[mmuniz276]

At the risk of getting back on topic, were you certain that it was fully fermented when you primed and bottled?

I was a number or two off of my final gravity. It was in primary for about three weeks. Temp controlled
Do you think that could be the issue, Not being finished fermenting?

[dmtaylor]

Yes, completion of fermentation is important.  When in doubt, wait longer.  Don't ever bottle too early.

[reverseapachemaster]

After three weeks fermentation should be done unless you have some contamination issue. However, if the beer tasted fine then it probably isn't contaminated. Could easily have been imperfectly dissolved priming sugar that resulted in a couple bottles getting too much sugar. Also could be the last few bottles that picked up whatever trub came over in your racking process and that material created nucleation in the bottle.

If there was an off flavor/aroma to the beer then think about how to improve your sanitation.

If there was a lot of trub in those bottles then think about how to rack over less trub.

Otherwise, assume it was a bottling issue. Some people gently stir the beer in the bottling bucket after everything is racked into the bucket to help evenly distribute the priming sugar. I add the priming sugar to the bucket before the beer and try to create a gentle whirlpool by aiming the end of the hose along the interior wall of the bucket. I have not had any problems with carbonation since adopting this very minor tweak.

[pete b]

 I add the priming sugar to the bucket before the beer and try to create a gentle whirlpool by aiming the end of the hose along the interior wall of the bucket. I have not had any problems with carbonation since adopting this very minor tweak.
[/quote]
I used to have this problem of a few bottles being overcarbonated before adding the priming solution to the bottling bucket first. I think I was stirring the beer too gently for fear of getting a lot of oxygen in there.

[69franx]

I add priming sugar to bucket first as well, because that is what I was taught. I have never had a noticeable problem with uneven carbonation. The only time I have noticed differing carbonation levels, it was easily tracked to differing times at carbing temps, as I had little room for refrigerated batches of 22oz upright bombers before I converted a chest freezer. It would be refrigerate 5 bottles, and replace in frig as they were consumed. the last 10 or so bottles may have been at room temp for 2-4 weeks longer than the first ones consumed. Even then, I never had 'crazy amount of head' from my beer 

[mmuniz276]

I add my priming solution to my bucket first as well. Well it still taste good after the foam simmers down. Beer is still beer at the end of the day, Thanks all.

[69franx]

And that's why we are all here. We love beer and making beer. If we can learn to do it better, and I need to, then that's a bonus!


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[Indy574]

I ran into this problem before, but mine was associated with a bottle infection, since only a handful were effected.

[Lazy Ant Brewing]

It's not the Carapils.  You probably overprimed.  Or there is a possibility that you had a contaminated bottle, or a bottle with some extra sediment in it for the CO2 bubbles to form.

for DM Taylor

I got started home brewing with a Mr. Beer fermenter that a friend loaned to me.  I had a batch where I mixed the priming sugar per the Northern Brewer calculator, stirred it into the Mr. Beer fermenter, waited about 30 min. for it to be mixed and bottled.  All the bottles were under carbonated except for the ones with lot of sediment from the very bottom of the fermenter--I try not to waste even a drop. The ones with lots of sediment were gushers --pop the top and watch it become a volcano.

Are those with lots of sediment gushers because they contain more yeast cells within the sediment?

Could the sugar have settled to the bottom of my fermenter within the 30 mins since I initially added and then stirred it?

Since then I've been priming by inserting one domino sugar dot (cube) per 12-oz bottle with acceptable results although that gives less flexibility for different beer styles.
 
How important is the time between adding the priming sugar and finishing the bottling? 

I ask that since I'm now doing 5-gal batch sizes and it takes me a couple of hours to bottle all of it.  I clean my bottles in batches of seven with a solution of pbw, put a cube of sugar in each one, fill the seven bottles, cap, and repeat the process until I'm done.  Since I'm retired and have plenty of time, I usually just do the bottling by myself.

If I use the siphon stream from my fermenter to mix the priming sugar solution, can it settle to the bottom of the bottling bucket in two or hours or will it remain in suspension?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[dmtaylor]

The amount of yeast in each bottle doesn't really matter.  However if the priming sugar was not well dissolved, it is possible you got more sugar in some bottles than others, and that would make a huge difference.  Changing over to sugar cubes is helpful in ensuring a consistent amount of sugar per bottle.  However the best way to add priming sugar is to measure how much you need for an entire batch, then boil 2 cups water and dissolve all the sugar in the hot boiled water, let that cool for a few minutes, and then add the fully dissolved sugar solution into your bottling bucket (or perhaps Mr. Beer in the earlier cases).  It needs to be completely dissolved in order for this to work -- if any sugar sinks to the bottom of the bottling bucket then you will have big problems.  But if you use enough boiled water to ensure that it's not too thick and syrupy and fully dissolves, and you mix it into the bottling bucket pretty well, then you will not have any problems with consistent carbonation.  It will never settle out over time as long as it's not still crystalized and not syrupy.  The couple of hours it takes to bottle will not make any difference.  If you left the beer sitting for a whole day then you might have issues, but for just a few hours, no big deal.

I use about 5/8 cup cane sugar for 5 gallons, which is equal to 2 tablespoons per gallon.  If you use corn sugar (which is NOT necessary) then you need to use a little more, 3/4 cup for 5 gallons.  Add the sugar to boiled water in bulk, and then you won't have to mess around with sugar cubes.  Sugar cubes will work just fine as you have seen, but they can be a little more of a pain and less consistent.

Cheers.

[brewinhard]

Damn!  I keep getting busted coming back to this thread thinking it is promising something else....My bad....

[dmtaylor]

The BN forum used to be good like that.  For better or worse, that forum has essentially died in the past couple years, as have several others.

[Lazy Ant Brewing]

D. M. Taylor mentioned extra sediment as being a cause.  I've noticed this when
emptying the fermenter completely and ending up with an inch or two of sediment in my last bottle, but don't understand why it happens.

Explanation please.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[dmtaylor]

See above, and I'll say it again -- was your priming sugar fully dissolved in the fermenter, or did some of it fall out into the bottom?  If you fully dissolve all your priming sugar in a cup or two of boiling water, and then add this fully dissolved solution to your fermenter, then you shouldn't have inconsistent carbonation.  That's still my guess.

Another possibility.... Excessive sediment in a bottle can become excessive "nucleation sites", where the CO2 bubbles can form.  It's the same kind of thing as like on Mythbusters where they drop a Mentos into Diet Coke and it becomes like a volcano because as the Mentos begins to break up in the Coke, it creates millions of microscopic points where CO2 can grab onto, all at one time, and this leads to gushing.  Another example: Have you ever seen one of those fancy Samuel Adams glasses where there is a tiny circle etched into the bottom of the glass?  A lot of bubbles will emanate from that etched ring on the bottom of the glass because of nucleation.  Same thing happens with dirty glassware.  If there's some crud in the bottom or sides of your glass and you pour a well carbonated beer into it, the foam can be excessive due to nucleation on the debris.

The same thing can happen with the sediment in your bottles.  Too much hops or whatever in the bottom of the bottle, and you might have gushers just from excessive available nucleation sites.

I would still double check that your sugar is fully dissolving before anything else.  That's the biggest problem if it's not all dissolved, you'll get crazy gushers from that.  The yeast/hop sediment thing is a relatively minor effect as compared to insufficient mixing of the priming sugar which would be a huge effect.