Hot Weather Explosions

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Perry the Pom

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G'day,
This is my first topic with AHB. I hope I am in the correct place.
I have been home brewing beer for years. I have never had any explosions. I can only think that it is because of our 30c temp in Maryborough Qdl.
I have been using the same type of brew for years with always good results. For some reason this summer I have had problems of the beer exploding. I was storing my filled bottles in our outside laundry as it was the coolest place. For some reason I started to hear gun fire. The cook was not happy as laundry looked like a battle field. After cleaning all the mess I carefully placed the bottles outside in the shade. To my disappointment I am still getting explosions. I have been extra precise with all measurements etc. The only thing I can put it down to is the extreme hot weather. I covered the bottles with wet clothes with the same results.
I would appreciate any help.
Cheers Perry
 
Could be sanitation issues. bacteria will be more active at higher temps.

CO2 is less soluble at higher temps so the pressure will be higher, but unless you are already carbing too high you shouldn't be having explosions.
 
G'day,
This is my first topic with AHB. I hope I am in the correct place.
I have been home brewing beer for years. I have never had any explosions. I can only think that it is because of our 30c temp in Maryborough Qdl.
I have been using the same type of brew for years with always good results. For some reason this summer I have had problems of the beer exploding. I was storing my filled bottles in our outside laundry as it was the coolest place. For some reason I started to hear gun fire. The cook was not happy as laundry looked like a battle field. After cleaning all the mess I carefully placed the bottles outside in the shade. To my disappointment I am still getting explosions. I have been extra precise with all measurements etc. The only thing I can put it down to is the extreme hot weather. I covered the bottles with wet clothes with the same results.
I would appreciate any help.
Cheers Perry

Perry, if the beer hasn't finished fermenting and they're subsequently bottled with a further sugar load for priming, then excess pressures will cause explosions as you've experienced. Since you said you've been carefull with measurements etc, then i asume you haven't overdosed on sugar/dextrose or malt for the bottle priming.

The only way to test to see if a beer has finished fermenting is to use a Hydrometer or other instrument to measure the specific gravity. If you test the brew at around the expected time fermentation should be finished and it reads the same for 2-3 consecutive tests a day apart, then it's finished. If you're relying on airlock activity to tell you it's finished, then you'll be cleaning up that bottle bomb mess every time something like temperatures mess with the primary fermentation.




With the hot weather we've had lately, a lot of guys have experienced stuck fermetations (yeasts can only handle a certain temperature range before it either becomes dormant or dies).

For really good, consistent results in your beer making at home, brew in a fridge with a temperature controller and use a better quality yeast.

Hope this helps,
Martin
 
Could be sanitation issues. bacteria will be more active at higher temps.

CO2 is less soluble at higher temps so the pressure will be higher, but unless you are already carbing too high you shouldn't be having explosions.
G'day Black Labb,
What do you mean sanitation issues? I clean everything. Is there a way of telling if there is a sanitation issue?
Thanks Perry
 
Perry, if the beer hasn't finished fermenting and they're subsequently bottled with a further sugar load for priming, then excess pressures will cause explosions as you've experienced. Since you said you've been carefull with measurements etc, then i asume you haven't overdosed on sugar/dextrose or malt for the bottle priming.

The only way to test to see if a beer has finished fermenting is to use a Hydrometer or other instrument to measure the specific gravity. If you test the brew at around the expected time fermentation should be finished and it reads the same for 2-3 consecutive tests a day apart, then it's finished. If you're relying on airlock activity to tell you it's finished, then you'll be cleaning up that bottle bomb mess every time something like temperatures mess with the primary fermentation.




With the hot weather we've had lately, a lot of guys have experienced stuck fermetations (yeasts can only handle a certain temperature range before it either becomes dormant or dies).

For really good, consistent results in your beer making at home, brew in a fridge with a temperature controller and use a better quality yeast.

Hope this helps,
Martin
G'day Martin,
How does one brew in a fridge? If the fridge on or off?
Cheers Perry
 
G'day Martin,
How does one brew in a fridge? If the fridge on or off?
Cheers Perry


Hey mate... you plug your fridge into an STC-1000, set the temp on the STC 1000 and then it cycles the fridge on and off according to what temp you want.... This is a must for our hot climats! I have 3 fermenters in at the moment at 18c in the 37c Brisbane Temps!


All up should cost you max $50 to build one.... I am not handy and even i have built a few! Have a read of this thread and you will see many ways to build them and where to get the parts.

STC-1000
 
I've also had some go off in the hot weather in the past. As I've got no place better to store them, I'm just writing the odd lost bottle down as a "summertime tax".
I store them in crates, covered with an old drop sheet to contain the blasts. Having them go off next to you is not fun.
 
I've also had some go off in the hot weather in the past. As I've got no place better to store them, I'm just writing the odd lost bottle down as a "summertime tax".
I store them in crates, covered with an old drop sheet to contain the blasts. Having them go off next to you is not fun.

:icon_offtopic: Pete, PM sent
 
G'day Black Labb,
What do you mean sanitation issues? I clean everything. Is there a way of telling if there is a sanitation issue?
Thanks Perry
What do u clean ur bottles and fermentors etc with? Plain water wont cut it, esp if its not boiling hot. Tgats sanitation. coopers kits give u sodium metasulfate. Fkn horrible stuff but it does the job. Otherd use sodium oercarbonate aka the active ingrediant in nappysan tgen rinse well and then a no rinse sanatiser like starsan.

Infections will make ur beer taste funky. Depends on infection as to what the taste is. Thetes a whoke range if infections. Even a minor infection might be enough to ferment the residual sugats and give u bottle bombs.

Search sanitation or cleaning. Heaps on it on ahb or gwt urself a good brewing book and increase your knowledge in brewi.g. It will gelp improve ur beer 10 fold

Edit. U can also get 750ml PET bottles which will givw u a bit more wiggle room and not expkode, but if tge beer is overcarbed or mot finished fermenting the beer will gush out, just not explode.

Learn to use the brew calculators to understand original and final gravities. Once u kniw how to use a hydroneter and gravity you should never have bottle bombs
 
Perry, if the beer hasn't finished fermenting and they're subsequently bottled with a further sugar load for priming, then excess pressures will cause explosions as you've experienced. Since you said you've been carefull with measurements etc, then i asume you haven't overdosed on sugar/dextrose or malt for the bottle priming.

The only way to test to see if a beer has finished fermenting is to use a Hydrometer or other instrument to measure the specific gravity. If you test the brew at around the expected time fermentation should be finished and it reads the same for 2-3 consecutive tests a day apart, then it's finished. If you're relying on airlock activity to tell you it's finished, then you'll be cleaning up that bottle bomb mess every time something like temperatures mess with the primary fermentation.




With the hot weather we've had lately, a lot of guys have experienced stuck fermetations (yeasts can only handle a certain temperature range before it either becomes dormant or dies).

For really good, consistent results in your beer making at home, brew in a fridge with a temperature controller and use a better quality yeast.

Hope this helps,
Martin
G'day Martin and the others who are assisting me.
I better go through my brewing method. I use Coopers Canadian Blonde with the Number 1 improver. I boil 4lt water add the can of brew mix and the improver pack. Add cold water to 23lt. Take temp and add yeast. Withing a few hours it is bubbling. After 6 days by using my tap I fill my glass tube with brew and test with the hydrometer the next day the same. I wash all my stubby bottles that are already washed with bottling detergent since and bottle beer. Adding 1/2 tsp sugar and then cap. I leave them for over a month before drinking.
I have never heard of brewing in a fridge. I will check this STC-1000 out. I am a handyman and make anything to save money. Guys I am really pleased I discovered this site.
Cheers Perry
 
G'day Martin and the others who are assisting me.
I better go through my brewing method. I use Coopers Canadian Blonde with the Number 1 improver. I boil 4lt water add the can of brew mix and the improver pack. Add cold water to 23lt. Take temp and add yeast. Withing a few hours it is bubbling. After 6 days by using my tap I fill my glass tube with brew and test with the hydrometer the next day the same. I wash all my stubby bottles that are already washed with bottling detergent since and bottle beer. Adding 1/2 tsp sugar and then cap. I leave them for over a month before drinking.
I have never heard of brewing in a fridge. I will check this STC-1000 out. I am a handyman and make anything to save money. Guys I am really pleased I discovered this site.
Cheers Perry
Perry the Pom here again. I searched eBay for STC-1000. I found it was a heating device. I can't make one of those. I think I understand what I have been told. You get a non working fridge put that heating device in and put your fermener on top, correct or do you need a working fridge? Is there a way of making a isolated box to put the fermenter in?
All I want to do is brew a batch of beer every three weeks. Ensuring that everything is cleaned and fermented correctly. I looked on the site for brewing set ups and saw set ups that would cost an arm & a leg.
Partical Man Could you give me more details on this please.


Hey mate... you plug your fridge into an STC-1000, set the temp on the STC 1000 and then it cycles the fridge on and off according to what temp you want.... This is a must for our hot climats! I have 3 fermenters in at the moment at 18c in the 37c Brisbane Temps!


All up should cost you max $50 to build one.... I am not handy and even i have built a few! Have a read of this thread and you will see many ways to build them and where to get the parts.

STC-1000
Cheers Perry
 
Hey Perry,

The STC-1000 has a heating side and a cooling side. Here's the thing - you basically have a heating device (brew belt, heat mat or similar) and a cooling device (generally a working fridge). You wire up the STC-1000, which is basically the brains behind the outfit, to have a powerpoint on the cooling side and a powerpoint on the heating side. Then you plug your cooling device and heating device in to the powerpoints that you just wired into the STC-1000.

As mentioned before, the STC-1000 is just the brains of the outfit, so you set the desired temperature on this. It has a temperature probe that you tape to your fermenter, and you stick your fermenter in the fridge. When the temperature of your fermenter get's above your set point, it will switch on your cooling device (your fridge) until it gets back down to the set temperature. Vica versa, if the temp drops too low it will switch on your heating device (your heat mat). Personally, I just wire up the cooling side as I rarely have a need to heat my fermenter up.

Keep in mind you'll need to wire up 240V, so if you're uncomfortable with that, look for a controller that's already wired up such as this.
 

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