Primary Producing Cidery Odors!?

I've been helping some friends out with their homebrews for a few months now but this is by first batch. I'm using a John Bull Pilsner Kit that contained malt-and Iso-Hop extracts. During the boil I added 1kg of corn sugar like the directions called for (I didn't know about dry malt extract) . Although this is a lager style, my more experienced friend suggested I use White Labs wet California Ale V yeast instead of the sachet of dry yeast that came with the kit. I stored my primary in a closet and have been regulating the temperature at 68F (20C) for the past 4 days. The yeast has an Optimum Ferm T of 70-75F.

Here's the issue. The closet (no windows) has been filled with a sour or cidery smell since fermentation began. Is it only because I have it in a closet that I'm noticing an aroma or is it because I did something wrong? Using sugar in the boil, infection, or temperature changes perhaps?

Let me know what you think.

Yeasts will produce all sorts of strange smells while fermenting. A strong sulfur smell is the most common. In a confined space like a closet, any of those smells will be concentrated instead of dispersing off into the room air. Your beer is fine, relax!

If, after fermentation is complete, you have a cidery flavor, your problem would be that your can of John Bull extract was old. Some people try to blame that flavor on the addition of sugar, but that urban legend was debunked years ago.

By the way, adding sugar instead of DME was probably a good idea in this case. John Bull has a fairly high percentage of non-fermentable sugars. The addition of sugar will give you the gravity you want without increasing the unfermentable sugars. You should get a decent FG this way.

Had you used a brand like United Canadian, you would have been better served by adding DME as United Canadian is highly fermentable.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

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