Odd Smell

[Credible Sauce]

Hi All.

During fermentation of a Red Rye IPA that I am brewing I had a strong sulphur smell that occurred when I started cold crashing. I was pretty panicked and convinced I had an infection that had occurred during the dry hopping. I took some beer out from sampling port and left. The smell disappeared on standing for 30 mins or so. The cold conditioning continued and the smell has gone now. It's now carbing and tastes nice, looks nice etc.

Just wondered why it would suddenly kick of sulphur aroma especially when the temp was dropped to 4 Degree C.

I used Safale US05 at rate calculated with pitch calc on here.

Cheers

Matt

 

[HighVoltageMan!]

Sulfur odor from lager yeast is pretty common, occasionally a ale yeast will produce it when the temp is low, but it's rare. I can't recall if I have ever got sulfur of a Chico strain (US05), but I'm sure there are one off things that happen all the time during fermentation that never happen again. Sulfur will degas and go away. If it's an infection, it won't go away and may get worse.

 

[Credible Sauce]

I'd read about it in lager yeast. Didn't realise it could occur in ale yeast. Seems fine now so panic over. Did have visions of feeding the rats with it at one point.

Cheers
Matt

 

[J A]

It's more common in lagers, but I've gotten sulfur from all sorts of yeasts.
It always goes away in the beer. If bottling, I'd age until it's completely gone, but when kegging, it gets driven off by carbing up the beer and purging several times over a few days.
Think of it this way, sulfur is a major component of DMS which may be present in the malt. If you're smelling sulfur, your beer won't taste like a can of corn.

 

[Credible Sauce]

It's more common in lagers, but I've gotten sulfur from all sorts of yeasts.
It always goes away in the beer. If bottling, I'd age until it's completely gone, but when kegging, it gets driven off by carbing up the beer and purging several times over a few days.
Think of it this way, sulfur is a major component of DMS which may be present in the malt. If you're smelling sulfur, your beer won't taste like a can of corn.

I will take it as good news then. No one wants corn beer !!! Cheers.

 

[Nosybear]

Sulfur - either sulfur dioxide or hydrogen sulfide, not to mention the more complex compounds and DMS, are a part of every fermentation. Sometimes the amount creeps over the flavor (or aroma) threshold. It's normal and a very good reason to give your beer time to condition before packaging - most of the sulfur compounds will evaporate or oxidize to something harmless.

 

[dankbrewing@gmail.com]

I have gotten the sulfur smell a couple of times. Disturbing, but the beer turned out fine. I did have a red once that smelled like sewer gas. It was an awful smell and I was convinced the beer would be ruined, but actually turned out ok as well. I never used that yeast again though. I think the yeast make a lot of interesting things, but also clean up after themselves if left alone for a week or two. Everyone talks about what they have done to improve their brewing, but for me, patience and letting the beers sit in the primary for an extra week after I am convinced they are finished has improved them.