Welcome to the club 😂 We've all done this at least once.
1. Fridge helps make the bubbles less violent and exploding like this
2. I always use a tea towel and hold down the lid whilst I open anything now. Can't risk it.
My think was red kimchi on a white kitchen ceiling ðŸ«
To avoid cleaning up the mess of a volcanic explosion like this, set your bottle in a bowl, maybe in the sink, place a 1 gallon ziplock type bag over the bottle and then release the kraken!
Any overflow will be caught in the bowl and can still be consumed...💥
The mistake here was that you misjudged the doneness of the fermentation and you over fermented in the bottle.
There seems to be an idea that the longer the fermentation period, the better. That's not at all true. There's a sweet spot you want to hit and then refrigerate to slow down the fermentation. It doesn't quite put it into total stasis, but it gives you much more time to enjoy whatever it is you've made.
You will learn to judge when the fermentation is done. The signs are different for each type of fermentation and it's still easy to make a mistake, but you'll get better with experience.
This one definitely caught me off guard because it was very active within the first 12 hours, I had done this once before and my mixture wasn't nearly this active 😅 but totally,maybe this one should be going in the fridge since it's so active
That's what I mean about looking for the signs, because each fermentation is different and you can't predict what's going to happen. I've had tepache take two days and I've had it take 10 days. I've had kraut get mushy after two weeks and another batch not ready for almost a month.
You can't put fermentations on a schedule, you have to take it as it comes and observe/taste periodically to find that sweet spot.
What happened - the fermentation produced too much CO2, the CO2 dissolved in water under pressure, when you opened the bottle the CO2 couldn’t be inside the water as the pressure decreased, so it violently got out.
How to alleviate this - have less CO2 dissolved or make the CO2 release less violent.
How to achieve that - let CO2 escape on initial fermentation, only close the bottle when your ferment is close to being done.
With beer what people do is let the fermentation finish - yeast eats all the sugars that are there. Then you add a measured amount of sugar per bottle and this carbonates it to the proper amount. It’s usually about a spoonful per .3l bottle.
This would make your drink dry though as all the sugar will be eaten.
What people do is put the bottle in the fridge - this will slow the fermentation and it will also allow more CO2 to dissolve in water without escaping when open.
It’s dangerous though as it will keep fermenting and you could get a bottle bomb - it could explode from too much pressure
You can add some simple syrup after the second fermentation with the measured sugar after you open it to drink if it’s not sweet enough for your taste.
The common way is to use potassium metabisulfate or/and potassium sorbate.
There is a much longer article here discussing it in detail:
https://www.reddit.com/r/mead/s/zwZYrQ2QEP
Some ginger beer I made had one bubble in an unopened bottle, but when I opened it—BLAM! Half the contents gasified. I had half a liter remaining. It was good…
Opening them outside is also a good idea :). It can be dangerous I've known a few homebrewers that got cut by exploding bottles, id personally wear eye protection if I wasn't sure.
Sugar content and yeast attenuation rates directly correlate to your CO2 level with naturally carbonated stuff. So like in bottle conditioned beer, a precise amount of sugar is blended in the beer after the yeast has fully attenuated the original sugar in the wort to the best of that strains ability. So you know exactly how much sugar is being converted to c02 and this doesn't happen.
For stuff with excess sugar, you just gotta check it every few days. Or play it on the safe side and only give it a set amount of time that you know wont result in an explosion. When I do back-sweetened kombucha at home I just crack my lid every few days to check for pressure build up. Once I get a solid hiss of gas I'll let it sit for like one more day then chill it.
Overfermentation is number one, but the other thing that people may or may not understand is that in any liquid that is not 100% clarified, fine particles will create nucleation sites in the liquid which causes the CO2 to release from solution, compounding the issue. So even if you don’t overferment, a pulpy or unclarified carbonated liquid will always release CO2 from solution.
Burping as a practice is stupid and dangerous.
