Fruity smell from red ale fermentation

[robklein]

I am brewing a red ale at about 72 F. It started fermenting this morning and now I smell bananas when I am inspecting the fermenter. I have read that this is due to the production of esters. Is this going to ruin or change my final product or is there nothing to worry about.

 

[RICLARK]

I am brewing a red ale at about 72 F. It started fermenting this morning and now I smell bananas when I am inspecting the fermenter. I have read that this is due to the production of esters. Is this going to ruin or change my final product or is there nothing to worry about.

I wouldn't read to much into the smell, Id wait until you take a hydro sample and drink it. I dont think you have anything to worry about. I would try to get that temp down about 4 degrees though.

 

[TheFlatline]

I am brewing a red ale at about 72 F. It started fermenting this morning and now I smell bananas when I am inspecting the fermenter. I have read that this is due to the production of esters. Is this going to ruin or change my final product or is there nothing to worry about.

YayI get to say this...

Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew!

If you're less than a day into fermentation don't worry about it. You will get funky smells early on. Keep the tub cool (is the air 72 or your wort at 72 degrees? If the air is 72 you might want to cool it down a little more, as your ale may hit 75 or higher from fermentation, but it's not super-critical to worry about if you're just starting), relax, and if you're just starting like me, don't monitor it every day or multiple times a day to detect errors, do it (if you do) to watch the process.

My first batch I was worried because I smelled green apples on day two. Then I relaxed and the smell went away.

Enjoy the experience. Give it a week or two.

 

[Revvy]

beer fermentation is sometimes ugly and stinky it means nothing....wait til you decide to make a batch of Ed Wort's famed Apfelwein...can anyone say "Rhino Farts?"

In other words relax, your beer will be fine...quit hovering over it like a worried mother with a newborn.... your job is done for awhile, just let the yeasties do theirs...they're experts at it...they've been doing it for several thousands of years.

 

[beargrylls]

i am brewing a red ale and it also smells like bananas. the fermentation temp started at 72-74 but i brought it down to about 66 after a day. Did you leave your wort at 72 and how did your beer turn out??

 

[slarkin712]

beer fermentation is sometimes ugly and stinky it means nothing....wait til you decide to make a batch of Ed Wort's famed Apfelwein...can anyone say "Rhino Farts?"

Total rhino farts. Or like the elephant house at the zoo. I have this fermenting right now. I had it in a closet and my wife opened that closet and thought that something had died in there.