Farty eggstench IPA

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azzothegreek

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Hello, I've been home brewing on and off for over two years now and using the same methods and yeast I've always used but my latest batch smells a little farty, a little eggy, a little like I don't want it to smell and I'm a tad concerned the brew has gone bad.
I've done a little research and can see that sulphur can be given off using certain processes and certain yeasts but can't understand why this batch smells and others have not. Its been in the FV for a day and a half and is happily bubbling away, I'm using the same yeast I've always used (gervin I think) the temp is ever so slightly lower than previous times (I usually ferment at 20 degrees and the temp is between 18 and 19 degrees). this is the only difference but can't really imagine that is the reason. I always thought the lower the temp the better so long as it is still warm enough for the yeast to work. Is the temp the reason or is there something I've missed do you think? I'm pretty sure I sterilised everything well.
 
I don't think the temp explains the smell (though others on here much more knowledgeable than myself can confirm). And also I don't reckon a day and a half is long enough for you to have an infected batch. Sulphur smells are common with some yeasts, and it will subside with time. But like you say, if this is your usual recipe/method and it's not happened before then it is a bit odd!
 
It could be the condition of the yeast poor yeast health is one reason for sulpher smells. Kit's often spend weeks or even months on a wharehouse shelf losing viability and vitality.

Another reason you could be smelling sulphurs is, all yeast give off sulphur to some extent or another. Usually it gets carried away with the C02 so you never notice it but if you have a build up of C02 this will also cause a build up of sulpher so you start to smell it.. Is you FV airtight and the airlock not bubbling for example.

Like the other have said it'll disappear after a while. Even if you can still smell it when you come to bottle, it'll disapear during conditioning time
 
Good to know there is a low possibility on it being infected, this was worrying me slightly. I've also read that low nutrients can stress the yeast out causing it to give off some funky smells. I used liquid malt extract from the health food shop instead of dried malt extract (used in my last batch which turned out fine with no sulphur smell at any stage) along with the usual amount of honey. I would have thought the same weight of LME and DME would have the same amount of nutrients but i guess i have to consider all variants and reasons so I can learn from this. The beer may very well turn out fine I'm just a bit perplexed why this has happened now and not before.
 
azzothegreek said:
. The beer may very well turn out fine I'm just a bit perplexed why this has happened now and not before.
Click to expand...

Without professional level gear, because there's just so many variable in brewing, it's hard to consitantly reproduce beers exactly the same every time. It costs brewerys millions to be able to do so.
 
The condition of the yeast may well be the reason I guess. Its best before date is September 2015 (i bought some sachets ages ago and not used them all yet). I used yeast with the same bbe only three weeks ago and that was fine. Maybe one sachet was older than the other, maybe on the cusp of its efficiency. I'll dump my remaining sachets and go buy some fresher ones for my next batch just in case.
 
azzothegreek said:
The condition of the yeast may well be the reason I guess. Its best before date is September 2015 (i bought some sachets ages ago and not used them all yet). I used yeast with the same bbe only three weeks ago and that was fine. Maybe one sachet was older than the other, maybe on the cusp of its efficiency. I'll dump my remaining sachets and go buy some fresher ones for my next batch just in case.
Click to expand...

If you want to be a tight ****, rehydrate them before use. It'll let you know if there viable or not

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/rehydrating-dry-yeast/
 
Thanks for the link.
I think I will do that for all my brews from now on anyway as the article makes sense and I like the idea of empowering my yeast before introducing it to its work place. Ta very much for that piece of information.
 
I did a cider kit last year and the gas emissions smelt like vomit, proper bile smell.. but the cider tasted nice infact as far as a kit goes it was very nice and smelt nice.
 
That sounds to me like it's associated with a bacterial infection. The sulphur associated with some yeast fermentations isn't that bad. Or maybe I'v got used to it? My wife hasn't said anything... not since the last time. Some thorough cleaning of your brewing area and equipment, especially insides of tubes, etc. I'd use iodophor, as per supplier's instructions, to be on the safe side for future brews.
 
MyQul said:
If you want to be a tight ****, rehydrate them before use. It'll let you know if there viable or not
Click to expand...

I'm definitely a tight ****, but this question of viability raises a long standing question.

I always rehydrate, to be sure to get the most out of what I've bought (see ;-)). But for all kits I've ever brewed, I don't get any growth from the kit yeast rehydration, in that it just turns the water brown. Yet these kit yeasts always manage to fully ferment my brews. And when I rehydrate bought packs, such as Safale or Lallemand, I get a huge froth on top. Clearly a lot more active than the yeast that comes with kits.

So how do you tell if a yeast is really dead, if kit yeast doesn't froth but still does the job? I'm just wondering how dead yeast would look different; I've never yet had dead yeast.
 
Fore said:
So how do you tell if a yeast is really dead, if kit yeast doesn't froth but still does the job? I'm just wondering how dead yeast would look different; I've never yet had dead yeast.
Click to expand...

Because it will look like this....

stock-vector-vector-illustration-of-cartoon-cockroach-dead-160751489.jpeg
 
Fore said:
I'm definitely a tight ****, but this question of viability raises a long standing question.

I always rehydrate, to be sure to get the most out of what I've bought (see ;-)). But for all kits I've ever brewed, I don't get any growth from the kit yeast rehydration, in that it just turns the water brown. Yet these kit yeasts always manage to fully ferment my brews. And when I rehydrate bought packs, such as Safale or Lallemand, I get a huge froth on top. Clearly a lot more active than the yeast that comes with kits.

So how do you tell if a yeast is really dead, if kit yeast doesn't froth but still does the job? I'm just wondering how dead yeast would look different; I've never yet had dead yeast.
Click to expand...

I've never actually rehydrated a kit yeast (only dried yeast bought seperatley) as I only knew that your supposed to rehydrate dried yeast after I stopped making kits. Like you say when you rehydrate S0-04 or US05 it goes frothy, so I just assumed kit yeasts do too.

So how to answer the Q of whether it viable or not - I dont' know. I guess it's a case of rehydrate to give as many viable cells the best chance possible and hope for the best or buy some yeast seperately if you REALLY want to make sure
 
I started reading this thread with interest as I'm getting the same smell from my latest kit (Bulldog Yule Brew). Happy that if it is bad it could well come good in the end, this was my first time rehydrating yeast so wondered whether that could be the cause. I've had to move it out of the lounge into the hall because the smell was so bad but it's still bubbling away nicely.

I'll leave it to finish and see what happens.
 
My last Festival Steam beer stank of rotten eggs from about 3 days in until day 7 or 8 then it just disappeared.
Didn't affect the taste in the slightest and definitely didn't smell when it had finished up.
 

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