Glass grenades - Revision history

WanderingSpy at 22:59, 17 October 2004

2004-10-17T22:59:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:59, 18 October 2004
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	* If you are making a non-sparkling wine, make sure you wait long enough that the ferment is definitely over. Don't just rely on a [[hydrometer]], use some common sense. Make certain that the wine is completely clear - clear enough to read through, for a white wine. Shine a torch through it and see if there is a scattering effect - if so there's still some yeast there. Be patient: the longer you wait, the better it will taste. It's better to wait now and have better wine than to lose the whole batch to explosions.		* If you are making a non-sparkling wine, make sure you wait long enough that the ferment is definitely over. Don't just rely on a [[hydrometer]], use some common sense. Make certain that the wine is completely clear - clear enough to read through, for a white wine. Shine a torch through it and see if there is a scattering effect - if so there's still some yeast there. Be patient: the longer you wait, the better it will taste. It's better to wait now and have better wine than to lose the whole batch to explosions.
	* If you are bottling sparkling wine, make sure you have pressure-proof bottles (eg champagne bottles) with the proper corks for bottling under pressure. You can also go for crown-seals, but you'll have to have enough personality to stand up under the pressure of people looking down their noses. There's still considerable prejudice about this option, due to the way it slows the aging of a wine.		* If you are bottling sparkling wine, make sure you have pressure-proof bottles (eg champagne bottles) with the proper corks for bottling under pressure. You can also go for crown-seals, but you'll have to have enough personality to stand up under the pressure of people looking down their noses. There's still considerable prejudice about this option, due to the way it slows the aging of a wine.
	* Don't estimate a time to bottle based on if you think there might be enough [[sugar]] left in the brew to get it to pressurise. This is a sure-fire way for the yeast to prove you wrong and keep at it longer than you expect. I would recommend that instead of guessing how depleted the sugar is and picking a time to bottle before the yeast finishes, you let the yeast finish - completely. Then add some more sugar when bottling to pressurise. This gives you two things: firstly, the safety of knowing and controlling how much goes into each bottle (and thus how pressurised it'll be), secondly, the consistency of pressurisation which gives you a gauge to work against for the next brew batch.		* Don't estimate a time to bottle based on if you think there might be enough [[sugar]] left in the brew to get it to pressurise. This is a sure-[[fire]] way for the yeast to prove you wrong and keep at it longer than you expect. I would recommend that instead of guessing how depleted the sugar is and picking a time to bottle before the yeast finishes, you let the yeast finish - completely. Then add some more sugar when bottling to pressurise. This gives you two things: firstly, the safety of knowing and controlling how much goes into each bottle (and thus how pressurised it'll be), secondly, the consistency of pressurisation which gives you a gauge to work against for the next brew batch.
	* If you don't know how much sugar to put in, you can generally get those "brewing sugar tablets" from the [[supermarket]] that give a pre-measured amount of sugar for each bottle. Read the instructions carefully - make sure you know what size bottle you're using! Another alternative is to use a sugar dispenser that releases a set amount of sugar.		* If you don't know how much sugar to put in, you can generally get those "brewing sugar tablets" from the [[supermarket]] that give a pre-measured amount of sugar for each bottle. Read the instructions carefully - make sure you know what size bottle you're using! Another alternative is to use a sugar dispenser that releases a set amount of sugar.
	* It's a good idea to store pressurised bottles in a way that they won't set each other off (in chain reaction). One method to prevent your entire batch from decorating the ceiling is to put the bottles in a box, then tip a few buckets-full of sand over the top. Each bottle is separated and cushioned from each other bottle. This sand will absorb most of the "blast" if there is a grenade, and will give you a chance to save the remaining bottles.		* It's a good idea to store pressurised bottles in a way that they won't set each other off (in chain reaction). One method to prevent your entire batch from decorating the ceiling is to put the bottles in a box, then tip a few buckets-full of sand over the top. Each bottle is separated and cushioned from each other bottle. This sand will absorb most of the "blast" if there is a grenade, and will give you a chance to save the remaining bottles.

