Wort smells like ass

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StirItUp

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Brewing up my first lager and five days into fermentation is smells bad. The airlock isn't bubbling but if I peek in the bucket it looks to be fermenting. Have it at 50 degrees stable in the ferm chamber. Thoroughly sanitized everything. Should I dump it?

I did take it out for a day on day three to see if I got airlock bubbles- I did- and put it back in the lagering fridge.
Half of me want to take it out again to let the fermentation ger a little more vigorous. But I don't know what I did wrong. Any ideas? Am I fked if the wort smells bad? It just smells.... Rotten.
 
Yeast will throw off sulphur for a number of reasons. Some just do it regardless, some do it because they're stressed out. I'd look into your pitching rate and yeast vitality, but if those are in line, then I wouldn't worry about it.
 
Not sure what yeast you used but some varities can put off sulfur or other off smells. Do some research on the profile for your yeast and see if what you sense as "ass" is characteristic for your yeast.

Good luck and have patience.
 
StirItUp said:
Brewing up my first lager and five days into fermentation is smells bad. The airlock isn't bubbling but if I peek in the bucket it looks to be fermenting. Have it at 50 degrees stable in the ferm chamber. Thoroughly sanitized everything. Should I dump it?

I did take it out for a day on day three to see if I got airlock bubbles- I did- and put it back in the lagering fridge.
Half of me want to take it out again to let the fermentation ger a little more vigorous. But I don't know what I did wrong. Any ideas? Am I fked if the wort smells bad? It just smells.... Rotten.
Click to expand...

Ah yes, the smell of lager yeast at work. Sounds like its going just fine. Most lager yeasts will produce sulfury like smell. There are many smarter than I that can tell you why and what they are, but I can tell you for certain the lagers smell like crap but time and patience will pay off.

I also have had a lager batch that never produced one bubble that I witnessed - made a wonderfull vienna lager.

Let ig go my friend - it will be liquid gold!
 
Yep this is definately normal for a lager. It'll die down soon. Don't take it out of the controlled temperature, and stop peeking at it. I assure you its doing just fine. Fermentation with lager yeast at the optimum temp takes a little longer to get started and will last longer. Be sure to do a diacetyl rest, you'll be well rewarded.
 
It's fine - lager yeast is stinky. Like others have said, be sure and do a diacetyl rest once you're about 75% of the way to terminal gravity.

Also regarding the bubbles... At that lower temperature the CO2 stays dissolved in the solution much more than an ale fermenting at room temp.

Never judge fermentation activity by the airlock, use a hydrometer.
 
This is great news gents, good to hear! I'd almost lost hope. Less on learned about peeking and judging ferm by bubbles. The bucket I'd back sitting pretty in a 50deg fridge! I have no idea what a diacetyl rest is... But I'm going to look it up now. This forum is great!
 
When it's about 5 points from terminal gravity raise the temp to 65F for 3 or 4 days, then rack into secondary and lower to 34F. That's all there is to it.
 

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