PDA

View Full Version : The force of carbonation



Glass
29th December 2013, 10:43 PM
This is just an observation. I am easily intrigued. Curiosity and all that.

12 months ago I made some home made ginger beer. (I have posted a link to the guide I used in another thread. I'll find and update when I can.).

Recipe:
Ground fresh ginger
1/8th Teaspoon bakers yeast
1 teaspoon household sugar (maybe 1 t-spn)

Seal, shake and stick in the cupboard for 4 - 5 days then refrigerate.
Some of them didn't work and I just left the rest in the fridge.
Bottles are 750ml PET that Coopers sell for home brew.

I thought I should chuck them out now. Taking one of the bottles from the fridge I notice the bottle is rock hard and the lid/cap has bulged.

There is so much pressure in there that it's practically a soda bomb or something. (Note to NSA - I am talking about over pressured soft drink, not blowing anyone or thing up) I have been easing off the pressure for the past 7 days now. 3 times per day at least. There is still too much pressure in there to take the top all the way off.

I find this pretty amazing that a natural process can produce so much gas and that the solution can hold so much. I'm also amazed at how much pressure these bottles can take.

Anyway. just commenting

woodman
30th December 2013, 01:29 AM
Well, how does the ginger beer taste?

Spectrism
30th December 2013, 06:05 AM
Note to NSA... after your SWAT gets done at Glass' bomb factory, come kiss my dog's ass.

Glass
30th December 2013, 08:29 AM
I had a thought. Since I took this bottle out of the fridge, I've probably started the fermenting up again. So it's making new gas as quick as I'm letting it out. Back in the fridge then.

Ginger beer tastes good. This ones a year old so not going to get drunk.

BrewTech
30th December 2013, 08:31 AM
I would never recommend sticking yeast and sugar into a sealed container for the purpose of fermentation, except in the controlled case of bottle conditioning. At least they are plastic... if they burst I suppose it wouldn't be particularly dangerous. And yes, now that it has warmed up it will start fermentation again if there is sugar left. I've taken harvested yeast from presumably finished beer out of the cooler (in a sealed corny keg) and let it warm up... even after a few hours it will build an alarming amount of pressure, so it must be vented periodically.

For every molecule of sugar, yeast will produce 2 molecules of CO2 and 2 of ethanol during fermentation.

Spec's comment was pretty damn funny!

horseshoe3
30th December 2013, 08:57 AM
Have you thought about using it for a reactive target?

Glass
30th December 2013, 04:18 PM
Can't shoot it I'm afraid. Would be cool to do but not possible. I would take the thing out side and let it off but just be making a mess. Perhaps I can youtube myself because I'm sure I'd end up gingered. I wonder what would happen if I chucked a mentos in there.

The ginger beer is supposed to be 4 days on the shelf fermenting then in the fridge to slow the process down and drink within maybe 4 weeks max. This ones been sitting there in the fridge 12 months so it's been fermenting all that time just a bit slower. I think it would eventually go off.

so yes in bottle ferment not good for long period.

fridge=refrigerator