Tobin: forcing re-evaluation of links

2004-07-08T08:45:07Z

forcing re-evaluation of links

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:45, 8 July 2004
Line 1:		Line 1:
⚫	[[Category:Brewing]]

	A '''glass grenade''' is the colloquial term for over-pressurised [[bottle]]s encountered during [[brewing]]- more specifically, if said bottle goes pop with considerably messy consequences...		A '''glass grenade''' is the colloquial term for over-pressurised [[bottle]]s encountered during [[brewing]]- more specifically, if said bottle goes pop with considerably messy consequences...

Line 20:		Line 18:
	* If you don't need effervescence, and have particular problems with a batch, you can use a wine stabiliser such as potassium sorbate. Potassium sorbate doesn't kill yeast, but does prevent it from reproducing. It won't stop a fermentation, but will prevent yeast from waking up in the bottle.		* If you don't need effervescence, and have particular problems with a batch, you can use a wine stabiliser such as potassium sorbate. Potassium sorbate doesn't kill yeast, but does prevent it from reproducing. It won't stop a fermentation, but will prevent yeast from waking up in the bottle.
	* As a final alternative, if you are only going to be storing the beer for a short period of time, and again don't mind a few sneers... store it in the big plastic coke bottles. Not only are these rated for ridiculously high pressure levels, but if one goes pop, you have a split bit of plastic, but no glass shards in the carpet. I wouldn't recommend this for anything more than a few weeks as the plastic-taste is eventually going to be a problem (so not the solution for wines) but it is a great safety measure and cheap and easy to transport. You may have to hide them at events due to the non-period nature of the vessel (a [[cloth]] [[bag]] the size of your bottle works nicely). Preferably, pour it into a decanter or jug when you're ready to drink it.		* As a final alternative, if you are only going to be storing the beer for a short period of time, and again don't mind a few sneers... store it in the big plastic coke bottles. Not only are these rated for ridiculously high pressure levels, but if one goes pop, you have a split bit of plastic, but no glass shards in the carpet. I wouldn't recommend this for anything more than a few weeks as the plastic-taste is eventually going to be a problem (so not the solution for wines) but it is a great safety measure and cheap and easy to transport. You may have to hide them at events due to the non-period nature of the vessel (a [[cloth]] [[bag]] the size of your bottle works nicely). Preferably, pour it into a decanter or jug when you're ready to drink it.

		⚫	[[Category:Brewing]]

129.78.228.114: categorising

2003-09-05T02:52:04Z

categorising

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:52, 5 September 2003
Line 1:		Line 1:
			[[Category:Brewing]]

	A '''glass grenade''' is the colloquial term for over-pressurised [[bottle]]s encountered during [[brewing]]- more specifically, if said bottle goes pop with considerably messy consequences...		A '''glass grenade''' is the colloquial term for over-pressurised [[bottle]]s encountered during [[brewing]]- more specifically, if said bottle goes pop with considerably messy consequences...

