Sulphurous smell

razzrockbolt · Post by **razzrockbolt** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:32 pm

Tired of getting the HBT in every single kit I have made I decided on a full DME brew.

I got a Brupaks Brewers Choice Scottish 80/- and made it up with 1kg of medium DME.

I followed the kit instructions. I used 1/2 teaspoon of campden powder to remove chlorine and chloramines. Everything I could think of to avoid HBT but not tried before.

I used gervin english ale yeast made up as per the instructions.

After one day fermentation proceeding well with a good head.
Following day head gone and the wife commenting that the garage was really smelly. Seemed to have fermented out quickly.

Kegged after a week.

What I did notice was that the beer has a distinct sulphurous odour. The good news is no HBT. Very smooth no tang. I'm just wondering what might cause the smell? Is it the campden powder, the full DME wort or some sort of infection?

I'm not too worried at the moment as it tastes better than all my previous efforts and I have smelt the same in a pint of Draught Bass. I'm just wondering what might be the reason. Any ideas?

J_P · Post by **J_P** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:51 pm

I've heard of sulphurous smells coming from lager fermentation but never beer fermented with Nottingham. I know cambden tablets have sulphur in their chemical make up but I wouldn't like to guess as to whether this was the cause.

Did you add any salts to the water or does your water have high levels of sulphur in it?

WallyBrew · Post by **WallyBrew** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:50 pm

Question - do you mean sulphurous as in sulphur dioxide or sulphide as in rotting cabbage bad eggs hydrogen sulphide?

If its sulphide its natural to the fermentation process as the yeast utilises the sulphur containing amino acids cysteine and methionine. If this is the case then do as Daab has suggested. If its sulphurous you must have really overdone the tablets.

razzrockbolt · Post by **razzrockbolt** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:09 am

The fart in your pint kind of smell.

Thanks for the answers. First time I have had such a smell.

J_P · Post by **J_P** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:12 am

razzrockbolt wrote:First time I have had such a smell.

I wish I could say the same - prrrrrrrppp

Vossy1 · Post by **Vossy1** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:17 am

Do you ferment your beer with the fermentor exposed to light

PMH0810 · Post by **PMH0810** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:09 am

HBT?

booldawg · Post by **booldawg** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:18 am

HBT - Home Brew Twang. Often attributed to the age of the LME used in home brew kits. Magically dissapears after the 2nd pint

PMH0810 · Post by **PMH0810** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:22 am

Ah - thank you!

EYE JAY · Post by **EYE JAY** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:02 pm

I had that problem with the eggy smell on a geordie kit made up with comercial lager yeast.it was supposed to be ready 5th dec but because I thought it was infected I just left in the fermenter.
went to tip it away a couple of days ago and to my suprise the bad smell has gone and it smelt great and was so clear I could see to the bottom of the FV

So now its been kegged and should get round to drinking it mid to late feb

ColinKeb · Post by **ColinKeb** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:12 pm

ive only noticed it once if i remember, i left things be and the beer was fine. dont worry about it , if the beers off you will know

Duncndisorderly · Post by **Duncndisorderly** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 11:31 am

I know this is a bit of a bump of an old topic but ive also been getting a eggy whiff from my EDME stout kit, its been in the fermenter for 9 days and its dropping gravity nicely, and indeed the small samples ive tasted afet taking gravity reading have had a really nice burnt coffee kinda aftertaste, there is however a real eggy whiff from the fermenter and the samples, which although is gradually receeding is still there
Am i just being paranoid or have a successfully brewed nescafe fart whiff brew?
Im probably gonna transfer it to a second FV some time this week and leave it another 7 days before kegging and bottling, does this sound reasonable?
Ta for any advice other than buying pegs for my nose

MightyMouth · Post by **MightyMouth** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:33 pm

razzrockbolt wrote:The fart in your pint kind of smell.

A guy goes into a bar and orders an ale then says to the bartender "watch my beer while I go to the loo".
When he comes back the bartender says "sorry to tell you this but while you were gone that lady over there climbed up on the bar and farted in your beer"
The guy goes up to the woman and angrily say "Hey, You Fa't I' ma Whitbread?" and the lady says "no I'm Tessa Sanderson".

PMH0810 · Post by **PMH0810** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 8:19 pm

Kindly leave by the drain!

Duncndisorderly · Post by **Duncndisorderly** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 12:12 pm

DOH
i've been doing a little research and i think i've figured out why my Stout smells like a particulary dirty beef. i used a whole campden tablet and apparently i should have only used half

will the smell eventually disappear or have i killed it?

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