holy sulfur bomb batman! (wheat yeast ferment)

I'm fermenting a stout with Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen 2 days in and the smells coming off of the airlock are SULFUR...like rotten eggs. it also has the thinnest krausen I have ever had in a fermenting beer (about 1 inch). This is a split 10 gallon batch and the other half is fermenting with a belgian abbey yeast and is nearly blowing off in a 6 1/2 gallon carboy!) I am fermenting about 65 so perhaps it is a little too low for this yeast. Wyeast suggests fermenting 68-72.

searching for similar threads it seems that lots of wheat yeasts can pump off sulfur and most suggest RDWHAH, but WOW...i've never smelled anything like this during active ferment. I'm thinking I'll raise the temp a few degrees and hope the yeast cleans up after its done fermenting (or the sufur off-gasses)

 

The weizen yeast like it a little higher, I would try warming it up a bit. If the yeast doesn't fare well at lower temps, that could be part of the problem, and its stressing the yeast a little.

 

True Story

Wife: Honey, I need your help when you get home. I think the cat took a $#!^ somewhere.
Me: Oh. Stupid cat.
<Me walks in door>
Me: Mmm, beer. A bit sulfury.
Wife: Do you smell that?
Me: Yeah -- aren't wheat beers awesome!
Wife: [email protected]%(*@&!#[email protected]#


Anyway -- I fermented a wheat with 3638 @ 62F and it stunk like mad for a few days. It took quite a while to offgas -- but I got a 40pt beer out of it.

 

I felt kinda bad when I fermented a wheat with this yeast in our bathroom closet. Everybody coming out of the bathroom had a funny look, but was too polite to accuse somebody else of being the source.

 

I fermented a witbier a bit low last week. I needed to have the plumber come take a look at my bathtub drain a few days after pitching. The guy was sniffing around trying to trace the smell the minute he came into the house.

I showed him the beer. I got the beer out of the cooler to let it clean up and the smell is now gone.

 

Check for infection. Check water for excessive sulfates. Check yeast health. Check for yeast autolysis (beer left on yeast too long at warm temperatures).

 

UPDATE:

took gravity readings from both carboys (one with Westmalle yeast, one with the sulphury weizen yeast). the belgian yeast that was super active is at 1.018 and the weizen yeast that looked like it wasn't doing anything is at 1.013! weird! still tastes/smells sulphury and sort of sour.

 

how did it end up for you. I got a 1.053 hef going right now, and its huuuuggee sulfur, im just hoping if yours went away mine will to

 

Let it warm up near the end and it should help clean it up. Sulfur comes from yeast stresses like temperature swings, low temperatures, inadequate aeration/yeast health, and underpitching exacerbates those problems. If you warm it up near the end it should clean up a lot of it, but beyond that, time is your only friend. I had a saison that was a sulfur bomb after about a month in primary and 2 weeks in secondary, but 6 months later it's just a hint of sulfur that apparently only I can notice because all my friends tell me it tastes and smells delicious.

 

My last two wheats (using Wyeast 1010) both smelled like rotten eggs. The one before that did not. In hindsight, I think the ambient ferm temperature was too high on the sulphur bombs. Neither beer came out all that great but were drinkable.

 

So I just bottled my "sulfur bomb" on Wednesday night. Smelled/tasted okay. still a hint of sulfur, but NOTHING like when it was actively fermenting. We'll see in a couple of weeks when it is done carbing/conditioning. I'll post another update when I start cracking bottles.

 

I just brewed a Blue Moon clone and I am too getting a slight sulfer smell at day 3 of fermentation. Interested how this turns out for you.

 

How'd this turn out? I have a 3068 that put off more sulfur than any beer I've ever had. I'm thinking it has to be the lower temp, since I've brewed this many many times at 65-68 and now have it at about 62.

 

well, I guess I'm not looking forward to the next week or so in my house after I brew my hefeweizen tonight, and leave it fermenting at 64.

 

Yeah it was pretty bad there for about a day or two. What's worse is that in the winter I bring my fermentations inside (temp controlled firms in the summer in the garage) and I had this beer in the closet with all my wife's coats, all 78493564956 of them. She was pissed.

 

UPDATE: So, this beer turned out great. There is still a slight tinge of sulphur in the finished product, but I seem to be the only one who notices. I think it ads a slight tart/sour taste that is vaguely reminiscent of Guinness. Nice hop flavor and roasted grain coming through.

Interesting enough, this was a split batch that I fermented the other half with a Belgian yeast. I don't like that one nearly as much. kind of a dull flavor without the nice hop aroma or roasted grain flavor. maybe just too much going on and all of the aromas/flavors are muddled.

I will DEFINITELY repeat this batch using the same wheat yeast to ferment a stout.

 

That must mean its a general symptom of yeast stress, because my ferm temp was well below the recommended range. Lesson learned.

 

handy thread to have found. huzzah for the interwebs. have a wheat in the chamber right now that smells very much of hard boiled eggs. wasn't worried about it, but wanted to know just why i was getting this smell (first time it's happened). my fridge is acting a bit wonky and it's ended up fermenting around 62 degrees, cooler than i would have liked. i'll end up filling in details in a few weeks with an update for future egg-smelling brews.