weird smell

I was going to transfer my pale ale to secondary this morning. When I opened the bucket, I got a strong rotten apple smell. Is this normal at all?

I tasted it, and it didn't taste overly bad, but I couldn't tell if it was good or not. It was at 10 am, so I'm not really used to tasting beer at that hour.

Here's my recipe:

2 lbs Light DME
3.3 hopped light LME
.375 crystal two row
1 oz cascade
11.5 g safele us-05 dry ale yeast
5 tsp yeast nutrient

OG 1.043
FG: 1.011

Fermented @ 66-68 F

Here's a few pics. I'm not sure about the bubbles in the surface on Day 8. Could be normal I don't know. This is only my second batch and I didn't look this early last time.


Day 4


Day 8


Day 8

You're pics look like a completly normal fermentation. As for the smell, if its only been in the fermenter for 8 days, give it 6 or 7 more and see if the smell is still there. Sometimes that first whiff of a fermenter can absolutly reek!
I have never used yeast nutrient with beer, so I may be talking out of my rear end here, but isn't 5 tsp a bit heavy? That may or may not have something to do with the smell. (probably not).

*Edited to add: Quit opening your fermenter on day four! I know you wanna see whats going on, but the yeast know what they are doing, and they do it much better with the lid on, with oxygen and beasties outside the fermenter!

The yeast nutrient said 1 tsp per gallon, so that's where that came from. I asked the guy at LHBS about using it with beer and he said it wouldn't hurt.

I know day 4 is way too early to look, but the bubbles went from 1 per second or two to zilch overnight. So I was a bit worried. And yes I know the bubbles don't mean a whole lot.

Remember, the bubbles on your airlock are not true signs of fermentation.. your hydrometer is. But still give it some time.

Fermentation can be ugly, nasty and disgusting smelling, and never the same way twice...and all that's perfectly normal. Relax!!!

Thanks all. I'll RDWHAHB. (I actually have some home brew now!!)