Bottle Bombs

[Noobberry]

Can someone tell me what type of catastrophe I could be facing?
Just bottle my beer and I currently have 24 grolsch bottles sitting on my dining room table as well as 2 1 gal screw top bottles. I added enough priming sugar for 5 gal into the whole batch.
I'm fairly sure I should be okay with fermentation being done, and because I am testing out a theory in trying to get really clear beer (I racked this one and there was very little sediment in the secondary when I finished bottling) and I'm confident in my priming sugar measurement, BUT if some, or all, did explode am I looking at 24 grenades sitting on my table? Could these things lodge glass shards into my drywall (or my skin) suddenly with the violence of a world War???

 

[AkTom]

Are you sure it was done fermenting? Was your fg the same for 3 days? if so, you are probably ok. I always bottle a few in plastic soda bottles. I can somewhat gauge the carbonation level, and I have a few beers TJ take to the beach or anywhere else incognito... You might want to put them in a plastic tote with a towel on the bottles. Don't forget the lid. None of my beers have blown, but I had a pear wine that did. I had glass 25 feet away. I'd check a grolsch bottle every 3 or 4 days. You may need to let off some pressure. After 2 weeks you may to refrigerate.

 

[BernardSmith]

Nooberry, If one bottle did explode then you should be concerned that every other will explode if the quality of the bottles was the same and the contents were the same. Flying glass under pressure is dangerous. You may want to wear some heavy protective clothing and have some protective head gear and open each bottle, if one or more bottles has already exploded.

 

[Noobberry]

Looking at the bottle 2 days in, there are no bubbles at all....am I safe? Will they explode right away or is there no time line?

 

[Amanda660]

If you had an acceptable FG and your priming sugar was appropriate I don't see why you'd have bottle bombs. I've done beer for about 3 years and I have had over carbonated beers (I believe because I bottle conditioned them in a WAY toooo warm room because I wanted to hurry the process - don't recommend that process at all) but I've never had a bottle bomb. How long was your primary & secondary? What did you do in respect to proving your theory "to achieve" really clear beer?

 

[Mismost]

I would not worry about the Grolsch bottles, they are heavy duty. I would be concerned about the gallon glass jugs...they are thinner glass, have more volume, more pressure can build up. I'd wrap those in towels. I have bottled still ciders in gallon jugs, but never bottled carbed in one before....and I don't think I will either!

I would get those bottles off the table and put away some place nice and dark for a few weeks.

 

[Floandgary]

You're NOT going to get the YES or NO answer you seek in writing. You're experimenting so as Mismost suggested, move those vessels somewhere safer just in case the worst should occur. Then you'll have your answers

 

[Noobberry]

I had the brew in primary roughly 2 weeks and secondary for another 2.
I was hoping that by racking I would get rid of most of the solid yeast that makes it cloudy.

The grolsch bottles are currently sitting in a Rubbermaid safely away from living areas. Good idea on wrapping the big bottles. I'll do that too.

Hopefully this experiment results in some tasty beer!

 

[Elmer]

I had the brew in primary roughly 2 weeks and secondary for another 2.

I was hoping that by racking I would get rid of most of the solid yeast that makes it cloudy.



The grolsch bottles are currently sitting in a Rubbermaid safely away from living areas. Good idea on wrapping the big bottles. I'll do that too.



Hopefully this experiment results in some tasty beer!

The only time I do a secondary in a beer is when it is a big beer and needs to age - sour-ris-bourbon barrel aged....
Otherwise when the FG hasn't moved I cold crash for a few days in my primary,
Rack and bottle.
My beers are typically crystal clear,

 

[Mismost]

I have temp controlled and cold crashed my last three brews, with no secondary. They have been the cleanest, clearest brews I have ever done. cold crashing just seems to really pack down the lees. I also think the fermention temp control through to siphoning to the bottling bucket without ever MOVING the primary vessel (and stirring up the lees) is a huge help in making clear beer.

Note...I am not not hung up on clear beer...I wanted better tasting beer, hence the temp control. Being able to just turn down the temp to 33-34 and cold crash was just too easy not to do. Clear beer is simply a pleasant by product.