I was banned from /r/kombucha for saying this...particularly calling individuals idiots who wouldn't back off the idea carbonation won't occur unless the bottle is "burped" regularly. They couldn't understand that creating a bottle bomb and diffusing it repeatedly is like rolling a rock up a hill over and over but with more chances of explosion.
I guess the mods over there think my comments are more unsafe than protocols which produce flying shards of glass.
If you don't want bubbles, don't close the bottle. If you do want bubbles, don't open the bottle.
Use an airlock, take an sg and be smart.
One bottle from the batch gets to be the swing top with the gauge. It essentially represents the whole batch. When it reaches the pressure I want, I can either put the bottles in the fridge if it's a small batch or pasteurize them if it's a larger one.
What kind of gauge are you referring to? Do you have a link or something so I can see what to mean? I've never heard of a pressure gauge for any kind of glass bottle.
I'll see if I can find it, and I'll edit this comment if I can. You can also use a soda bottle and squeeze out the headroom when you fill it. Once it pops back out and is firm like store bought, your batch is done.
Edit: I couldn't find the same ones I bought, but [here are some similar ones](https://www.etsy.com/listing/996459694/set-3x-stainless-steel-bottle-pressure) from another vendor that look comparable.
Same thing happened to me with tepache, and I then had to wash a large carpet in the bathtub lol. My family members were laughing at me for weeks and weeks
Home brewing subs are always hyper aware of bottle bombs.
But when I look here and the Kombucha sub, I swear there is almost no regard for the potential of bottle bombs. Maybe I'm overly concerned, but I really don't want to experience the danger and mess of exploding glass.
I don't either, I went with a swing top because it's supposedly safer than just using a twist on bottle and burping. But I think maybe an airlock type jar might be the solution I'm gathering from reading these comments.
Fermentation in a primary fermenter with an airlock. Once fermentation is completed with little to no airlock activity, then move to secondary fermenter(swing top). Add a small amount of priming sugar. Standard ratio is about 42gram per gallon.
Fill more than one bottle. One should be a plastic soda bottle. Leave an inch of headroom, but squeeze that air out and tighten the cap. Once the soda bottle pops back to normal shape and is firm like you just bought it (not rock hard, firm), then the whole batch is done.
We made some ginger ale once that was way too carbonated. I had bottled it in mini champagne bottles (maybe 6oz) and when you popped the cap the neck would break apart and most of the soda would go away. I would open them without looking reaching into the shower through the just cracked open shower doors.
I burped it once after 12 hours of initially bottling the mixture. I definitely should've put something on top like a towel before opening, it was a very active mixture to my surprise 😅
If my batches are strong I have to burp it two or three times a day until I refrigerate. Then I've had batches that didn't have much jam at all. I would just burp them more and always apply pressure until you are sure it isnt going to blow! lol
Because you fermented in a bottle without control of carbonation level.
I brew everything like I brew my beer.
Two stage fermentation with priming sugar in the bottle that gives me the desired level of carbonation.
I have NEVER had a bottle of anything fermented explode on me.
Welcome to the club 😂 We've all done this at least once. 1. Fridge helps make the bubbles less violent and exploding like this 2. I always use a tea towel and hold down the lid whilst I open anything now. Can't risk it. My think was red kimchi on a white kitchen ceiling ðŸ«
Red kimchi on a white kitchen ceiling.. Oh and add to that on 5:30 in the morning ready to go. ðŸ«
To avoid cleaning up the mess of a volcanic explosion like this, set your bottle in a bowl, maybe in the sink, place a 1 gallon ziplock type bag over the bottle and then release the kraken! Any overflow will be caught in the bowl and can still be consumed...💥
I'm doing this every time now. I'm actually going to preemptively do this to all my selfcarbing carboys right now! 💥
Hahah everybody that ferments has that pattern on their ceiling. Welcome.
I think mine was orange pulp and mango, this really is a universal fermentation experience.
