Hand grenades

Early this summer, had 3 different beers explode in bottles.  First time.

First was Tripel 132, then Hop Marzen 133, then APA 135.

The Tripel was multiple bottles/events, beer wasn't fully fermented before bottling, then a bit too much primer (compensating for slow winter carbonation).  As soon as basement temps reached summer levels (ie, 60s) kablooey.  What a mess.

Shortly after, the marzen had at least one, and maybe more go off.  It's possible it was a chain reaction and just one bottle actually went off on its own.  This batch was unevenly carbed, and heavily primed in winter conditions.  It went off within a day or two of the Tripel.

Finally, a single APA went off, I didn't notice it for a while, because the mess was dry and moldy when I found it.  That one was probably the final bottle filled, with extra sugar and junk from the bottom of the bucket, although I can't verify for sure.

The Tripel and Marzen I quickly refrigerated the remainders of the batch and choked it down cold as fast as I could.  The APA I just left on the shelf, no more problems as of yet, although it was somewhat unevenly carbed.

Lessons learned:  mix in priming sugar more effectively.  Label final bottle or two for early consumption.  Don't over-carb in winter months, just be patient and wait for the beer to carb up.

Also, I'm not very happy with Starsan.  Things don't get clean, and sanitation is iffy.  Need to go back to bleach and/or boiling stuff, although Starsan for final bottle prep may be OK.

Messy and dangerous business.    

Batch 139 Doppelbock

5.75 gallons

9 lbs bm pils
4 lbs bm dark munich

SRM 7 - 10 (depending on decoction color increase)

Mash 140 df 20 mins, pull 1/4-1/3 decoction, raise to simmer, return to mash after 15 mins total, mash 155 df for 45 mins.

Boil 90 mins
75 mins 10 gr Columbus 10.5%aa, 12 IBUs
15 mins 1 tsp Irish moss
15 mins 1 oz mt hood 5.6%aa, 8 IBUs

20 IBUs

OG into fermenter 1.077, 87% bhe

Pitch with lager blend yeast (w2633, 2124 and 2278) in 2 qt 2 stage starter, at about 68 df.  Move to 55 df.

Move to 70 df for rest on 7/3 pm.  Move back to 65 df chamber 7/5 pm, drop 5 df every 12 hrs to 55 df (7/6 pm).  Finally slowing a bit on 7/15, move to 72 df for rest on 7/15 pm, back to 65 df chamber 7/17 pm, drop to 60 df 7/18 am, rack 7/18 pm, drop to 55 df.  Drop 5 df per day until 45 df (7/20).  Let go in secondary at 45 df.  Drop to 40 df 7/30.  Drop to 35 df 7/31.  Lager for 2 weeks.

Bottle 8/13 with 90 gr table sugar and a cup of old champagne yeast slurry.  Yield 638 oz, 2.5 vols co2.

Batch 133 Hop Marzen tasting notes

Cold

Pours all foam, semi-cloudy orange.

Aroma soapy malt,

Mouthfeel moderate body, big carb, coats unpleasantly

Flavor dirty, some malty sweetness, unpleasantly tart bitterness

Finish, sour bitterness, not nice

Overall, big mistake, yeast may be contaminated, chinook at end of marzen is not good, overcarbed the lot (some way worse than others).  Choked this down, even had an explosion.  Let's clear out the yeast bank, and confine experiments to 3 gallons. PLEASE.

Batch 138 Trappist abbey

6 gallons

8 lbs bm pils
8 oz bm dark Munich
12 oz flaked wheat
1/2 tsp Irish moss

Mash 75 mins 148 df

Boil 90 mins

60 mins 1/2 oz centennial 7.6%aa
60 mins 12 oz brown sugar
20 mins 1 oz mt hood 5.6%aa
15 mins 1 tsp Irish moss

25 IBUs

OG into fermenter 1.054, 84% bhe

Pitch with w 1762 in 1 qt 2 step starter at 65 df, move to 65 df.  Bump 2 df 6/5 am, 2 df 6/5 pm, release to 70 df 6/6 am, push up to 75 df 6/6 pm.

Bottle 6/28, 1.006 FG, with 120 gr sugar, 2.3 vols co2, yield 670 oz.  Sample tastes like spice hops.