I've stopped brewing over the summer months, but as things cool down i'm going to be getting back into the swing of things soon.
I started using some liquid yeasts for some brews in spring last year, and after the brews were bottled they were fantastic, with several coming close to winning places in VICBREW 2008. However, about 3-4 months after bottling the beers, carbonation had reached a very high level, so much so that the plastic PET Bottles could overflow with head shortly after opening. Commonly after pouring beer into a glass, the head on the beer would continue to grow for some time after pouring.
As for means of carbonation, I used the same quantity of malt extract as I’d used for 15 brews previously, with little problems on those previous brews. All of the brews had fully completed fermentation, as most had been brewing for up to 28 days prior to bottling.
I used 4 different types of liquid yeasts. The beers had regular levels of carbonation for the first few months of drinking, but now are causing cracks to form in the PET Bottles!
I’m not sure about this delayed levels of increased carbonation when making beer with liquid yeast, can anyone shed some light on why this may have happened.
Does anyone have any thoughts on this highly unusual occurrence?
Trizza
Overcarbonated Beer - Liquid Yeast?
Overcarbonated Beer - Liquid Yeast?
Got Malt?
Re: Overcarbonated Beer - Liquid Yeast?
that is indeed strange... the only real reasons I'd think it could come down to, would be if the beer had not finished fermenting fully, or if there's an infection causing gas production in the bottles.
Re: Overcarbonated Beer - Liquid Yeast?
KEG wrote:that is indeed strange... the only real reasons I'd think it could come down to, would be if the beer had not finished fermenting fully, or if there's an infection causing gas production in the bottles.
Trizza I have had this problem recently. I agree with Keg's diagnosis however I'd be pretty sure it is infection albeit a slow one. After discovering the problem I soaked my fermenter in a 1L sodium met solution for a week and have not had a problem since.
Don't re-invent the wheel, change the tyre..
Re: Overcarbonated Beer - Liquid Yeast?
Yeah I had the same thing, over-carbed after a month or two, and head growing in the glass, I put it down to mild infection.
I stopped racking to secondary and now give the fermenters a good 24hr soak in bleach/vinegar every couple of batches!
I stopped racking to secondary and now give the fermenters a good 24hr soak in bleach/vinegar every couple of batches!
Re: Overcarbonated Beer - Liquid Yeast?
Hi Trizza,
I notice that you're from Melbourne. Ditto here.
I had a similar experience with a beer brewed for Christmas. All the bottles drunk over the Xmas period were perfect in all respects. I gave one away and kept one to share with a friend at the end of January.
The bottle I opened at the end of January had the same problem as you describe. The beer itself was good but the head!!!
The last captive bottle is at another forum member's place and he is intending to sample it this weekend.
His report will be interesting.
My first feeling is that it could be hypercarbonating due to being stored at high temps.
The slow infection theory is also interesting. The downside of that theory is that the flavour of the beer wasn't affected. An infection that only produces excessive heading seems strange.
You didn't mention the flavour of the beer in your original post. Did it taste infected?
Cheers
I notice that you're from Melbourne. Ditto here.
I had a similar experience with a beer brewed for Christmas. All the bottles drunk over the Xmas period were perfect in all respects. I gave one away and kept one to share with a friend at the end of January.
The bottle I opened at the end of January had the same problem as you describe. The beer itself was good but the head!!!
The last captive bottle is at another forum member's place and he is intending to sample it this weekend.
His report will be interesting.
My first feeling is that it could be hypercarbonating due to being stored at high temps.
The slow infection theory is also interesting. The downside of that theory is that the flavour of the beer wasn't affected. An infection that only produces excessive heading seems strange.
You didn't mention the flavour of the beer in your original post. Did it taste infected?
Cheers
"In the beginning was the wort..."
Re: Overcarbonated Beer - Liquid Yeast?
May well be a gusher infection. 
Don't re-invent the wheel, change the tyre..
Re: Overcarbonated Beer - Liquid Yeast?
Beleive it or not, brew number 30 was infected, and subequent 6 brews have all been overcarbonated in the same way.
Can't believe that sanitation was the cause behind this...
Trizza
Can't believe that sanitation was the cause behind this...
Trizza
Got Malt?
Re: Overcarbonated Beer - Liquid Yeast?
An update on my gushing/overcarbonation experience.
The last bottle, opened on the weekend gushed.
This means that 28 bottles consumed over Xmas and New Year were perfect.
Bottle opened at the end of January, didn't gush but produced lots and lots of head...about 80% of the glass was head.
Bottle opened 21 st February was reported as gushing.
We've put it down to the extreme temps.
The beer was a coopers green with BE2
Saaz hop teabag, steeped 10 minutes and added to fermenter.
Glacier hops, steeped 15minutes and added 2 days before bottling.
Fermented at a steady 18C for two weeks.
A hit with the troops, a fruity summer drop with a nice balanced head and perfect carbonation.
(The first 28 bottles, anyway)
Anybody else with a theory?
The last bottle, opened on the weekend gushed.
This means that 28 bottles consumed over Xmas and New Year were perfect.
Bottle opened at the end of January, didn't gush but produced lots and lots of head...about 80% of the glass was head.
Bottle opened 21 st February was reported as gushing.
We've put it down to the extreme temps.
The beer was a coopers green with BE2
Saaz hop teabag, steeped 10 minutes and added to fermenter.
Glacier hops, steeped 15minutes and added 2 days before bottling.
Fermented at a steady 18C for two weeks.
A hit with the troops, a fruity summer drop with a nice balanced head and perfect carbonation.
(The first 28 bottles, anyway)
Anybody else with a theory?
"In the beginning was the wort..."
Re: Overcarbonated Beer - Liquid Yeast?
Trizza
Can you describe your yeast technique? Did you make a starter and if so, how and what size?
Pitching rates arent an issue with dry yeast. They have the required amount of yeast with nutrients built in.
Liquid yeast is different. How old was the packet? Older yeasts becomes less viable requiring a larger starter to be made.
A lot of people use Mr Malty's pitching rate calculator
The reason i ask this is that you may be underpitching and getting a stuck ferment. So whilst the hydro gives you the same reading over a few days (which is the first thing we tell noobs before bottling) it is actually too high. When you rouse the beer during bottling you give the yeast a little kick in the arse and it not only chews thru the priming sugar, it goes to work on its unfinished business and you end up with an overcarbed beer.
This is all just an educated guess. My first few attempts at liquid yeast ended up with stuck ferments but by racking the beers i was able to restart the yeast. A few recent beers have finished higher and even racking didnt help them. 5 months later they are gushers. Tipped them out on the weekend. Been a LONG time since i tipped out my beer.
Cheers
DrSmurto
Can you describe your yeast technique? Did you make a starter and if so, how and what size?
Pitching rates arent an issue with dry yeast. They have the required amount of yeast with nutrients built in.
Liquid yeast is different. How old was the packet? Older yeasts becomes less viable requiring a larger starter to be made.
A lot of people use Mr Malty's pitching rate calculator
The reason i ask this is that you may be underpitching and getting a stuck ferment. So whilst the hydro gives you the same reading over a few days (which is the first thing we tell noobs before bottling) it is actually too high. When you rouse the beer during bottling you give the yeast a little kick in the arse and it not only chews thru the priming sugar, it goes to work on its unfinished business and you end up with an overcarbed beer.
This is all just an educated guess. My first few attempts at liquid yeast ended up with stuck ferments but by racking the beers i was able to restart the yeast. A few recent beers have finished higher and even racking didnt help them. 5 months later they are gushers. Tipped them out on the weekend. Been a LONG time since i tipped out my beer.
Cheers
DrSmurto