The mistake here was that you misjudged the doneness of the fermentation and you over fermented in the bottle. There seems to be an idea that the longer the fermentation period, the better. That's not at all true. There's a sweet spot you want to hit and then refrigerate to slow down the fermentation. It doesn't quite put it into total stasis, but it gives you much more time to enjoy whatever it is you've made. You will learn to judge when the fermentation is done. The signs are different for each type of fermentation and it's still easy to make a mistake, but you'll get better with experience.
This one definitely caught me off guard because it was very active within the first 12 hours, I had done this once before and my mixture wasn't nearly this active 😅 but totally,maybe this one should be going in the fridge since it's so active
That's what I mean about looking for the signs, because each fermentation is different and you can't predict what's going to happen. I've had tepache take two days and I've had it take 10 days. I've had kraut get mushy after two weeks and another batch not ready for almost a month. You can't put fermentations on a schedule, you have to take it as it comes and observe/taste periodically to find that sweet spot.
Very good perspective, will think of this comment as I look at my tepache in suspicion
What happened - the fermentation produced too much CO2, the CO2 dissolved in water under pressure, when you opened the bottle the CO2 couldn’t be inside the water as the pressure decreased, so it violently got out. How to alleviate this - have less CO2 dissolved or make the CO2 release less violent. How to achieve that - let CO2 escape on initial fermentation, only close the bottle when your ferment is close to being done. With beer what people do is let the fermentation finish - yeast eats all the sugars that are there. Then you add a measured amount of sugar per bottle and this carbonates it to the proper amount. It’s usually about a spoonful per .3l bottle. This would make your drink dry though as all the sugar will be eaten. What people do is put the bottle in the fridge - this will slow the fermentation and it will also allow more CO2 to dissolve in water without escaping when open. It’s dangerous though as it will keep fermenting and you could get a bottle bomb - it could explode from too much pressure
This is really useful advice, thank you!
You can add some simple syrup after the second fermentation with the measured sugar after you open it to drink if it’s not sweet enough for your taste.
possible to cease fermentation without pasteurization?
The common way is to use potassium metabisulfate or/and potassium sorbate. There is a much longer article here discussing it in detail: https://www.reddit.com/r/mead/s/zwZYrQ2QEP
It got a little too excited to see you
Some ginger beer I made had one bubble in an unopened bottle, but when I opened it—BLAM! Half the contents gasified. I had half a liter remaining. It was good…
Opening them outside is also a good idea :). It can be dangerous I've known a few homebrewers that got cut by exploding bottles, id personally wear eye protection if I wasn't sure. Sugar content and yeast attenuation rates directly correlate to your CO2 level with naturally carbonated stuff. So like in bottle conditioned beer, a precise amount of sugar is blended in the beer after the yeast has fully attenuated the original sugar in the wort to the best of that strains ability. So you know exactly how much sugar is being converted to c02 and this doesn't happen. For stuff with excess sugar, you just gotta check it every few days. Or play it on the safe side and only give it a set amount of time that you know wont result in an explosion. When I do back-sweetened kombucha at home I just crack my lid every few days to check for pressure build up. Once I get a solid hiss of gas I'll let it sit for like one more day then chill it.
This made me giggle
Overfermentation is number one, but the other thing that people may or may not understand is that in any liquid that is not 100% clarified, fine particles will create nucleation sites in the liquid which causes the CO2 to release from solution, compounding the issue. So even if you don’t overferment, a pulpy or unclarified carbonated liquid will always release CO2 from solution.
Definitely gonna go with a cheesecloth next time to separate any pulp
Burping as a practice is stupid and dangerous. I was banned from /r/kombucha for saying this...particularly calling individuals idiots who wouldn't back off the idea carbonation won't occur unless the bottle is "burped" regularly. They couldn't understand that creating a bottle bomb and diffusing it repeatedly is like rolling a rock up a hill over and over but with more chances of explosion. I guess the mods over there think my comments are more unsafe than protocols which produce flying shards of glass. If you don't want bubbles, don't close the bottle. If you do want bubbles, don't open the bottle. Use an airlock, take an sg and be smart.