Morgant at 09:48, 23 July 2003

2003-07-23T09:48:47Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:48, 23 July 2003
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	* If you don't know how much sugar to put in, you can generally get those "brewing sugar tablets" from the [[supermarket]] that give a pre-measured amount of sugar for each bottle. Read the instructions carefully - make sure you know what size bottle you're using! Another alternative is to use a sugar dispenser that releases a set amount of sugar.		* If you don't know how much sugar to put in, you can generally get those "brewing sugar tablets" from the [[supermarket]] that give a pre-measured amount of sugar for each bottle. Read the instructions carefully - make sure you know what size bottle you're using! Another alternative is to use a sugar dispenser that releases a set amount of sugar.
	* It's a good idea to store pressurised bottles in a way that they won't set each other off (in chain reaction). One method to prevent your entire batch from decorating the ceiling is to put the bottles in a box, then tip a few buckets-full of sand over the top. Each bottle is separated and cushioned from each other bottle. This sand will absorb most of the "blast" if there is a grenade, and will give you a chance to save the remaining bottles.		* It's a good idea to store pressurised bottles in a way that they won't set each other off (in chain reaction). One method to prevent your entire batch from decorating the ceiling is to put the bottles in a box, then tip a few buckets-full of sand over the top. Each bottle is separated and cushioned from each other bottle. This sand will absorb most of the "blast" if there is a grenade, and will give you a chance to save the remaining bottles.
	* If you don't need effervescence, and have particular problems with a batch, you can use a wine stabiliser such as potassium sorbate. Potassium sorbate doesn't kill yeast, but does prevent it from reproducing. It won't stop a fermentation, but ~~does~~ prevent yeast from waking up in the bottle.		* If you don't need effervescence, and have particular problems with a batch, you can use a wine stabiliser such as potassium sorbate. Potassium sorbate doesn't kill yeast, but does prevent it from reproducing. It won't stop a fermentation, but will prevent yeast from waking up in the bottle.
	* As a final alternative, if you are only going to be storing the beer for a short period of time, and again don't mind a few sneers... store it in the big plastic coke bottles. Not only are these rated for ridiculously high pressure levels, but if one goes pop, you have a split bit of plastic, but no glass shards in the carpet. I wouldn't recommend this for anything more than a few weeks as the plastic-taste is eventually going to be a problem (so not the solution for wines) but it is a great safety measure and cheap and easy to transport. You may have to hide them at events due to the non-period nature of the vessel (a [[cloth]] [[bag]] the size of your bottle works nicely). Preferably, pour it into a decanter or jug when you're ready to drink it.		* As a final alternative, if you are only going to be storing the beer for a short period of time, and again don't mind a few sneers... store it in the big plastic coke bottles. Not only are these rated for ridiculously high pressure levels, but if one goes pop, you have a split bit of plastic, but no glass shards in the carpet. I wouldn't recommend this for anything more than a few weeks as the plastic-taste is eventually going to be a problem (so not the solution for wines) but it is a great safety measure and cheap and easy to transport. You may have to hide them at events due to the non-period nature of the vessel (a [[cloth]] [[bag]] the size of your bottle works nicely). Preferably, pour it into a decanter or jug when you're ready to drink it.

Morgant at 09:48, 23 July 2003

2003-07-23T09:48:12Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:48, 23 July 2003
Line 16:		Line 16:
	* If you don't know how much sugar to put in, you can generally get those "brewing sugar tablets" from the [[supermarket]] that give a pre-measured amount of sugar for each bottle. Read the instructions carefully - make sure you know what size bottle you're using! Another alternative is to use a sugar dispenser that releases a set amount of sugar.		* If you don't know how much sugar to put in, you can generally get those "brewing sugar tablets" from the [[supermarket]] that give a pre-measured amount of sugar for each bottle. Read the instructions carefully - make sure you know what size bottle you're using! Another alternative is to use a sugar dispenser that releases a set amount of sugar.
	* It's a good idea to store pressurised bottles in a way that they won't set each other off (in chain reaction). One method to prevent your entire batch from decorating the ceiling is to put the bottles in a box, then tip a few buckets-full of sand over the top. Each bottle is separated and cushioned from each other bottle. This sand will absorb most of the "blast" if there is a grenade, and will give you a chance to save the remaining bottles.		* It's a good idea to store pressurised bottles in a way that they won't set each other off (in chain reaction). One method to prevent your entire batch from decorating the ceiling is to put the bottles in a box, then tip a few buckets-full of sand over the top. Each bottle is separated and cushioned from each other bottle. This sand will absorb most of the "blast" if there is a grenade, and will give you a chance to save the remaining bottles.
	* If you don't need effervescence, and have particular problems with a batch, you can use a wine stabiliser such as potassium sorbate. Potassium sorbate doesn't kill yeast, but does prevent it from reproducing. It won't stop a fermentation, but ~~will~~ prevent yeast from waking up in the bottle.		* If you don't need effervescence, and have particular problems with a batch, you can use a wine stabiliser such as potassium sorbate. Potassium sorbate doesn't kill yeast, but does prevent it from reproducing. It won't stop a fermentation, but does prevent yeast from waking up in the bottle.
	* As a final alternative, if you are only going to be storing the beer for a short period of time, and again don't mind a few sneers... store it in the big plastic coke bottles. Not only are these rated for ridiculously high pressure levels, but if one goes pop, you have a split bit of plastic, but no glass shards in the carpet. I wouldn't recommend this for anything more than a few weeks as the plastic-taste is eventually going to be a problem (so not the solution for wines) but it is a great safety measure and cheap and easy to transport. You may have to hide them at events due to the non-period nature of the vessel (a [[cloth]] [[bag]] the size of your bottle works nicely). Preferably, pour it into a decanter or jug when you're ready to drink it.		* As a final alternative, if you are only going to be storing the beer for a short period of time, and again don't mind a few sneers... store it in the big plastic coke bottles. Not only are these rated for ridiculously high pressure levels, but if one goes pop, you have a split bit of plastic, but no glass shards in the carpet. I wouldn't recommend this for anything more than a few weeks as the plastic-taste is eventually going to be a problem (so not the solution for wines) but it is a great safety measure and cheap and easy to transport. You may have to hide them at events due to the non-period nature of the vessel (a [[cloth]] [[bag]] the size of your bottle works nicely). Preferably, pour it into a decanter or jug when you're ready to drink it.

