How To Prevent Over-Carbonation In Homebrewed Beer

Over-carbonation is an all-too-common problem among homebrewers. Whether this is your first attempt to brew beer, or if you’ve been doing it for years, you may come across a batch with far too much carbonation. The exceptionally foamy texture combined with ‘off’ flavors can ruin a batch of homebrewed beer. If you’re struggling to balance the carbonation levels in your homebrewed beer, keep reading for some of the most common causes, and solutions, to this problem.

Fermentation Too Hot

The single most common cause of over-carbonated homebrewed beer is hot fermentation. If the temperature is too low, the yeast will grow dormant and unable to convert the sugars into alcohol. On the other hand, if the temperature is too high, the yeast will produce over-carbonated beer. There’s a fine line homebrewers must balance to achieve suitable, well-balanced carbonation levels with their beer.

You can read through some of our previous blog posts for more information on fermenting hombrewed beer, but a good rule of thumb is to keep your temperatures around 70 degrees Fahrenheit during fermentation. This will encourage the yeasts to convert the sugars into alcohol at a steady, ‘normal’ pace; thus, reducing the chance of over-carbonation.

Improper Storage

Of course, improperly storing your homebrewed beer may also contribute to its over-carbonation. If you happen to leave it next to a window for an extended length of time, the sun’s UV rays may cause it to produce too much carbonation. Artificial light sources may also play a role in the over-carbonation of homebrewed beer, so make sure it’s stored in a cool, dark location to prevent problems such as this from occurring.

So, where’s the best location to store homebrewed beer? After fermenting your beer (typically takes 1-2 weeks), you’ll want to either bottle it or transfer it into an air-tight container. With that said, you should only use a premium bottling kit for homebrewed beer, as most of the cheap models do a poor job at creating an air-tight seal. With your homebrewed beer bottled, you should then place it inside a temperature-controlled refrigerator set to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Other Tips For Preventing Over-Carbonation

• Only use the specified amount of yeast in your homebrewing (too much may cause over-carbonation).
• Keep your beer stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to drink it.
• Use a premium bottling system to create an air-tight steal.
• Watch your sugar measurements closely.