Kolsch Sample - Real Skunky Normal?

[gavball6]

Hey all,
I will be patient with this, but am curious if this is normal for the early stages of a Kolsch... Took a gravity reading last night of my first Kolsch and the sample tasted really skunky. It has only been in a Sam's Club 4 gallon water jug for a week and a half, so it probably will be much different in a month.

No direct sunlight on this and it has been fermenting around 60° in my basement.

So, is the Kolsch yeast kinda skunky from the start?

Here is the recipe:

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 4.14 gal
Post Boil Volume: 3.64 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 3.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 3.10 gal
Estimated OG: 1.044 SG
Estimated Color: 4.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 22.9 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 0.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 11.0 %
12.0 oz Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 2 16.5 %
3 lbs 4.8 oz Pilsner Liquid Extract (3.5 SRM) Extract 3 72.5 %
0.70 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 20.4 IBUs
0.15 oz Saaz [4.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 5 1.8 IBUs
0.15 oz Saaz [4.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 6 0.7 IBUs
0.7 pkg Kolsch Yeast (Wyeast Labs #2565) [124.21 Yeast 7 -

 

[troub]

Well, the obvious thing is that I'm not familiar with that water jug you're fermenting in, what kind of plastic it is, etc. However, I will say that I just brewed an amber ale with a Kolsch yeast and when I tasted the gravity sample it was a little unpleasant. After the yeast fell out some more it tastes fine.

 

[gavball6]

It is a PET #1 bottle (like the Better Bottles)...

 

[microbusbrewery]

Hmmm, the only time I've ever experienced skunking has been from beer being lightstruck. Based on my experience it's pretty common to get some sulfur smells but it usually cleans itself up after a couple weeks. This is a stretch, but are you maybe confusing sulfur for skunking? If it's definitely skunking, it's my understanding that incandescent lights don't usually skunk beer, but fluorescent lights can given a long enough exposure. Any of those in your basement and were they left on?

 

[helibrewer]

You might be getting some H2S from that yeast in the cool range, much like a lager yeast. It will dissipate and clean-up. That yeast is a low flocculant yeast and will tend to stay in suspension so give it some extra settling time if you don't plan to filter it.

EDIT: I use to be stationed at Willow Grove

 

[gavball6]

Thanks for your replies... It's definitely early so we'll see how it evolves.

Helibrewer... That station is completely shut down now. Pretty deserted and a little weird over there now. Cali sounds better to me!

 

[TTB-J]

Oh yeah, Kolsch yeast throws off some mean sulfur smells during fermentation, but it will definitely subside over time.

 

[gavball6]

Just an update for those who may have the same experience and find this thread on search...

It has been almost a month and I just tried this sample again... It is MUCH less skunky. Very subtle skunkiness still there, but I think it just need some more time to settle. I decided to get it off the yeast and racked it to a secondary. I will let it condition for another 2 weeks or so and then bottle me thinks!