My primary smells like eggs/sulfur. Help?

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Han_Solo

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I did a little research and from what I can tell this is not necessarily a bad thing, but the white labs website says this strain has little to no sulfur production. I could use a little reassurance (or enlightening) if anyone can fill me in on what's going on. Here's the scoop:

I pitched a White Labs European Ale yeast (WLP011) for a Baltic porter. I did a partial mash and far as I know everything went well. I finished with a OG of 1.073. I pitched the yeast at about 65 degrees F which was below the recommended pitching temp . Could this cause the yeast to "act up" by stressing it? The fermenter was sitting at about 63 degrees since last Friday (when I pitched the yeast) but over the last 2 days it slowly rose to 67-68. I wrapped it with a wet towel yesterday afternoon and when I awoke this morning it was at 65. When I arrived home the temperature was the same but the eggy/sulfury smell was present.

Anyone know what's going on? Thanks in advance and input is always appreciated.
 
I can't help you, but I'm glad it's not just me. I brewed a Berliner Weisse with WLP011 and Wyeast Lacto. I didn't think lacto had a sulfur smell. It does smell kinda gross.
 
Several yeast strains release a sulphur smell. It's nothing to worry about. I'd let it sit for 3 weeks at the current temp to let the yeast clean up then bottle or keg it.
 
Thanks for the reassurance.

I have been keeping an eye in it since I got home. The smell is already gone and it's back at 63 degrees. Is it odd that it would smell that way for such a short period of time?
 
Thanks for the reassurance.

I have been keeping an eye in it since I got home. The smell is already gone and it's back at 63 degrees. Is it odd that it would smell that way for such a short period of time?

Not at all. Some yeast are worse offenders than others. White Labs Kolsch yeast comes to mind... stinky!
 
Some times if the yeast are really stressed from high shipping temps you can get the sulfur smell. I had a pack of 1056 that smelled like it dealt it but the beer came out just fine. deffinatly let it sit extra to allow it to disapate. Usually racking to a carboy will get rid of it.
 
caioz1jp said:
Some times if the yeast are really stressed from high shipping temps you can get the sulfur smell. I had a pack of 1056 that smelled like it dealt it but the beer came out just fine. deffinatly let it sit extra to allow it to disapate. Usually racking to a carboy will get rid of it.

Kind of off of the thread topic, but is it necessary to rack to secondary? It's the biggest beer I've ever made (OG 1.073) and was unsure as to whether or not the beer would actually benefit from a secondary. I'd prefer to just forget about it and let it sit for a few weeks, but I am unsure if racking is required to clean up the sulfury/eggy aroma it was letting off.

Basically I am asking if the yeast in the primary will do the work on its own, or will it make a noticeable difference if I rack it?
 
Woops, I had the same as this, with the hop smell disappearing, and being replaced by a sulfurous sour smell. Most of the krausen gone as well! (Quite similar temps and exactly the same original gravity)
 
JKaranka said:
Woops, I had the same as this, with the hop smell disappearing, and being replaced by a sulfurous sour smell. Most of the krausen gone as well! (Quite similar temps and exactly the same original gravity)

Was this recently? Did you have a taste yet? The "woops" at the beginning of your post is making me nervous!
 
It tastes ok, gravity still 1.030. I gave it a shake in case the yeast had gone to sleep after feasting on too much fermentables. Or might be spoiling. I guess I'll know in a couple of days.
 
The recommended pitching temp on a Baltic Porter was over 65F? Usually they ferment colder. They are practically a lager. Well, technically they can be fermented with lager yeast OR ale yeast, but in either case they should be fermented much lower than 65F. If you pitched a lager yeast at that temp, you could very well get sulfur smells.


EDIT: OK so I looked up that strain on White Labs' website...I don't think I've used that one before, but it looks like 65F is the recommended range.


So, other possibilities:

1. It could be underpitching, or perhaps a combination of underpitching and a not-very-healthy vial of yeast to start with, but usually that presents with other aromas and flavors, and not really the sulfurous thing.
2. Could be some kind of bacterial infection.
3. Could be your water source.


Regarding #2 and #3, there is a particular strain of bacteria which thrives in warm/hot water environments (not boiling, though) that produces the rotten egg smell. In fact it is fairly common to get that bacteria growing in water heaters, and then your hot tap water can start coming out smelling like rotten eggs.
 
weirdboy said:
The recommended pitching temp on a Baltic Porter was over 65F? Usually they ferment colder. They are practically a lager. Well, technically they can be fermented with lager yeast OR ale yeast, but in either case they should be fermented much lower than 65F. If you pitched a lager yeast at that temp, you could very well get sulfur smells.

EDIT: OK so I looked up that strain on White Labs' website...I don't think I've used that one before, but it looks like 65F is the recommended range.

So, other possibilities:

1. It could be underpitching, or perhaps a combination of underpitching and a not-very-healthy vial of yeast to start with, but usually that presents with other aromas and flavors, and not really the sulfurous thing.
2. Could be some kind of bacterial infection.
3. Could be your water source.

Regarding #2 and #3, there is a particular strain of bacteria which thrives in warm/hot water environments (not boiling, though) that produces the rotten egg smell. In fact it is fairly common to get that bacteria growing in water heaters, and then your hot tap water can start coming out smelling like rotten eggs.

I used an ale yeast that recommended pitching between 70-75. I pitched a little below that and it has been holding steady at about 63 aside from going up to 67/68 when the fermentation was most vigorous. I just use the water from my tap (I live in SF) and it was cold rather than hot. Can this still cause that infection? As for the yeast, it is actually my first experience with liquid yeast. Assuming it was not a bad batch, is 1.073 too high a gravity for one vial?
 
I just took the first gravity reading since pitching the yeast and it's at 1.019 right now. I gave it a taste and it was a little yeasty but it wasn't bad at all. I'm hoping it turns out well
 
Kind of off of the thread topic, but is it necessary to rack to secondary? It's the biggest beer I've ever made (OG 1.073) and was unsure as to whether or not the beer would actually benefit from a secondary. I'd prefer to just forget about it and let it sit for a few weeks, but I am unsure if racking is required to clean up the sulfury/eggy aroma it was letting off.

Basically I am asking if the yeast in the primary will do the work on its own, or will it make a noticeable difference if I rack it?

Unless its an IPA i always rack big beers becuase i ljke to age them in a secondary and it also frees up my fermentors.
 
Kind of off of the thread topic, but is it necessary to rack to secondary? It's the biggest beer I've ever made (OG 1.073) and was unsure as to whether or not the beer would actually benefit from a secondary. I'd prefer to just forget about it and let it sit for a few weeks, but I am unsure if racking is required to clean up the sulfury/eggy aroma it was letting off.

Basically I am asking if the yeast in the primary will do the work on its own, or will it make a noticeable difference if I rack it?

I just let it sit for a few weeks to clean up then go straight to a keg. I could see doing that if you bottle or use fruit but a keg is as good a secondary as a carboy.

Actually its better since I attach a liquid ball lock to the end of my autosiphon and rack it to a CO2 purged keg. It basically eliminates oxygenation from the equation.
 
New to home brew talk. Great stuff in this place. Shout out to all the NWers!

Scoundrel, what is a liquid ball lock? And hey to my home state of MD!
 
New to home brew talk. Great stuff in this place. Shout out to all the NWers!

Scoundrel, what is a liquid ball lock? And hey to my home state of MD!

Hi buddy and welcome. It's typically the black ball lock that you attach to the "out" side of a keg.

Ball%20Lock%20Quick%20Disconnect%201-4%20Flare%20(Liquid).JPG
 
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