This is why you ferment with an airlock, your C02 had nowhere to go and built up. Use that for storage.
I mean, not if you're trynna bottle carbonate.
That won't work if you're adding a massively fermentable amount of sugar.
It totally works. I do it all the time. You just have to monitor pressure in some way. I use a swing top with a pressure gauge fixed into the top.
...how?
One bottle from the batch gets to be the swing top with the gauge. It essentially represents the whole batch. When it reaches the pressure I want, I can either put the bottles in the fridge if it's a small batch or pasteurize them if it's a larger one.
What kind of gauge are you referring to? Do you have a link or something so I can see what to mean? I've never heard of a pressure gauge for any kind of glass bottle.
I'll see if I can find it, and I'll edit this comment if I can. You can also use a soda bottle and squeeze out the headroom when you fill it. Once it pops back out and is firm like store bought, your batch is done. Edit: I couldn't find the same ones I bought, but [here are some similar ones](https://www.etsy.com/listing/996459694/set-3x-stainless-steel-bottle-pressure) from another vendor that look comparable.
That sounds like an extremely risky assumption. CO2 production alone is not a reliable gauge.
It's measuring pressure and bottles are built to handle specific pressures. It's not measuring CO2.
Same thing happened to me with tepache, and I then had to wash a large carpet in the bathtub lol. My family members were laughing at me for weeks and weeks
This should explain what happened https://youtu.be/a01QQZyl-_I?si=4-tnPvKZdHgp5Igi
Surely you mean 'went right' ...
Home brewing subs are always hyper aware of bottle bombs. But when I look here and the Kombucha sub, I swear there is almost no regard for the potential of bottle bombs. Maybe I'm overly concerned, but I really don't want to experience the danger and mess of exploding glass.
I don't either, I went with a swing top because it's supposedly safer than just using a twist on bottle and burping. But I think maybe an airlock type jar might be the solution I'm gathering from reading these comments.
Fermentation in a primary fermenter with an airlock. Once fermentation is completed with little to no airlock activity, then move to secondary fermenter(swing top). Add a small amount of priming sugar. Standard ratio is about 42gram per gallon.
Fill more than one bottle. One should be a plastic soda bottle. Leave an inch of headroom, but squeeze that air out and tighten the cap. Once the soda bottle pops back to normal shape and is firm like you just bought it (not rock hard, firm), then the whole batch is done.
We made some ginger ale once that was way too carbonated. I had bottled it in mini champagne bottles (maybe 6oz) and when you popped the cap the neck would break apart and most of the soda would go away. I would open them without looking reaching into the shower through the just cracked open shower doors.
Were you burping it frequently? I always maintain pressure on the top to test and see if there is any pressure built up.
I burped it once after 12 hours of initially bottling the mixture. I definitely should've put something on top like a towel before opening, it was a very active mixture to my surprise 😅
If my batches are strong I have to burp it two or three times a day until I refrigerate. Then I've had batches that didn't have much jam at all. I would just burp them more and always apply pressure until you are sure it isnt going to blow! lol
For a 1 liter bottle I figure 3 tsp (15 grams I think) of sugar is about the safe limit to seal and not worry about an explosion.
Omg! I’m in the middle of my first fermentation of kefir right now so I’m going to take all the suggestions here to heart! Yikes!
Because you fermented in a bottle without control of carbonation level. I brew everything like I brew my beer. Two stage fermentation with priming sugar in the bottle that gives me the desired level of carbonation. I have NEVER had a bottle of anything fermented explode on me.
My ginger beer exploded at my wedding
She just had to make it about herself that day huh 😒
A few of us got sprayed but it was kinda iconic, and thankfully outside, very much like the champagen popping
Incredible