Morgant at 09:45, 23 July 2003

2003-07-23T09:45:15Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:45, 23 July 2003
Line 11:		Line 11:
	So, some basic safety measures are in order:		So, some basic safety measures are in order:

	* If you are making ~~wine~~ ~~that~~ ~~you don't intend to be sparkling~~, make sure you wait long enough that the ferment is definitely over ~~- don~~'t just rely on a [[hydrometer]], use some common sense. ~~At least make~~ certain that the wine is completely clear - clear enough to read through, for a white wine. Shine a torch through it and see if there is a scattering effect - if so there's still some yeast there... be patient, the longer you wait, the better ~~the wine~~ will taste. It's better to wait now and have better wine than to lose the whole batch to explosions.		* If you are making a non-sparkling wine, make sure you wait long enough that the ferment is definitely over. Don't just rely on a [[hydrometer]], use some common sense. Make certain that the wine is completely clear - clear enough to read through, for a white wine. Shine a torch through it and see if there is a scattering effect - if so there's still some yeast there. Be patient: the longer you wait, the better it will taste. It's better to wait now and have better wine than to lose the whole batch to explosions.
	* If you are bottling sparkling wine, make sure you have pressure-proof bottles (eg champagne bottles) with the proper corks for bottling under pressure. You can also go for crown-seals, but you'll have to have enough personality to stand up under the pressure of people looking down their noses. There's still considerable prejudice about this option, due to the way it slows the aging of a wine.		* If you are bottling sparkling wine, make sure you have pressure-proof bottles (eg champagne bottles) with the proper corks for bottling under pressure. You can also go for crown-seals, but you'll have to have enough personality to stand up under the pressure of people looking down their noses. There's still considerable prejudice about this option, due to the way it slows the aging of a wine.
	* Don't estimate a time to bottle based on if you think there might be enough [[sugar]] left in the brew to get it to pressurise. This is a sure-fire way for the yeast to prove you wrong and keep at it longer than you expect. I would recommend that instead of guessing how depleted the sugar is and picking a time to bottle before the yeast finishes, you let the yeast finish - completely. Then add some more sugar when bottling to pressurise. This gives you two things: firstly, the safety of knowing and controlling how much goes into each bottle (and thus how pressurised it'll be), secondly, the consistency of pressurisation which gives you a gauge to work against for the next brew batch.		* Don't estimate a time to bottle based on if you think there might be enough [[sugar]] left in the brew to get it to pressurise. This is a sure-fire way for the yeast to prove you wrong and keep at it longer than you expect. I would recommend that instead of guessing how depleted the sugar is and picking a time to bottle before the yeast finishes, you let the yeast finish - completely. Then add some more sugar when bottling to pressurise. This gives you two things: firstly, the safety of knowing and controlling how much goes into each bottle (and thus how pressurised it'll be), secondly, the consistency of pressurisation which gives you a gauge to work against for the next brew batch.

