Over Carbonated Mead

[GregVR]

First mead experiment went well until opened first bottle, and ended up cleaning the ceiling.

Checked rest of batch (16 Grolsch bottles) and are all over-carbonated. OG 1100 FG 1002. 8 litre batch primed with 40g dextrose, was aiming for something sparkling.

What do I do now? Chill and empty bottles back into fermenter, or just keep chilled and drink them outdoors. They taste pretty good by the way.

 

[Golani51]

For how long did you ferment?

Please forward me the recipe, or better still, a couple bottles and I'll let you know if I think it was overcarbonated. Won't know until I try it.

Reuven

 

[Bribie G]

If you chill them almost to freezing (the colder they are the more CO2 they will absorb) and release the pressure you may be able to 'steam off' most of the CO2 and reseal. Fortunately you have Grolschies not crown seals. I had some gusher stouts and entered them in a comp yesterday after the chill and steam-off method. By coincidence I was a steward on the stouts table, (not a judge of course) and though I could not recognise my bottles no gushers on the day so that must have worked :lol:

 

[GregVR]

Fermented for 6 weeks. Had a decent yeast starter 250ml into 8 litres.

Did chill down to as cold as fridge would go about 3C, then released pressure. I will need to repeat this as after a week still highly gassed.

Brew fridge currently has ESB fermenting at 18C so will have to wait a week before chilling them down again.

I am concerned fermentation may not have been complete at 1002!

 

[pk.sax]

I was reading somewhere on a yeast preservation website that to bring temperature of your sample down below what the fridge does, put the sample in an ice bath and refrigerate. Basically, as long as there is sill some unmelted ice in the bath, the temperature of the sample will be right down near zero (or 1). Might help you with getting those bottles down to the right temperature.

 

[GregVR]

Thanks, will try chill down in fridge then use ice the rest of the way.

 

[blekk]

I was reading somewhere on a yeast preservation website that to bring temperature of your sample down below what the fridge does, put the sample in an ice bath and refrigerate. Basically, as long as there is sill some unmelted ice in the bath, the temperature of the sample will be right down near zero (or 1). Might help you with getting those bottles down to the right temperature.

Better yet, throw a handful of salt in the ice bath; Can chill a room temp can of coke in under 5 mins!