I have a Wet Hop Red Ale that I brewed back in mid September. When I pop the bottles there is a thin ring of foam that collects in the neck. I carbonate to the higher end of the carbonation range on all my beers. I popped one at room temp and it slowly gushed out the neck. I took a gravity reading of the sample, after degasing, and the FG hasn't changed at all in 2 months, still 1.016. I opened another bottle from the fridge and let it rest for a few minutes - less than a cm of foam in the neck again, no more. My suspicion is that the gushing room temp bottle is due to my high carb levels and the warmer temp (CO2 coming out of solution at higher temps faster), and not to an infection since the FG hasn't changed and the taste isn't off. I had a Blonde Ale do the same thing earlier this year, room temp gushed, fridge didn't, no off flavors, clean. Hoping that the wiser community might chime in. I had a gusher infection hit this time last year from a used plastic conical, and I would hate to have another one hit this year (no conical).
In addition to the room temp difference, it could be that because this was a wet hop ale, you perhaps introduced more hop particulate into the beer giving it plenty of nucleation points. But again, if it gushes at room temp but not cold, it probably has more to do with the temp.
Thanks. I didn't think about the hops aspect. There is a thin layer of yellow lupulin on some of the beers as well. Thanks.
I'm more concerned with the Wee Heavy that got a repitch of part of that yeast. My Wee Heavy last year got infected and I would not be happy were it to happen again (especially sine the FG is over 1.030).
I slightly overcarbed one of my batches of a strong Scotch ale this summer and it does the exact some thing. Foams over at room temperature, fine if refrigerated before opening. No infection. Flavor and gravity remain the same.
So your beer doesn't gush when cold, tastes good and you don't have an infection. What's your concern again? Edit: RDWHAHB
