Strong chemical like smell to wort/beer

[LRAB]

Hi all! I've recently started experimenting with my own recipes and have had 2 batches of wort that smelled heavily like there was still some residue left over from cleaning the fermenter with the oxidizer agent. Rinced thouroughly, even changed fermenter and this morning I go to add some candysugar to the wort to help the yeast along and I smell the same chemical aroma.

As I'm reasonably new to all the aroma's and nuances therein (I have read Guide to Homebrewing and I cant really find what I'm smelling in there), I'm wondering if it's to due with the hops i'm using or something else.

I've attached the recipe link in hopes some-one can tell me what's causing this.

Recipe

 

[Nosybear]

Hi all! I've recently started experimenting with my own recipes and have had 2 batches of wort that smelled heavily like there was still some residue left over from cleaning the fermenter with the oxidizer agent. Rinced thouroughly, even changed fermenter and this morning I go to add some candysugar to the wort to help the yeast along and I smell the same chemical aroma.

As I'm reasonably new to all the aroma's and nuances therein (I have read Guide to Homebrewing and I cant really find what I'm smelling in there), I'm wondering if it's to due with the hops i'm using or something else.

I've attached the recipe link in hopes some-one can tell me what's causing this.

Recipe

Chemical smell: Likely infection. Possibly chlorine in the brewing liquor. Never good, a well-made wort may have a smoky aroma if you used smoked malt but not chemical.

 

[LRAB]

Chemical smell: Likely infection. Possibly chlorine in the brewing liquor. Never good, a well-made wort may have a smoky aroma if you used smoked malt but not chemical.

Even in a country that does not use chlorine in it's water? If I have to point at something I'd suspect my counterchiller of not being clean enough. Even though we cleaned that thoroughly with water an cleaningsoda, maybe biofilm forming in that?

 

[Minbari]

what temp are you fermenting at? maybe its just a sulfur aroma?

does it taste bad?

 

[LRAB]

what temp are you fermenting at? maybe its just a sulfur aroma?

does it taste bad?

Currently at 23 degrees celcius, I don't associate the smell with sulfur but I could be wrong.

 

[Minbari]

Currently at 23 degrees celcius, I don't associate the smell with sulfur but I could be wrong.

a little on the warm side, but shouldnt give chemical off aromas.

you dont have any copper in the fermentor do you?

 

[LRAB]

Nope, stainless steel fermenter. Just gave it a taste and it is somewhat akin to sulfurous taste, ebbs away quickly though.

 

[Minbari]

Nope, stainless steel fermenter. Just gave it a taste and it is somewhat akin to sulfurous taste, ebbs away quickly though.

I would let it finish then. the sulfur should get absorbed as the fermentation gets done.

 

[LRAB]

I'll get the dry hopping in and just give it the 10 days I was going to. Thanks for soothing my mind!

 

[dmtaylor]

You can get chlorine from hoses as well. Do you use clear hoses, or black, green, or red rubber hoses?

 

[GFHomebrew]

Even in a country that does not use chlorine in it's water? If I have to point at something I'd suspect my counterchiller of not being clean enough. Even though we cleaned that thoroughly with water an cleaningsoda, maybe biofilm forming in that?

Try running some star san through it after your leaning it should remove any remaining cleaning residue.

 

[Nosybear]

Even in a country that does not use chlorine in it's water? If I have to point at something I'd suspect my counterchiller of not being clean enough. Even though we cleaned that thoroughly with water an cleaningsoda, maybe biofilm forming in that?

Could be. With no chlorine I'm going with infection. The counterflow chiller, if you run wort at or near boiling through it before turning on the chill, will be sanitized. It would also cook the biofilm, ridding you of that issue. I'd look somewhere else on the cold side.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Remember also if it is Sulphur that's a natural by product of some yeasts durin fermentation it will fade with time.

But your descriptor is chemical which is broad

Sulphur is fart or rotten eggs
​

 

[LRAB]

You can get chlorine from hoses as well. Do you use clear hoses, or black, green, or red rubber hoses?

Clear PU lab grade hoses that are cleaned with the counterflow chiller as a unit.

Toward the sulfur issue; haven't smelled it in this concentration before. Burning hair brings a different sulfur smell to my nose as well as the striking of a match... The fart and rotten egg, not so much.

Edit: far easier on pc to reply. The star san is not a product I'm sure I can get here in the Netherlands, however CaCo3 supposedly gets rid of some bacteria growth too. I'll look in to getting some better detergents/cleaning supplies. Can't ever hurt.

Edit 2: Star san is available here, just had to go looking at a different store. Will be ordering and using next time around.

 

[Nosybear]

Clear PU lab grade hoses that are cleaned with the counterflow chiller as a unit.

Toward the sulfur issue; haven't smelled it in this concentration before. Burning hair brings a different sulfur smell to my nose as well as the striking of a match... The fart and rotten egg, not so much.

Edit: far easier on pc to reply. The star san is not a product I'm sure I can get here in the Netherlands, however CaCo3 supposedly gets rid of some bacteria growth too. I'll look in to getting some better detergents/cleaning supplies. Can't ever hurt.

Edit 2: Star san is available here, just had to go looking at a different store. Will be ordering and using next time around.

Just about anything kills some bacteria... CaCO3 is not a sanitizer, you'll get far better results using the Starsan.

 

[LRAB]

Just about anything kills some bacteria... CaCO3 is not a sanitizer, you'll get far better results using the Starsan.

True that, just trying to explain my process.

However, I used the pitch rate calculator here and found out I was not using enough yeast. I added another 6 grams of dry yeast and today the aroma in the tasting glass changed completely. The fruity aromas of the hops are coming through and the taste has really opened up. Sulfur ebbs away even quicker now.

 

[Zambi]

A bit off topic...
But as soon as you said: "no chlorine in the water", I was wondering if you were talking about the Netherlands
And now I know

 

[GFHomebrew]

True that, just trying to explain my process.

However, I used the pitch rate calculator here and found out I was not using enough yeast. I added another 6 grams of dry yeast and today the aroma in the tasting glass changed completely. The fruity aromas of the hops are coming through and the taste has really opened up. Sulfur ebbs away even quicker now.

Maybe that's it stressed yeast

 

[Minbari]

I know I sound like a broken record, but. if you suspect bacteria or yeast issues in your ferementor. iodorfor works wonders. it will kill anything and fairly quickly. it is made by 5star (same company as star san)

 

[GFHomebrew]

I know I sound like a broken record, but. if you suspect bacteria or yeast issues in your ferementor. iodorfor works wonders. it will kill anything and fairly quickly. it is made by 5star (same company as star san)

And good for cuts