uber stinky

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ApolloSpeed

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I made a new batch of Wit style mini-mash beer...... here's what I did.

1.00 lb Wheat Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 11.76 %
1.00 lb Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 11.76 %
1.00 lb Wheat, Torrified (1.7 SRM) Grain 11.76 %
0.50 lb Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 5.88 %
0.50 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.88 %
0.50 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.88 %
1.00 oz Williamette [5.50 %] (60 min) Hops 17.9 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.90 %] (15 min) Hops 4.8 IBU
0.20 oz Coriander Seed (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
0.20 oz Orange Peel, Sweet (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
4.00 lb Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 47.06 %
1 Pkgs Belgian Wit Ale (White Labs #WLP400) Yeast-Wheat

OG=1050


Now here's the deal....it's currently at 2 days in the fermenter, and it stinks soooo bad! Just from the airlock it is stinking up the whole room. Kinda a sour sulfur smell.
I took a reading at its at 1030 right now and still bubbling....I took a taste, and I really can't tell much other than it is still pretty sweet and VERY stinky!

Infection maybe?

here's some pics....

beer111208001.jpg


beer111208002.jpg
 
leave it closed and let it run its course. all thats gonna happen by you opppening it is its gonna get infected if it isnt already. You will know when its done and tastes like **** if it is or not
 
i only opened it once to get the picture.

Just curious if it is supposed to be this stinky? I've used the WLP400 3 times before and never had a stinky smell.....usually it smells wonderful during fermentation.
 
I brewed a similar Belgian Wit yesterday. Here's my recipe:

6 lbs 2 row pale malt
3 lbs American wheat malt
.5 lbs carapils
Mash in at 130 deg F ( a bit high for a protein rest but **** happens!)rest for 30 min
Raise to 154 deg F - rest for 45 min
Sparge with 190 deg water and collected 6 gallons
.5 oz Cascade 60 min
.5 oz Cascade 5 min
2 tbls.(.3 oz) milled coriander seed (used small coffee grinder) 5 min in boil
2 tbls. orange zest ( 2 fresh large naval oranges) 5 min boil
1 tsp. irish moss - 15 min.
1/4 tsp. yeast nutrient - 15 min.
Chilled to 80 deg. F and pitched Wyeast 3944 - activated 36 hrs prior
OG 1.044 - visible fermentation in 12 hours @ 68 deg. F

And it doesn't look anything like what's in that bucket. Here you go...
 
CIMG3657.JPG


This is her 24 hours from pitching. It turned out a bit darker than I expected. I was shooting for a SRM < 5 and it was looking good during the sparge. Something made it darker during the boil. But it doesn't smell or taste foul or sour.
 
But it doesn't smell or taste foul or sour.

Mine does... like a strong sour or sulfur smell. Literally stinks up the whole room from just the airlock!!!!

And I used WLP400..... you used Wyeast 3944. I bet the 3944 is pretty nice with the added fruit taste it's supposed to give off.
 
in my experience all yeasts emit one stink or another, and each has its own unique bouquet. fermenting smell isn't a good indicator of anything in the finished beer, and your picture looks pretty normal to me.

it's only at two days in the fermenter. i'd let it sit at least three weeks and then bottle, keg, or transfer to secondary if you want.
 
i only opened it once to get the picture.

Just curious if it is supposed to be this stinky? I've used the WLP400 3 times before and never had a stinky smell.....usually it smells wonderful during fermentation.

Is that recipe correct? 3 pounds of malt, one pound of DME and 4 pounds of sugar? 50% of your fermentables from sugar?

If the recipe is correct, you've got pilsner malt which might be producing DMS and very little in the way of malt. That could be why it stinks so bad, but I don't know.
 
I used alot of sugar because I ran out of malt..... hopefully it will still taste ok.

So you think the sugar is what's making it stink so bad?
 
So you think the sugar is what's making it stink so bad?

It may not be the final results you were looking for? Too much sugar tends to leave some cidery flavors and a thin body. 1 - 2 lbs of corn sugar is ok as long as its less than 15% of the total weight of the fermentables.

The smell maybe something else. Some smells will dissipate with time. Good luck.
 
the smell is finally starting a go away trend..... it's at day 6 now, and about done bubbling. When smelling the airlock, the stinkiness is not nearly as apparent and is starting to acquire a nice spicy smell.

Hopefully, it will continue to clean up and get a lot better.
 
I made a new batch last night.....

2.00 lb Wheat Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 23.53 %
3.50 lb Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 41.18 %
1.50 lb Wheat, Torrified (1.7 SRM) Grain 17.65 %
0.50 lb White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 5.88 %
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (45 min) Hops 8.5 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (5 min) Hops 1.8 IBU
0.10 oz Coriander Seed (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
0.10 oz Orange Peel, Sweet (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
0.50 tsp Yeast Nutrient Misc
1.00 lb Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 11.76 %
1 Pkgs SafBrew #T-58

OG=1043


Well, this today it is stinky too! Not as bad as the other batch....but still pretty bad.

I might dry hop my other beer before I bottle it.....just to make sure the stink is gone. Good idea?
 
I've noticed that wheat beer yeasts tend to be big sulphur producers. The smell has never made it through to the finished product so I would not worry about it.
 
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