Morgant at 09:40, 23 July 2003

2003-07-23T09:40:12Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:40, 23 July 2003
Line 5:		Line 5:
	This can be desirable if you want your [[beer]] or [[wine]] to be "sparkling", but if the beer/wine is bottled too early, the pressure can cause the bottle to explode.		This can be desirable if you want your [[beer]] or [[wine]] to be "sparkling", but if the beer/wine is bottled too early, the pressure can cause the bottle to explode.

	This is a Bad Thing™, especially ~~when~~ the bottle is [[glass]]. Not only are exploding bottles a hazard, but they can be a real mess to clean up. Glass is hard to get out of carpet, especially when you have sticky beer making it ~~hard~~ to vacuum ~~out~~.		This is a Bad Thing™, especially if the bottle is [[glass]]. Not only are exploding bottles a hazard, but they can be a real mess to clean up. Glass is hard to get out of carpet, especially when you have sticky beer making it difficult to vacuum.

	What complicate matters is that if your bottles are near each other, one explosion can set off all the rest.		What complicate matters is that if your bottles are near each other, one explosion can set off all the rest.

Morgant at 09:39, 23 July 2003

2003-07-23T09:39:15Z

130.194.13.102 at 16:09, 22 July 2003

2003-07-22T16:09:28Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:09, 23 July 2003
Line 11:		Line 11:
	So, some basic safety measures are in order:		So, some basic safety measures are in order:

	If you are making wine that you don't intend to be sparkling, make sure you wait long enough that the ferment is definitely over - don't just rely on a [[hydrometer]], use some common sense. At least make certain that the wine is completely clear - clear enough to read through, for a white wine. Shine a torch through it and see if there is a scattering effect - if so there's still some yeast there... be patient, the longer you wait, the better the wine will taste. It's better to wait now and have better wine than to lose the whole batch to explosions.		* If you are making wine that you don't intend to be sparkling, make sure you wait long enough that the ferment is definitely over - don't just rely on a [[hydrometer]], use some common sense. At least make certain that the wine is completely clear - clear enough to read through, for a white wine. Shine a torch through it and see if there is a scattering effect - if so there's still some yeast there... be patient, the longer you wait, the better the wine will taste. It's better to wait now and have better wine than to lose the whole batch to explosions.
		⚫	* If you are bottling sparkling wine, make sure you have pressure-proof bottles (eg champagne bottles) with the proper corks for bottling under pressure. You can also go for crown-seals, but you'll have to have enough personality to stand up under the pressure of people looking down their noses... there's still considerable prejudice about this option - mainly because it does effect the way a wine ages (makes it slower).

		⚫	* Don't just guess a time to bottle based on if you think there might be enough [[sugar]] left in the brew to get it to pressurise. This is a sure-fire way for the yeast to prove you wrong and keep at it longer than you expect. I would recommend that instead of guessing how depleted the sugar is and picking a time to bottle before the yeast finishes, you let the yeast finish - completely. Then add some more sugar when bottling to pressurise. This gives you two things: firstly, the safety of knowing and controlling how much goes into each bottle 9and thus how pressurised it'll be), secondly, the consistency of pressurisation which gives you a gauge to work against for the next brew batch.
⚫	If you are bottling sparkling wine, make sure you have pressure-proof bottles (eg champagne bottles) with the proper corks for bottling under pressure. You can also go for crown-seals, but you'll have to have enough personality to stand up under the pressure of people looking down their noses... there's still considerable prejudice about this option - mainly because it does effect the way a wine ages (makes it slower).
		⚫	* If you don't know how much sugar to put in, you can generally get those "brewing sugar tablets" from the [[supermarket]] that give a pre-measured amount of sugar for each bottle... don't forget to read the instructions carefully - make sure you know what size bottle you're using!

