How much smell

Hi I am about to do my first batch form a pils tin kit. I plan to let it sit in a hallway in between rooms in my apartment ( with no window). I know whrn I initially mix it up there will be a lot of fumes but will it stink as it ferments as my other option is to put it in an outside shed ? My girlfriend hates the smell of our local brewery. Not sure if the shed will be warm enough as it would be 50f or there abouts. as it is in ireland...anything i can do or advice is welcome and appreciated.

rebelred said:

Hi I am about to do my first batch form a pils tin kit. I plan to let it sit in a hallway in between rooms in my apartment ( with no window). I know whrn I initially mix it up there will be a lot of fumes but will it stink as it ferments as my other option is to put it in an outside shed ? My girlfriend hates the smell of our local brewery. Not sure if the shed will be warm enough as it would be 50f or there abouts. as it is in ireland...anything i can do or advice is welcome and appreciated.

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50f is warm enough for a lager, but not an ale.

After the initial brewing, there shouldn't be much of a smell unless you have an overzealous fermentation and a lot of blow off. Do you have a utility closet where you can store it? Otherwise, consider putting it in a cabinet under a sink or anywhere else where she's not likely to be sticking her head on a daily basis. There will be fumes released continuously in the process.

Your other option is to get a new girlfriend. Sure, it's a bit of time, money and effort, but in the end you get a new girlfriend.

Cheesefood said:

Your other option is to get a new girlfriend. Sure, it's a bit of time, money and effort, but in the end you get a new girlfriend.

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Yea but then you got to train her up all over again. Who wants to do that?

think I will stick her under the sink....the beer i mean if it will fit...looks like the garden shed is most likely...should be around the 50f mark there most times//

JimmyBeam said:

Yea but then you got to train her up all over again. Who wants to do that?

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You could train her to help you brew beer!

rebelred said:

Hi I am about to do my first batch form a pils tin kit. I plan to let it sit in a hallway in between rooms in my apartment ( with no window). I know whrn I initially mix it up there will be a lot of fumes but will it stink as it ferments as my other option is to put it in an outside shed ? My girlfriend hates the smell of our local brewery. Not sure if the shed will be warm enough as it would be 50f or there abouts. as it is in ireland...anything i can do or advice is welcome and appreciated.

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I don't know about "tinned" kits, but my extract/partial mash brews smell like a bakery untill I add the hops.
Once in the fermenter, at 65 - 68F, hardly any smell at all.
The brews with an .oz or two of hops smell great out of the airlock!!

The worst smell from a brewery, IMO, is when they move the spent grain for disposal. Same smell as outside of a grain prossesing plant.


If you are really worried, send her to the mall for a day, to be back before dinner.
Just before she gets home, fry up some liver and onions for some neighbors dog.
When she gets back, take her to dinner and explain about the poor hungry pooch.
She will welcome the beer smell!!

Brew day will be the stinkiest for about 24 hours. If you have spent grains, put them outside immediatly and don't leave them in a garbage can. This generates more smell than the brewing itself. My gf says it smells like dogfood, but then again, she doesn't like beer. Myself, I would buy candles that smell like brew day, if they existed.
That shed is too cold for an ale yeast to ferment. You are better off keeping the gf in the shed for a few days untill the fermentation subsides.
Jokes aside, you should be alright in the hallway. Maybe set up a small fan just to waft the odors if they are too bad.