Bottle Explosion

I think one of the biggest mistakes I made when I first started brewing years ago, was using a whole 5 ounce package of priming sugar. Where in Mass are you located?

 

Not necessarily. I don't like under-carbed beer and 5oz/5gal is my basic carbonation ratio (assuming corn sugar, mixed well, adjusted by actual volume of batch, and margin of error goes to slightly less sugar rather than more). Of course your batch may not be a full five gallons, in which case 5oz is too much sugar, and kaboom! is a possibility.

Now if you want to be more adventurous, I recommend storing your possibly exploding bottles in an open-top contain, right next to your bed, but don't tell your wife about the possibly exploding part.

 

If you made that IPA kit as described you didn't overpitch in terms of priming sugar. More than likely you got too much in that one bottle or the bottle was dirty or defective. Making sure the priming sugar is evenly distributed/mixed etc is important, I remember a batch long before cape cod beer..when we were home brewers ..when half the bottles exploded and the other half were flat. Never made that mistake again. What a pain..we ended up u bottling..re pitching..and then bottling again. Beer was fine..but lots and lots of labor!

We've been making and selling that kit for 11 years...actually more. There's a cell number on the bottom of the recipe..goes right to the brewmaster's cell phone..don't hesitate to use it. Excellent advice..and free!