		⚫	* It's a good idea to store pressurised bottles in a way that they won't set each other off (in chain reaction). A trick recently explained to me is to put them in a box together, but to then tip a few buckets-full of sand over the top - so that each bottle is separated and cushioned from each other bottle. This sand will absorb most of the "blast" if there is a grenade, and will give you a chance to save the remaining bottles.
⚫	Don't just guess a time to bottle based on if you think there might be enough [[sugar]] left in the brew to get it to pressurise. This is a sure-fire way for the yeast to prove you wrong and keep at it longer than you expect. I would recommend that instead of guessing how depleted the sugar is and picking a time to bottle before the yeast finishes, you let the yeast finish - completely. Then add some more sugar when bottling to pressurise. This gives you two things: firstly, the safety of knowing and controlling how much goes into each bottle 9and thus how pressurised it'll be), secondly, the consistency of pressurisation which gives you a gauge to work against for the next brew batch.
		⚫	* As a final alternative, if you are only going to be storing the beer for a short period of time, and again don't mind a few sneers... store it in the big plastic coke bottles. Not only are these rated for ridiculously high pressure levels, but if one goes pop, you have a split bit of plastic, but no glass shards in the carpet. I wouldn't recommend this for anything more than a few weeks as the plastic-taste is eventually going to be a problem (so not the solution for wines) but it is a great safty measure and cheap and easy to transport - though you may have to hide them at events due to the un-period nature of the container (a [[cloth]] [[bag]] the size of your bottle works nicely)... of course you could just pour it into a decanter when you're ready to drink it...

⚫	If you don't know how much sugar to put in, you can generally get those "brewing sugar tablets" from the [[supermarket]] that give a pre-measured amount of sugar for each bottle... don't forget to read the instructions carefully - make sure you know what size bottle you're using!

⚫	It's a good idea to store pressurised bottles in a way that they won't set each other off (in chain reaction). A trick recently explained to me is to put them in a box together, but to then tip a few buckets-full of sand over the top - so that each bottle is separated and cushioned from each other bottle. This sand will absorb most of the "blast" if there is a grenade, and will give you a chance to save the remaining bottles.

⚫	As a final alternative, if you are only going to be storing the beer for a short period of time, and again don't mind a few sneers... store it in the big plastic coke bottles. Not only are these rated for ridiculously high pressure levels, but if one goes pop, you have a split bit of plastic, but no glass shards in the carpet. I wouldn't recommend this for anything more than a few weeks as the plastic-taste is eventually going to be a problem (so not the solution for wines) but it is a great safty measure and cheap and easy to transport - though you may have to hide them at events due to the un-period nature of the container (a [[cloth]] [[bag]] the size of your bottle works nicely)... of course you could just pour it into a decanter when you're ready to drink it...

Tobin: CO₂

2003-07-22T11:38:54Z

CO<sub>2</sub>

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:38, 22 July 2003
Line 1:		Line 1:
	A '''glass grenade''' is the colloquial term for over-pressurised [[bottle]]s encountered during [[brewing]]... more specifically, if said bottle goes pop with considerably messy consequences...		A '''glass grenade''' is the colloquial term for over-pressurised [[bottle]]s encountered during [[brewing]]... more specifically, if said bottle goes pop with considerably messy consequences...

	[[Yeast]]s, used in [[brewing]], continuously generate ~~CO2~~ as one of their waste products. If an [[alcohol]]ic beverage is bottled while the yeast is still active, the gas will build up in the bottle.		[[Yeast]]s, used in [[brewing]], continuously generate CO<sub>2</sub> as one of their waste products. If an [[alcohol]]ic beverage is bottled while the yeast is still active, the gas will build up in the bottle.

	This is a positive effect when you want your [[beer]] or [[wine]] to be "sparkling", but if the beer/wine is bottled too early, the pressure can build up too much and cause the bottle to explode.		This is a positive effect when you want your [[beer]] or [[wine]] to be "sparkling", but if the beer/wine is bottled too early, the pressure can build up too much and cause the bottle to explode.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:39, 23 July 2003
Line 1:		Line 1:
	A '''glass grenade''' is the colloquial term for over-pressurised [[bottle]]s encountered during [[brewing]]~~...~~ more specifically, if said bottle goes pop with considerably messy consequences...		A '''glass grenade''' is the colloquial term for over-pressurised [[bottle]]s encountered during [[brewing]]- more specifically, if said bottle goes pop with considerably messy consequences...

