I am in the army currently in Germany where it is almost impossible to find home brew shops. With that said, I am brewing a simple cider using a one gallon jug of 100% apple juice, one can of 100% apple juice concentrate, and chopped up boiled dates as a nutrient. The yeast I used was regular bread yeast which I read online will work. It almost immediately stared to bubble and now it is churning like crazy. However, it smells like sulfur and I am afraid it will taste like it as well. Is there a way to get rid of this smell without having to buy anything from a brew store because like I said there are none within 2 hours of my duty station? Do I need to add more nutrients? What can I do?
Sulfur Smell
- Thread starter brewbrah
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ColoHox
Compulsive Hand Washer
It's probably fine. Most of my ciders fart out that stink during fermentation. You can't taste it when everything is done, that smell blows off.
How long does it take to go away?
LeBreton
Well-Known Member
Depends, could be a couple of days or it might really stick around as a persistent smell. Luckily it does not effect the taste of cider since it's just dissolved hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S). If it does stick around, de-gassing the cider by gently stirring or racking can help dissipate the smell.
So if I let it finish its primary fermentation, then rack it into a secondary stir (SHAKE) to degas it wil it go away?
HappyCider
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I just successfully mitigated the sulfur smell from my most recent 5 gallon batch by adding another 1 tsp of yeast nutrients. At the most basic level, your yeast is essentially deprived of some basic building blocks it needs, and therefore has to make them itself which causes H2S production.
See the following for a more detailed explanation:
"In the absence of nitrogen, which is a principal component of the protein building blocks, yeast will begin to degrade amino acids in order to make the specific amino acids they need. When sulfur-containing amino acids like cysteine and methionine get degraded, they release sulfur groups that are processed into various sulfur-containing compounds, hydrogen sulfide among them. To prevent this, winemakers often measure YAN (yeast available nitrogen), supplement fermentations with yeast nutrients, choose yeast strains carefully (if inoculated), and aerate the fermenting wine."
http://www.newworldwinemaker.com/articles/view?id=382
The yeast nutrient bought in shops typically use yeast hulls as a base and then add other nutrients.
You can create your own yeast hull base by boiling whatever yeast you have in some water.
I've also seen a lot of people post that they use raisins as a yeast nutrient. Perhaps you could add some chopped up raisins to the boil to get some of the other basic nutrients you need.
No idea what dose of this you would need for your batch, maybe 1/2 tsp yeast and a small handful of raisins?
Hope this helps.
See the following for a more detailed explanation:
"In the absence of nitrogen, which is a principal component of the protein building blocks, yeast will begin to degrade amino acids in order to make the specific amino acids they need. When sulfur-containing amino acids like cysteine and methionine get degraded, they release sulfur groups that are processed into various sulfur-containing compounds, hydrogen sulfide among them. To prevent this, winemakers often measure YAN (yeast available nitrogen), supplement fermentations with yeast nutrients, choose yeast strains carefully (if inoculated), and aerate the fermenting wine."
http://www.newworldwinemaker.com/articles/view?id=382
The yeast nutrient bought in shops typically use yeast hulls as a base and then add other nutrients.
You can create your own yeast hull base by boiling whatever yeast you have in some water.
I've also seen a lot of people post that they use raisins as a yeast nutrient. Perhaps you could add some chopped up raisins to the boil to get some of the other basic nutrients you need.
No idea what dose of this you would need for your batch, maybe 1/2 tsp yeast and a small handful of raisins?
Hope this helps.
ColoHox
Compulsive Hand Washer
It may blow off in primary, or racking could provide enough degassing to get rid of it. This is pretty common with ciders. No reason to shake it up post fermentation, though a gentle swirl could do the trick.
I have dates you think these might work? I can easly boil some yeast to. How long should I boil it?
ColoHox
Compulsive Hand Washer
OP, what did you end up doing? Smell go away?
As of now the smell of sulfur has went away. I boiled a 4th of a cup of water put 2 chopped dates and some yeast in there. I drained out all of the big chuncks and dumped in the liquid. however, now it smells like rotting apples...hmm i woulder if that is a good smell? however, I plan on letting this one sit for a good while.
