Random bottle volcano

Folks:

Been brewing extract kits for a little over a year. When I bottle I prime with 2/3 C of regular sugar. I stir the bottling bucket every 6 bottles to keep the priming solution mixed well. I place bottles in 6 packs as I bottle and cap. Then stir again and repeat process.

My last 4 batches had 3-5 bottle volcanoes. These were random…one bottle from one 6 pack, etc.

Any ideas what I am doing that may be causing this?

Thanks,

DOC

this can happen from the bottles not being perfectly clean of residue. just a thought.

Are the other bottles over carbonated? If so, I would guess too much priming sugar or it wasn’t finished fermenting. If the other bottles are normal, then I guess it would be an infection in the bottle.

I have had this happen exactly once in >300 bottles this year and it had to be when we were at a party with a bunch of friends tasting my ales. #%*!@!/#!

Almost certainly residue in bottles, I agree.

I had this recently with an English Ale that I accidentally re-yeasted with the wrong yeast (one that must have consumed some of the sugars that the fermenting yeast didn’t), but there may have been an element of residue as well.

I always rinse out the bottles a few times after serving and wipe away whatever I can around the neck where rings sometimes form and then keep water in them overnight and decant the next day. But some bottles I’ve noticed a sort of hazy “sediment” inside the bottle and wonder where this comes from. Would it be enough residue to cause bottle bombs when the pressure is on the verge of otherwise causing bombs? Is this residue perhaps from cleaning solutions? Would an overnight treatment of dilute ammonia address this?

A. Too much priming sugar could be a possibility or not consistent mixture. Although it sounds as both of these were addressed.

B. Not finished fermenting. Very common occurrence indeed, Do you know per SG if the batch/s were stable?

C. Most likely if the top two are not indicating then you certainly have an infection that is causing gushers in either the batch/s or the odd bottle due to process.

Many thanks for the replies. Given your suggestions I am guessing that the bottles were not completely clean. I am going to institute an oxyclean free cleaning regimen for my bottles.

I appreciate the advice.

DOC

I rinse clean every time one is emptied then store them covered. I inspect them the day of bottling.
My insurance policy is I fill and empty my bottles with Star San just before bottling. Since they came out with Star San I have had no kind of infection problem on anything, bottles or equipment.

I make sure to quickly rinse home-brew bottles because of the sediment, which contains a decent medium to grow stuff. I’ll typically run my recently drank beers through the dishwasher with regular dishes. Prior to bottling, I’ll wash them all again and do a sanitizing rinse. My dishwasher conveniently holds 2 cases of bottles.

As mentioned, I’d put money on an infection. Just follow the above advice and make sure you clean and sanitize thoroughly. I make it a habit of rinsing out the bottles with water immediately after drinking. I then dry and store and sanitize on fill day.

I would go with a good no-rinse sanitizer before bottling. Good old bleach works too with glass bottles but you will need to rinse them. Your next step will be kegs :smiley: