Just Made A ... Wort Bomb?

[Crunched]

I made a starter last week for a brew, then put the left overs of the starter wort I made for it (just some LDME and water) into a PET bottle. Used that to step up the starter. Anyway, I just went to make another, using the same wort that was left in the PET bottle, when I noticed the bottle was really hard. Weird I thought, but cracked the top anyway. It fizzed, then stopped fizzing. Then I noticed a whole heap of bubbles forming on the side of the bottle, very quickly moving their way down the bottle and creating a lot of foam. I recapped the bottle and it immediately got pressurised (really hard in about 2 seconds), so I chucked it out on the lawn. 2 minutes later it burst, sending foamy wort all over my yard.

What the hell just happened? Why was there a build up of CO2 in this bottle when there was no yeast??

 

[Adamt]

Just because you didn't put any yeast in there doesn't mean there wasn't any yeast in there.... all it takes is a couple of cells!

Check your sanitation regime.

 

[Crunched]

Sneaky little buggers...

 

[juicefreakz]

I wish you could make beer bombs that when they exploded they made everyone in the vacinity drunk. no side effects ofcourse lol.

its a fantasy of mine

 

[Hutch]

I made a starter last week for a brew, then put the left overs of the starter wort I made for it (just some LDME and water) into a PET bottle. Used that to step up the starter. Anyway, I just went to make another, using the same wort that was left in the PET bottle, when I noticed the bottle was really hard. Weird I thought, but cracked the top anyway. It fizzed, then stopped fizzing. Then I noticed a whole heap of bubbles forming on the side of the bottle, very quickly moving their way down the bottle and creating a lot of foam. I recapped the bottle and it immediately got pressurised (really hard in about 2 seconds), so I chucked it out on the lawn. 2 minutes later it burst, sending foamy wort all over my yard.

What the hell just happened? Why was there a build up of CO2 in this bottle when there was no yeast??

Valuable lesson learnt

This is why many of us use Erlenmeyer flasks to make starters in - you sanitise the starter wort in the same jar you'll be making your starter, hence no transfers to other bottles, and risk of contamination.

Basically a tempered glass flask with a narrow opening, you mix your LDME and water in to the right ratio (1.040 SG), which you then boil on the stove for ten minutes or so. Take off the heat and place foil over the lid and let it cool. When ready, you pitch your yeast, and let it grow for a few days, then pitch into your brew. Peace of mind that you're not pitching a contaminated starter into your brew!

 

[newguy]

I prepare 5 x pint jars of starters in one go in a pressure cooker. After 15 minutes of pressure cooking, the contents are sterile. I set them aside until needed, then sanitise the outside of the jar, the butter knife I'll use to pry off the lid, and a funnel. Very convenient, no infections in 9+ years.

 

[Fourstar]

:icon_offtopic:

Newguy,

I despise you're new avatar. It's taken you atleast 1 year to change it and now im all confused! I thaught you were a 'new guy'