	[[Yeast]]s, used in [[brewing]], ~~continuously generate~~ CO<sub>2</sub> as ~~one of their~~ waste ~~products~~. If an [[alcohol]]ic beverage is bottled while the yeast is still active, the gas will build up in the bottle.		[[Yeast]]s, used in [[brewing]], produce CO<sub>2</sub> as a waste product. If an [[alcohol]]ic beverage is bottled while the yeast is still active, the gas will build up in the bottle.

	This is a ~~positive~~ ~~effect when~~ you want your [[beer]] or [[wine]] to be "sparkling", but if the beer/wine is bottled too early, the pressure can ~~build up too much and~~ cause the bottle to explode.		This can be desirable if you want your [[beer]] or [[wine]] to be "sparkling", but if the beer/wine is bottled too early, the pressure can cause the bottle to explode.

	This is a Bad Thing~~(tm)~~ when ~~you~~ ~~have~~ [[glass]] ~~bottles~~ as ~~the~~ bottles ~~can~~ ~~explode~~ ~~and~~ be a real mess to clean up, ~~not to mention a potential hazard 9glass~~ is hard to get out of carpet, especially when you have sticky beer making it hard to vacuum out).		This is a Bad Thing™, especially when the bottle is [[glass]]. Not only are exploding bottles a hazard, but they can be a real mess to clean up. Glass is hard to get out of carpet, especially when you have sticky beer making it hard to vacuum out.

	~~The~~ ~~other~~ ~~unfortunate side effect~~ is that if your bottles are near each other, one explosion can set off all the rest.		What complicate matters is that if your bottles are near each other, one explosion can set off all the rest.

	So, some basic safety measures are in order:		So, some basic safety measures are in order:

