fermenting...

So i am completely new to brewing. Before I got out and buy a little kit i had a quick little question. I heard making beer, or the fermenting part of making beer smells bad. Is it possible to let it ferment outdoors? In a little shelter or something?

IMHO you heard wrong.

Brewing beer indoors will smell up the house. Not to say stink up the house.

But I have noticed very little fermentation odor in the couple of batches I've made.

Vigorous fermentation only goes on for a few days and when the smell is noticeable, it's not disagreeable.

And even if it were, it would be worth it because the finished product is so good and the process is so much fun.

but is it possible to do it outdoors?

The problem with doing it outdoors is that you don't want big fluctuations in temperature. Not sure where you are at, but you'll likely develop odd flavors if you've got huge temp swings.

The bad smell from fermenation could be due to the yeast; what yeast did you use? Some are known for being more sulphery than others.

i haven't made any yet, but I want to give it a shot. But I head it can smell.
If I had like an insulated shed or somthing outside, do you think that would work?

It would work outside if you had temperature control- heating and a/c to keep the temperature steady- at around 68 degrees day and night. I've never known anyone to ferment it outside, but it would be possible that way.

By the way, it doesn't smell while fermenting. You use an airlock and while the co2 comes out, it bubbles. But I haven't noticed any odors with beer.

If you have a place outside that has temperature control to the degree you need for fermentation then you should probably call it inside.

I have mine in a small bathroom with the door closed. There is a distinctive smell in there, but does not smell bad at all.

Bad fermentation odors typically come from the yeast strain you are using.

The worst smelling I've done so far was my pLambic. It was a Belgain Abby yeast. It was only noticable when I closed the door to the room it was fermenting in because I had a blow-off hose attached. When I put the airlock back on and opened the door, it wasn't detectable at all.

I've had the bretts on my pLambic for a month now and I have yet to smell the infamous "sweaty horses".

I have never noticed any odor good or bad during fermenting. The actual brewing process makes your house steam up, but I think it is a good smell. Even if you don't like the smell though it goes away a few hours after you are done so it isn't too much to be concerned about.

I have never noticed any smells during fermentation, brew day itself is a whole other matter.

In the two batches Ive done, there hasnt been a really strong smell at all... but if i got close enough to the airlock there was a slight smell of awesomeness coming out...

The "smell" occurs when boiling the wort. After my first batch my wife thought the house smelled like "downtown St Louis" (Anheiser-Busch). To avoid this you can use a propane burner outside. The ferment makes little or no odor.

just did my first batch last weekend, during fermentation I couldnt smell a thing. During brew day it smelled a little but not as bad as I thought it was going to be. My wife didnt even mind it!

krazee said:

So i am completely new to brewing. Before I got out and buy a little kit i had a quick little question. I heard making beer, or the fermenting part of making beer smells bad. Is it possible to let it ferment outdoors? In a little shelter or something?

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If you think the smell of brewing beer smells bad than I think this hobby isn't for you.

This advise comes from a guy (me) that sneaks down to take a hit from the airlock every now and then, LOL.

boo boo said:

This advise comes from a guy (me) that sneaks down to take a hit from the airlock every now and then, LOL.

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HAHA! i do that too... was hoping i wasnt the only one...

<3 that smell

What little smell I ever do get from fermenting isn't ever bad, smells like beer or hops, and you have to go take a wiff from the airlock.

I REALLY like the smell of a secondary that is dry hopping.

I Ferment in the cupboard under the stairs, about mid way thru the ferment it gets a bit sulphery in there and the missus ain't that keen but it's certainley not that bad a smell that she'd stop me brewing.

As other people have said it's a nice smell as sulphers go, and it does dissappear once the rigours of fermentation are up.