On Thu, 29 Mar 2007 09:05:48 -0500, "Mark R" <mray001@nospam.rr.com>
wrote:
[color=blue]
>
>"Jay Seigfreid" <jseigfreid@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>news:460b0c1b$0$5770$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...[color=green]
>> If you leave too little head space in the bottle, the beer will not
>> properly
>> carbonate. I don't know why, but it won't.
>>
>> I use a bottle filler and find when it is withdrawn, there is just the
>> right amount of headspace.[/color][/color]

I also use a bottle filler & when filling bottles I try to leave about
as much headspace as in the bottles - whether they be
stubbies 375 ml or tallies 750 ml - as ( I estimate ) there is when i
buy them from the bottleshop. That's worked for me for about
30 years.

I've been kegging for about 15mths now, using 26 litre or 19 litre
soda syphon kegs. When I fill the kegs i try to get as little
headroom as possible as the kegs will be force carbonated [ ie no
priming sugar]. I assume this is the correct way to go.

when bottling a brew i use 2 kegs and 20 to 40 stubbies ( varies due
to which kegs used). Each stubby gets one carbonation drop ( sugar ?
dextrose glob made by the local home brew shop). Tallies require 2
drops.

Years ago i used to use a cafe-bar dispenser bottle to dispense sugar
teaspoon equivalents & i also used spend hours washing bottles
[color=blue][color=green]
>>
>> Keep it simple, keep it home made, relax, have a home brew. . . or
>> something
>> like that.
>> Jay[/color]
>
>That my be so. Never tried to find out because I use a filler wand too.
>However, I know when filling 5L mini kegs, T-A-D, or Party Pigs, you need to
>use about 1/3 less priming sugar to achieve the same results as bottles. I
>know the percentage of head space on these containers is smaller than that
>of a 12 oz bottle, but I couldn't say if the smaller amount of priming sugar
>is due to the larger volume of brew, the smaller percentage of head space,
>or a combination of the two.[/color]

I've had a few explosions over the years <grin>.
One probable cause would be by accidentally doubling the amount of
sugar / dextrose. I think you would have to be in this order of error
to make much difference.

Other causes of explosions ( i guess):
- crud on the bottle neck.
- rust on the bottle cap ( i re-use twist-tops )

[color=blue]
>
>Mark R
>[/color]

hth

Ian C