Belgian Wit Sulfer

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

doggage

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2008
Messages
462
Reaction score
6
Location
Fayetteville
I brewed an all-grain Belgian Wit a couple weeks ago and used Wyeast 3944 Belgian Wit yeast. Just kegged it and it tastes horribly sulfuric and very watery--completely undrinkable. Any advice on avoiding this in the future? I haven't done many all-grain brews, and have had horrible luck compared to extract so far. Thinking about selling my mash tun and going back to extract.
 
Can you elaborate on your temps and procedure? Maybe we can help you fix things for the future. I can assure you you'll love all-grain when you get the process down.
 
Thank you. I’ve made some great beers with extract using full boils, so it’s tough to make the switch to all grain with these inconsistent results.

I’m not sure how much or what info you need, so I’ll summarize the whole process. I’m sure I’m leaving out some details.

My MLT is a 10-gallon Rubbermaid cooler that I use a copper manifold with. I heated the water in my MLT with a heat stick to 133, per the Promash report that I got with the kit. After doughing in, I hit 123, put the lid on, and let it sit for 20 minutes for the protein rest. Added 210 F water, mixed it again, covered, and let it rest for 30 for the saccharification rest. Then I vorlaufed through my pump to the top of the tun until I got clear runnings, and pumped the runnings to my keggle. I turned the flame on that immediately and measured the amount of wort I still needed for my pre-boil volume. I pumped that amount of 210 F water in through my valve on the bottom of the tun, stirred it up again, let it sit for 5 minutes, and pumped the runnings into my keggle.

After that I did my boil. I waited until I saw the hot break and started my hop additions. I used a 5-gallon paint strainer bag for all the additions (hops, coriander, etc). During the last 15 minutes of the boil I re-circulated through my CFC to sterilize it. I also whirlpooled while doing this, and I had put a copper scrubby on the end of my copper pickup tube in my keg. This was a 5-gallon batch, and I cooled it down very quickly to pitching temp (75). I had rehydrated the dry yeast that I used in a flask with a little water and I pitched it in my carboy after the wort.

It bubbled away great through a blow-off tube and after a week or so I sterilized an airlock and put that on. I didn't leave it for too long, only a couple weeks. But as soon as I took off the stopper to rack to my keg, I smelled a strong sulfur smell. The only thing I could think of was an infection, but I cleaned everything and used Starsan on everything.
 
Sulfur smell is not uncommon in fermenting Wits as it is a by product of the yeasts, Let it age out before calling it bad. My Wits usually stink after fermenting but age very clean.
 
Sulfur smell is not uncommon in fermenting Wits as it is a by product of the yeasts, Let it age out before calling it bad. My Wits usually stink after fermenting but age very clean.

+1....whether kegging or bottling, green beer is still green beer...if you brewed it "a couple weeks ago" then you are waaaay to early in tasting it and worrying about it.
 
+1....whether kegging or bottling, green beer is still green beer...if you brewed it "a couple weeks ago" then you are waaaay to early in tasting it and worrying about it.

It's always been my understanding that drinking Wits while they're still young and fresh is the best way to go about it. I usually keg my wit after two weeks in primary and drink it about 3-5 days later. I've never noticed a bad sulfer smell after fermentation was complete though. While fermenting, yes.
 
It's always been my understanding that drinking Wits while they're still young and fresh is the best way to go about it. I usually keg my wit after two weeks in primary and drink it about 3-5 days later. I've never noticed a bad sulfer smell after fermentation was complete though. While fermenting, yes.
That will depend on the yeast you use. Sulfur smell nearly always will age out. As far as when to drink a wit, that is like everything else in Home Brewing, personal preference and taste. Wheat beers are ready to drink sooner but that doesn't always mean they are better that way. My wits spend a week in a primary, 2 in a secondary then slowly carbonate over a 10 day period.
 
The last brew I made thats ready was a wit. It was very sulfury during fermentation. Once bottled for 2 weeks I tried a couple and they were for very boring and very very watery tasting. Not enjoyable at all. I gave it another 2-3 weeks in the bottle and now its amazing! The watery mouthfeel is gone.
 
Oh man, you don't know how happy this makes me. :ban: I was so frustrated after having followed everyone's directions, videos, advice to a T.

How long and at what temperature should I age this in the keg? Is room temp good or would I do better to crash cool, etc? (I'm thread-jacking my own thread here.)
 
Oh man, you don't know how happy this makes me. :ban: I was so frustrated after having followed everyone's directions, videos, advice to a T.

How long and at what temperature should I age this in the keg? Is room temp good or would I do better to crash cool, etc? (I'm thread-jacking my own thread here.)

Honestly I would bring it back up to 70 degrees for a couple weeks...you want to get the yeasties up and swimming around, and cleaning up the byproducts of fermentation, like the afore mentioned sulfur....
 
Okay, I cracked the relief valve on the keg and am going to let it sit in my basement for a couple weeks.
 
Agreed: The wit beers I've done with WLP410 are very sulfury if drunk too green. A couple of weeks of aging make all the difference.
 
Honestly I would bring it back up to 70 degrees for a couple weeks...you want to get the yeasties up and swimming around, and cleaning up the byproducts of fermentation, like the afore mentioned sulfur....

I just had a similar experience with a Belgian Blonde extract. Was really sulfery smelling while fermenting. I left it in primary for 18 days. Tasted ok when I racked to keg, and some good belgiumy esters, but still tasted kind of green. But no sulfer taste. I know that there is a direct correlation between temperature and yeast cleaning up, but can you age ales kegged, carbed and under refrigeration? I know that it would take, well,....longer. Is there any benefit to cold conditioning, or is it simply a matter of time. I have problems keeping cornies sealed when not under pressure and I store all full ones in the keezer....sort of like bright tanks or secondaries.
 
This one still tastes very sulfury and watery after all this time aging at room temperature in the keg. I'm bummed, but I haven't given up yet.
 
This one still tastes very sulfury and watery after all this time aging at room temperature in the keg. I'm bummed, but I haven't given up yet.

All I know is mine is tasting different every day. I think it's getting better. I just hope it taste right when I'm ready to drink it. I think it takes some time for everything to come together. This is a pretty complex beer, as most Belgians are. I only had the sulfery smell at the beginning of fermentation. It's gone now. Been in the keg now for 2 weeks. I'm letting this one sit for awhile.
 
Back
Top