Sulfur Odor???

I'm making my first batch of wine (I normally brew beer) from a Wine Expert Juice kit. I followed the directions and it started fermenting after a day or so. Well the air-lock has been bubbling away for a few days and now my basement has an odd "sulfur-ish" odor.

Is this normal?

Depending on the yeast you used, yep. My house smells like a sulfur fart every time i brew and use Weihenstephan. Crack a window and let it work.

The yeast that came in the kit was Red Star Premier Cuvee, Active dry wine yeast.

When I put my nose over the air-lock I smell a fruitish or maybe even an apple smell, but the room has a sulfurish odor. Its not over powering, but its there.

I don't have experience with wine yeast, but I seriously doubt u should worry. I get that smell all the time with my bavarian hefes and they taste great when done.

Quoting Revvy on this one, and he's the man when it comes to this...

"The thing to remember though is that if you are smelling or tasting something you don't like during fermentation not to worry.

During fermentation all manner of stinky stuff is given off (ask lager brewers about rotten egg/sulphur smells, or Apfelwein makers about "rhino farts,") like we often say, fermentation is often ugly AND stinky and PERFECTLY NORMAL.

It's really only down the line, AFTER the beer has been fermented (and often after it has bottle conditioned even,) that you concern yourself with any flavor issues if they are still there.

I think too many new brewers focus to much on this stuff too early in the beer's journey. And they panic unnecessarily.

A lot of the stuff you smell/taste initially more than likely ends up disappearing either during a long primary/primary & secondary combo, Diacetyl rests and even during bottle conditioning."


Just to back up what I said earlier about it being very comoon.

Sulfur isn't normal with premier curvee yeast. It sounds like some stressed yeast. Is it still in primary? If it is you can stir it up, to see if you can get it to disapate. H2S is bad news for wine. If it's H2S, you might be able to salvage the wine, if you act fast.

This website has some good info:

http://www.grapestompers.com/articles/hydrogen_sulfide.htm

I stirred it hard with a spoon. What about using an aerator?

IwanaBrich said:

I stirred it hard with a spoon. What about using an aerator?

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Once you take off the airlock and open it up, how bad is it? If it's BAD, then do some "splash racking". That is to rack to another carboy and allowing it to splash down the sides. You'll want to use campden tablets (one per gallon), though, so you don't oxidize the wine.

I wouldn't aerate now- oxidized wine is barely better than H2S. Either will ruin the wine!

If it's not too bad right now, then I'd add a bit of yeast nutrient and keep an eye (or rather, nose) on it.

The odor that I smell in the basement is odd, but its not an over powering rotten egg smell, but its a big basement. There is hint of sulfur and something else I can't put my finger on. In fact when I put my nose over the airlock it smells sort of fruity. Up until now I only brewed beer and never smelled anything in the basement.

IwanaBrich said:

The odor that I smell in the basement is odd, but its not an over powering rotten egg smell, but its a big basement. There is hint of sulfur and something else I can't put my finger on. In fact when I put my nose over the airlock it smells sort of fruity. Up until now I only brewed beer and never smelled anything in the basement.

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your describing the smell i had in my first batch. I just waited it out and it disappeared after 2 weeks in the secondary

If the wine doesn't smell of eggs now, then I'd leave it alone. Maybe you got rid of the H2S since you caught it early. Wait and see, and when you transfer it according to the directions, take a little taste and a big sniff, and see how it is!

I have never had a problem with Premier Cuvee(its my favorite yeast). Being your first wine you may not be use to how wine smells and when wine first starts fermenting the smell can be strong.

The fermenting seems to have slowed tad and no more odor in the basement. I think you folks saved my wine! I think the stirring helped.

Thanks!!!

I thought an update was in order!

I raked my batch of wine yesterday into the 6 Gallon Carboy and there was absolutely no sulfur smell at all!! None!! I took a hydrometer reading and it was just under 1.0000, which I think is good.

I tasked a small sample and it wasn't bad at all!

I also bottled a batch of Irish Stout yesterday and it was incredibly tasty!! Maybe my best beer batch ever!!!

Thanks for all your help!!!