	* If you are making wine that you don't intend to be sparkling, make sure you wait long enough that the ferment is definitely over - don't just rely on a [[hydrometer]], use some common sense. At least make certain that the wine is completely clear - clear enough to read through, for a white wine. Shine a torch through it and see if there is a scattering effect - if so there's still some yeast there... be patient, the longer you wait, the better the wine will taste. It's better to wait now and have better wine than to lose the whole batch to explosions.		* If you are making wine that you don't intend to be sparkling, make sure you wait long enough that the ferment is definitely over - don't just rely on a [[hydrometer]], use some common sense. At least make certain that the wine is completely clear - clear enough to read through, for a white wine. Shine a torch through it and see if there is a scattering effect - if so there's still some yeast there... be patient, the longer you wait, the better the wine will taste. It's better to wait now and have better wine than to lose the whole batch to explosions.
	* If you are bottling sparkling wine, make sure you have pressure-proof bottles (eg champagne bottles) with the proper corks for bottling under pressure. You can also go for crown-seals, but you'll have to have enough personality to stand up under the pressure of people looking down their noses... ~~there~~'s still considerable prejudice about this option - ~~mainly~~ ~~because~~ it ~~does effect~~ the ~~way~~ a wine ~~ages (makes it slower)~~.		* If you are bottling sparkling wine, make sure you have pressure-proof bottles (eg champagne bottles) with the proper corks for bottling under pressure. You can also go for crown-seals, but you'll have to have enough personality to stand up under the pressure of people looking down their noses. There's still considerable prejudice about this option, due to the way it slows the aging of a wine.
	* Don't ~~just guess~~ a time to bottle based on if you think there might be enough [[sugar]] left in the brew to get it to pressurise. This is a sure-fire way for the yeast to prove you wrong and keep at it longer than you expect. I would recommend that instead of guessing how depleted the sugar is and picking a time to bottle before the yeast finishes, you let the yeast finish - completely. Then add some more sugar when bottling to pressurise. This gives you two things: firstly, the safety of knowing and controlling how much goes into each bottle ~~9and~~ thus how pressurised it'll be), secondly, the consistency of pressurisation which gives you a gauge to work against for the next brew batch.		* Don't estimate a time to bottle based on if you think there might be enough [[sugar]] left in the brew to get it to pressurise. This is a sure-fire way for the yeast to prove you wrong and keep at it longer than you expect. I would recommend that instead of guessing how depleted the sugar is and picking a time to bottle before the yeast finishes, you let the yeast finish - completely. Then add some more sugar when bottling to pressurise. This gives you two things: firstly, the safety of knowing and controlling how much goes into each bottle (and thus how pressurised it'll be), secondly, the consistency of pressurisation which gives you a gauge to work against for the next brew batch.
	* If you don't know how much sugar to put in, you can generally get those "brewing sugar tablets" from the [[supermarket]] that give a pre-measured amount of sugar for each bottle... ~~don't forget to read~~ the instructions carefully - make sure you know what size bottle you're using!		* If you don't know how much sugar to put in, you can generally get those "brewing sugar tablets" from the [[supermarket]] that give a pre-measured amount of sugar for each bottle. Read the instructions carefully - make sure you know what size bottle you're using! Another alternative is to use a sugar dispenser that releases a set amount of sugar.
	* It's a good idea to store pressurised bottles in a way that they won't set each other off (in chain reaction). A ~~trick~~ ~~recently~~ ~~explained~~ to me is to put ~~them~~ in a box ~~together~~, ~~but to~~ then tip a few buckets-full of sand over the top ~~- so that each~~ bottle is separated and cushioned from each other bottle. This sand will absorb most of the "blast" if there is a grenade, and will give you a chance to save the remaining bottles.		* It's a good idea to store pressurised bottles in a way that they won't set each other off (in chain reaction). One method to prevent your entire batch from decorating the ceiling is to put the bottles in a box, then tip a few buckets-full of sand over the top. Each bottle is separated and cushioned from each other bottle. This sand will absorb most of the "blast" if there is a grenade, and will give you a chance to save the remaining bottles.
			* If you don't need effervescence, and have particular problems with a batch, you can use a wine stabiliser such as potassium sorbate. Potassium sorbate doesn't kill yeast, but does prevent it from reproducing. It won't stop a fermentation, but will prevent yeast from waking up in the bottle.
	* As a final alternative, if you are only going to be storing the beer for a short period of time, and again don't mind a few sneers... store it in the big plastic coke bottles. Not only are these rated for ridiculously high pressure levels, but if one goes pop, you have a split bit of plastic, but no glass shards in the carpet. I wouldn't recommend this for anything more than a few weeks as the plastic-taste is eventually going to be a problem (so not the solution for wines) but it is a great ~~safty~~ measure and cheap and easy to transport ~~- though you~~ may have to hide them at events due to the un-period nature of the ~~container~~ (a [[cloth]] [[bag]] the size of your bottle works nicely).~~.. of course you could~~ ~~just~~ pour it into a decanter when you're ready to drink it...		* As a final alternative, if you are only going to be storing the beer for a short period of time, and again don't mind a few sneers... store it in the big plastic coke bottles. Not only are these rated for ridiculously high pressure levels, but if one goes pop, you have a split bit of plastic, but no glass shards in the carpet. I wouldn't recommend this for anything more than a few weeks as the plastic-taste is eventually going to be a problem (so not the solution for wines) but it is a great safety measure and cheap and easy to transport. You may have to hide them at events due to the non-period nature of the vessel (a [[cloth]] [[bag]] the size of your bottle works nicely). Preferably, pour it into a decanter or jug when you're ready to drink it.

Glass grenades - Revision history

WanderingSpy at 22:59, 17 October 2004

Tobin: forcing re-evaluation of links

129.78.228.114: categorising

Morgant at 09:48, 23 July 2003

Morgant at 09:48, 23 July 2003

Morgant at 09:45, 23 July 2003

Morgant at 09:40, 23 July 2003

Morgant at 09:39, 23 July 2003

130.194.13.102 at 16:09, 22 July 2003

Tobin: CO2

Tobin: CO₂