Lakefront Brewery recalls My Turn Junk bottled beer because it could explode

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Lakefront Brewery is recalling 15,600 bottles of beer because they could explode. 

The brewery says bottles of its My Turn Junk beer are completely safe to drink, but it is recalling the product as a precaution. The brewery says there have only been a few bottles in the market that have exploded, and there have been no injuries or customer complaints.

Milwaukee beer drinkers say they're shocked to find out beer bottles are exploding. 

"Sounds dangerous, but probably should've drank it sooner," said beer drinker Jim Stollberg. 

The mastermind behind the My Turn Junk beer is Andrew Jungwirth, who never expected he'd brew an 'explosive beer'.

"I guess it shouldn't come as any surprise that the resident punk here at Lakefront Brewery is gonna have exploding beers," said Jungwirth. 

The ‘My Turn’ beer series allows a Lakefront employee to craft a beer creation, and Jungwirth picked one with cherries.

"Lakefront was the first brewery in America to make a fruit beer since prohibition back in the late 80's, and so as a tribute to that, I chose cherries," adds Jungwirth. 

Those cherries contain wild yeast. 

Lakefront Brewery Brand Manager Michael Stodola says yeast continuing to ferment in the bottle produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide could build up enough pressure, making the bottle explode.

"The thing that we probably should've done initially is let the beer ferment longer in our tanks," said Stodola. "Then all of that yeast would've eaten all of that sugar."

CBS 58 caught up with a beer drinker who said he's had a craft beer explode years back in Michigan.

"It exploded, it hit the ceiling," described Alan Adler. "The paint on the drywall was ruined, and it was a total like geyser kind of effect."

Jungwirth first heard of his My Turn Junk beer exploding from his friend in Chicago. The beer exploded just days after Jungwirth gifted it.

"It was about 3 or 4 days after, I got a text saying like, 'oh my gosh it scared the crap out of me,'" said Jungwirth. 

Stodola says those who have the limited edition My Turn Junk beers could refrigerate it and still drink the beer, but beers kept in warmer temperatures have a higher risk of an explosion.

Lakefront Brewery is asking anyone with bottles of My Turn Junk to either refrigerate or carefully dispose of them. They are also offering a refund to those who dispose of the beer. 

Michael Stodola, Brand Manager of Lakefront, asks, “Please take a photograph of the bottle’s back label, send it to [email protected], along with your address, by October 1st and we will send out a check to compensate affected customers.”

For more information, visit http://www.lakefrontbrewery.com or call (414) 372-8800.