Four bottles top popped

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I'm too lazy to hunt down the links but I'm sure I read more than once that the flip-tops were more likely to have a looser-fitting seal than a cork and weren't so hot for long-term use because of this (that and the rubber seals eventually break down). That said, if I'm incorrect, it wouldn't be the first time.:rolleyes:
 
No idea, but lucky thing you weren't in that room or you might have wound up looking like a landmine victim! What was the batch and what were your thoughts on what went wrong?

I only ask because there are a lot of people that float through here really unconcerned about bottle bombs, not realizing at all that they're actually very easy to create, and can do serious damage!


What went wrong? Quite a bit...

We used a very simple recipe to make our first batch and followed them closely. It was a simple as dump a quantity of agave nectar in a gallon jug, throw in 23 raisins, pour in clean water, add baker's yeast, put on airlock and let 'er rip. After about 8 or 9 days we added about another gallon of water and a little more nectar. Bottle.

The agave went so well that we got creative right away and decided to use up that giant jug of maple syrup with basically the same process. We didn't let it go long enough in the first fermentation (it wasn't finished) bottled it right away in too warm a space. Kablammo.

The wife came to bed and remembered to tell me "I think one of the bottle exploded, the floor was wet." Thanks hon'... :rolleyes:

So we were too inexperienced, uninformed and impatient. Pretty easy to fix all three, really. Turns out the recipe we had was also a little TOO simple so we'll do proper research for the next batch.

Vinegar, tea tree oil and a little soap seem to be taking care of everything but if the smell persists Ill try the baking soda. We also have plans to pick up some Coleman coolers to store the bottles during racking.

Luckily we kept the bottles in a dark, wooden cabinet during racking to prevent shrapnel injuries!

Thanks