just got a gusher

[Frankenbrew]

Iv been making random sized beers 5-3 to 2 gallons and have not been considering the amount of sugar for bottling. I just made a 3 gallon batch of beer that I put 3/4 sugar into for bottling and opened one of them and got no pop on it. The next one was amazing. It piped and spouted like a mentose in a soda bottle. It shot about 5 feet in the air for 3 seconds. Cool as it was there was a half a shot left in the pint. I did open it when it was still room temp and am wandering if I should open the rest to stop them from exploding. I just put the rest in the fridge.

[jimmiec]

I have not bottled for a long time but what are your procedures for bottling, type of priming sugar and units? By guessing at some of the info, the sugar was not mixed well at bottling and you used enough priming sugar for 5 gallons. Also I probably would not open a warm one. Get them really nice an cold (not frozen) and then try one. Also could have been an infected beer bottle.

The following is a nice description on bottling:

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter11-4.html

I use his nomograph for cask conditioning.

[Frankenbrew]

Iv used cane sugar all my life for bottling. Should I start using something else that you guys think would be better?

[sdspespo1]

I agree with Jimmie, 3/4 cup corn sugar per 5 gal batch and if there was no infection then it may be that the primming sugar was not well distributed in the beer at the time of bottling. Be careful because if that is the case bottles can explode. For cane sugar Adam who uses it frequently for bottling was saying 9tbsp per five gal or 0.56 cups so for your volume it would be even less if my algebra is right something like .33cups or a little over a 1/3 cup of cane sugar for priming. some of you math wizzes can correct if the math is wrong.

[Frankenbrew]

New update. I have been opening and closing before the bottle foams over. (Thank you swing tops) I do that then put it back in the fridge and wait a day. This seams to work to recarbonate at the right pressure. Also, no more gushers if the beer was cold and not room temp. Beer keeps co2 in it if it is cold but at room temp the co2 shoots out and the beer is flat.

[EnglishBrew]

Yup, 8-9 tablespoons per 5 gallons always works well. I usually go with 9, but knock it back to 7-8 if I'm not sure the beer really atenuated all the way (on that note, check your attenuation %).

I never stir the sugar into the beer at bottle time, I just dump the water/priming sugar mix on the bottom of the priming bucket and siphon the beer on top of it, seems to swirl around and mix well.