BeerBorg

As you might suspect I am very new to home brewing. I purchased the brew demon that comes with the 1 Litter bottles and I’m doing the Pilsner that came with the kit. It has set in a dark room at about 69° for five days. After the fifth day I tasted the beer and it tasted flat and didn’t taste sweet at all. I also confirmed that there was no activity in my airlock for about 24 hours so I bottled that evening when I got home. I used the brew demon scoop that I got for free by joining this forum and was under the impression that the larger scope was 1 tablespoon and the small scoop was half a tablespoon. I added an additional 1/4 of sugar to each bottle by mistake. I did this yesterday evening. When I woke up this morning I decided to squeeze the bottles like it says in the instructions and all the bottles were very hard to squeeze and felt like they were already carbonated. I saw something online stating to stop the carbonation process to go ahead and refrigerate the beer so that’s what I did this morning to prevent any type of a bottle bomb. Can anyone help me with this? Is it OK not to complete the second phase of fermentation? Any advice will be helpful. Thanks a lot and this form is proving to be very helpful.

Five days seems pretty quick to be bottling. I usually wait at least two weeks and often three. So it's possible that it hasn't finished fermenting. Lack of airlock activity isn't necessarily a good indication that fermentation has finished. Sometimes things aren't completely sealed. The seal may be good enough for the airlock to be active during the most active fermentation, but when it shows down, the co2 may be leaking out in other spots.

I think the brew demon default carbonation level is on the high side to start. Then on top of that, you added extra sugar.

Next time, be more patient with the fermentation. Give it a couple of weeks before bottling. And be more careful with the amount of priming sugar you use.

I hate to be the one to tell ya this, but if bottles got hard in one day it was NOT done fermenting. I bottled for years and lucky if carbed in 2 weeks. 5 days isn't long enough in the fermenter even with a big yeast pitch. Go at least 14 days unless you want to push it and take hydro readings and then might go 10-11 days but still pushing it.

berryman wrote:I hate to be the one to tell ya this, but if bottles got hard in one day it was NOT done fermenting.

That was my first thought too. That or too much priming sugar.

PETs can take a lot of pressure but in this case I might be inclined to set them off to the side somewhere.

HerbMeowing wrote:

berryman wrote:I hate to be the one to tell ya this, but if bottles got hard in one day it was NOT done fermenting.

That was my first thought too. That or too much priming sugar.

PETs can take a lot of pressure but in this case I might be inclined to set them off to the side somewhere.

I'd open them all up, let off the pressure, and then put the caps back on. I'm sure they will carb right up again, if not, then just re-prime each bottle. But right now... they are likely gonna go BOOM if the pressure isn't released.

BOOM!!!!

Definitely created bottle bombs. I wait 21 days to bottle. I also use a hydrometer to verify it is ready before I keg them. Burp those bottles, over a sink. Don't have to crack open much but I highly suggest you do it NOW! I would suggest you pick up a hydrometer, very easy to use and a container, like rubber-maid, etc to place your bottles in while carbing. Could save you a very big mess if one does blow, I know, I had a few blow in my beginning. For more equipment, read up/pick up a bottling bucket. Makes priming soooo much easier if your going to bottle. You can weigh the sugar to be exact and not do over-kill guessing using a scoop. A couple dollars in inexpensive equipment will prevent big headaches later. IMHO

Thank you all so much for the replies. I do have an update after freaking out and sticking them in the fridge. later I decided to go ahead and pull three bottles out and put them in a Lowe’s bucket with a lid and stuck a bowling ball on top of it. LOL I just really don’t want that going all over my closet. I’ve since went ahead and tried one of the ones that was refrigerated and I’m sure it could taste a ton better but it’s really not that bad. It did seem like it was excessively carbonated and it was really hoppy and ended up giving me a headache. It’s a Pilsner so I would’ve expected it to be fairly Hoppy but it’s drinkable as is and I want to head and left the rest of them in the fridge and the other three in my closet which I plan on leaving for another week or so and then giving them a try. I definitely learned a ton from that first run. I’ve bought myself a hydrometer and at least now I know what the recommended sugar is to put in them. I thought about buying the sugar drops to make it easier but for now I’ll just make sure that I slow down. By the way the next batch that I’ve got going right now is the deep evil red and I plan on letting it sit for at least 14 days before bottling. Again I really appreciate everyone’s advice and comments on the topic this forum seems very welcoming.

you'll get the hang of it after a few batches

getting a headache can be a sign of fusel alcohol
I've felt fusel headache after a few sips
tastes hot to me ...

HerbMeowing wrote:you'll get the hang of it after a few batches

getting a headache can be a sign of fusel alcohol
I've felt fusel headache after a few sips
tastes hot to me ...

It can also be caused by acetaldehyde, even if you can't taste it. (I would taste it even in small amounts as I am a "super taster" of the stuff, but some peoples threshold is a lot higher). If you can taste it, it will taste like green apples. Acetaldehyde is produced by fermentation, but then taken up by the yeast when you leave it on the yeast cake after fermentation is completed as reserve fuel for sleepytime. But at 7 days, with Mr. Beer / Brew Demon pitch rates, I would taste it, and it would probably give me a headache as well. It is why I always leave my beer in for at least 10-14 days, and that is also pitching waaay more yeast because if fermentation is actually done in 3-5 days then 10-14 is long enough for it to be gone. With Mr. Beer / Brew Demon pitch rates, I might have to wait the full 3 weeks depending on how strong the beer was to not taste it.

It will diminish in the bottles to some extent but it takes a lot longer as there is a lot less yeast in them to "eat" it. It is way more effective to just leave it on the cake a bit longer.