woodfords Wherry. I have a barrel but would rather bottle it. I have been saving glass beer bottles (Spitfire/Bishop's Finger sort of size and shape) to sanitise and use but have been told some horror stories by acquaintances about home brew in glass bottles exploding even if a metal crimped cap is used. I was intending to use corks in the bottles rather than caps.

Is there any truth in these stories?! Or is there something I can do to make sure my precious ale does not explode over the house? Have found plastic bottles for sale online, but would prefer to use and reuse the glass ones.

Please help, am reluctant to start until I know for sure what to do.

Cheers!

ATB

[mysterio]

They will only explode if you're not careful. To prevent:

1) Make sure the beer has finished fermenting before you bottle. This will involve taking hydrometer readings at the end of fermentation. When you get two readings that are the same over a few days, you can bottle. Prevent a stuck fermentation in the first place by pitching enough healthy yeast.

2) Don't overprime bottles, look up a bottle priming calculator and don't add too much priming sugar.

[mickhew]

To add, to save time and a lot of work, I bottle half of my kits using Tesco plastic sparkling water bottles, at 10p each. They have held beer for 2 months at least, and are really capable. for LONG term (3-4 month plus) storage glass is better. I wouldn't personally pay for the glass bottles, when you can get loads of free ones, from your local brown glass recycle bin. I've got loads from there, and couldn't give a sh2t if I look like a scavenger!
Regarding cork, I doubt they could hold the pressure from secondary fermentation. I tend to stick with what everyone else does, crown caps.

[boingy]

Exploding bottles are pretty rare. You just need to make sure that fermentation has finished and that you do not over-prime the bottles with sugar.

Many kits tell you to prime with a level teaspoon of sugar per pint. I suspect the main cause of bottles exploding are people enthusiastically piling a whole heaped teaspoon into each bottle. I'd suggest using half a level teaspoon per pint. This will keep the carbonation level down too which will suit most beer styles.
Don't use corks - they will pop out. After bottling, keep them at room temperature for a week or two then put them (upright) somewhere cool to clear and condition (anywhere from a few weeks to a few months). Best place to condition is in your garage or in a cool utility room or similar. Some people use the cupboard under the stairs. The advantages of the garage is that you will be less worried about a bottle explosion!

The Wherry is a good choice for a first brew. Take your time, be extra careful with sanitising stuff and it will be fine!

[Naich]

The Wherry is a good choice for a first brew. Take your time, be extra careful with sanitising stuff and it will be fine!

But make sure that you have rinsed them all well after sanitising. I've had a couple of slightly off bottles of Wherry due, I think, to not rinsing well enough. They had a slightly mediciney, sharply bitter twang to them. Other than those two, it's come out really well. It's mostly clear after maturing for 3 weeks and it'll get better as time passes.