Bottle Bombing....

[Checky]

Hi everyone, quick question, sorry if its been asked before but I was wondering if there was any specific time for when this can happen and whats the kind of time frame in which it can happen? I have just bottled my first brew(last night), quite a proud moment. Its a little cloudy at the moment but looks clearer than when I did bottle it. The kit itself was a Young's Ubrew kit, which was brewed with a bag of BKE and about 450g of sugar. I have primed the 2l pet bottles with about a teaspoon and 3 quarters of sugar so hopefully not too much but not too little that its flat. Any ideas are very much appreciated. Thanks Danny

[legion]

You shouldn't get any explosions from pet bottles. It's the glass ones which may explode.

I recently had one of those st peters bottles which are made based on an 1800s design. It had only been bottled for a few weeks. Beer and glass flew right across the room, glad I was in it at the time! I would advise people not to use them.

[Checky]

Sweet... Thank you for the info!

I just don't fancy having to sweet talk the other half into letting me brew more after a bottle bomb!

[Wolfy]

The great thing about bottling in PET is that you can use a 'squeeze test' to see how they are conditioning - and you should never get any bottle bombs.
If you squeezed the air from them when you bottled, you should be able to follow the progress by squeezing them every few days.
When the bottle feels nice and tight, it should be well carbonated, if it's still a bit loose then it needs more time, if it looks/feels like its swollen and about to explode, open the cap a little to release some pressure and you should never get any bottle bombs.

[onehtlead]

I had three bottles not quite full, dregs from bottling bucket, from three batches sat on a bench in the cellar, sat watching telly one night when I heard a loud dull explosion, my son was listening to some loud "music" through his headphones, literally jumped off his seat, funny. the light in the cellar would not work. After getting a torch I discovered that one of the bottles had exploded, only the neck and original label recognisable, taking out the other two and the fluorescant tube above.

[THE TACKER]

I had a bomb yesterday ,it was Coopers Cerveza I'd put it in Grolsh bottles (the none returnable ones from the supermarkets) and placed in the airing cupboard, it had been in there 4 or five days (1 or 2 too long me thinks) when as Onehtlead said a load dull bang but it just blew the bottom off the bottle no other damage was caused so they must be thinner bottles nowadays so use with care and DON'T leave them in the warm too long.

[Checky]

I have a Cerveza that I am about to bottle, I shall keep it well away from the Grolsch bottles Thanks for all the tips, after a week or so the bottles are still quite cloudy looking and dark in colour. I have a feeling that they are not going to turn any lighter. Will give them another week and give em a try.

[Checky]

Well after trying a bottle last night my fears of bottle bombing were unfounded. Lager had no fizz at all in it. After reading my 2nd kit instructions I now realise that I didn't put anywhere near enough priming sugar in. The Lager itself didn't taste too bad, the other half was advising she was feeling the alcohol content in it. I'm really hoping my Cerveza doesn't come out the same way, shouldn't do as it has at least double the sugar of the Young's. But after all it is trial and error at the moment.

[Old Speckled Ben]

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about your lack of fizz

I'm a relative newbie, myself, but I tend to use PET bottles

I base my ales on 1tsp per 1ltr bottle and double it for lager...so, for a 2ltr PET bottle, I'd go as far as 4tsp

Obviously, as others have said, give them a squeeze to see how they are getting on at that

Good luck with the Cerveza....let us know how this turns out

[Checky]

Thanks for the tips.... I am now fearing for the Cerveza... and think that may also have too little sugar in...

As i have not taken it out of the warm room since bottling it would I be able to add more sugar to it now.. or will I have to just accept it as another flat lager

The bottles do feel really firm... but the previous lager bottles also felt quite firm but not as firm as these...

Thanks

Danny

[Graymee]

Saw this thread abd couldn't resist sharing a little tale...
I'm a newbie to this and my only experience of home brewing, prior to starting my first kit on tuesday, was a spectacular case of "bottle bombing!"

As a teenager, a few of us were on my mate's driveway fixing a pushbike. One of us dropped a nut from the front wheel hub which bounced, in through the open garage door and straight under the workbench where 40 bottles of beer were conditioning. The nut hit one, which must have been on the verge of going anyway, and set of a chain reaction! 40 bottles in "rapid fire" and three screaming lads diving into the hedge!

Luckily, no harm was done but the garage and one side of his dad's Reliant Robin were pretty shot up!

The Dad in question, did admit that he had added "a bit of extra sugar" than he should have done in the hope of a higher percentage!

Scary stuff!

[Checky]

Lol I returned to my first brew last night and the difference in a couple of days is astounding. There were some bubbles in the Lager, and was tasting quite alright. The other half ended up quite drunk off not very much at all and I have a bit of a sore head this morning, I dont recall the last time my head was sore. We had also invited a neighbour round a bit later who commented that it was like Carling but much stronger.. A compliment in a strange sort of way. After last nights events I can firmly say I have been rather bitten by the homebrew bug. Now to get another FV and to decide on what kits to do next

[Dr. Dextrin]

When I was at college I went to visit a friend. He said that during the vacation the student rooms had been used to accommodate conference attendees, but apparently the occupant of his room had been taken ill in the night and rushed to hospital with a suspected heart attack.

He then confided that he'd been making wine and had his bottles stashed away in a locked cupboard in his room. Apparently, several of them had gone bang in his absence. I'm sure there's no connection with unfortunate visitor's illness, though...

[Checky]

The Cerveza has come out fantastic. Only let it condition 4 days in the shed. It has come out very light and refreshing, deffo a drink for summer in my opinion. The better half was also very pleased with it . Just ordered a Muntons premium Lager as my next brew but will be getting the Cerveza alot.

[jimp2003]

Great to see this turned out okay Checky.

There is nothing better than turning out a good brew and knowing that you have 40 pints or so of the little beauties just waiting for you!