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Pumpkin Ale First patch bottled in Nov... perfect. But over time the head is growing.

Bottled second patch, same recipe, bottled two weeks ago. Opened the first bottle and lost half to the sink.

First batch is being stored at about 55 degrees. Second batch being stored at 65 degrees.

How do I correct this 'excessive headiness'... ?

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The first step to correcting it is to determine why it's happening. There are generally 2 causes. Either bottling too early, before fermentation is complete, or an infection can cause those symptoms. If the beer that was bottled previously still tastes good and like it used to, it's likely the former. If the beer is starting to taste sour or "funky", it's likely the latter. In the first case, simply give it more time in the fermenter. 3-4 weeks minimum before bottling is the general ROT. If it's an infection, carefully check your cleaning and sanitation routines. For the beer that's already gushing, you can try to very slightly pry the cap open to release pressure, then reseal it.

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    Good stuff here. The only issue I have with prying them open and resealing them is that depending on whats going on it might not be a one and done operation. I recommend that you just chill them super fine and deal with it. Get better with the process of fermenting and bottling with the next batch.
    – brewchez
    Commented Feb 23, 2011 at 17:57
  • Good point. I forgot to mention that chilling them would allow for more CO2 absorption by the beer and less foaming.
    – Denny Conn
    Commented Feb 23, 2011 at 18:30
  • Just wanted to mention the obvious potential problem of overpriming, although if both batches were identically primed, then this wouldn't be the culprit. A gram scale solves this one.
    – Brandon
    Commented Feb 23, 2011 at 21:24
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    Good addition Brandon. Many folks measure their solid sugars using volumetric measures, i.e. cups when a solid should be measured by weight. So like Brandon says a gram scale is important for limiting that variable.
    – brewchez
    Commented Feb 24, 2011 at 11:40

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