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Unpleasant smell coming from airlock...

Discussion in 'Beginners Beer Brewing Forum' started by chungking, Nov 11, 2012.

 

  1. #1
    chungking

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Nov 11, 2012
    My noble Trappist kit from Midwest has been fermenting for about 36 hours. Used safbrew t-58 dry yeast.

    Started out smelling really good. Nice hoppy wiffs coming from airlock. But today they smell weird, and a little nasty. I guess if I could sum it up, almost sour/spoiled smelling.

    I know it's way to early, but could it be a possible infection? All my other brews smelled good compared to this one...and yes I'm a sniffer!
     
  2. #2
    Kaz

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Nov 11, 2012
    Wouldn't worry about it, all yeasts are different. Gives it a few weeks and have a taste, then you'll know.
     
  3. #3
    frtrey

    Member

    Posted Nov 11, 2012
    I had the same issue - I think, from what I've read in the ruined beer sticky, that this is common and doesn't indicate a bad batch. At least that is what I'm telling myself. I'll know in about a month.
     
  4. #4
    unionrdr

    Homebrewer, author & air gun shooter  

    Posted Nov 11, 2012
    Trappist ales do have a bit of sour funk to them naturally. The Chimay & Thirsty Dog Cerberus do. Let it do it's thing & see how it goes.
     
  5. #5
    buttcord

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Nov 11, 2012
    I strongly disagree with this. Trappist ales in general should most definitely NOT be sour or funky, with the exception of perhaps an aged Orval (which is inoculated with Brettanomyces). With that said I wouldn't worry about your beer. It is way too young to be worried about weird smells coming out of the fermentor!
     
  6. #6
    unionrdr

    Homebrewer, author & air gun shooter  

    Posted Nov 11, 2012
    I still have the empty bottles. They def have a little bit of that sour quality to them. It was easy to taste for me anyway. They def are not like regular ales. They do have some of that quality,but not a lot. So when I mentioned it,I didn't mean sour apple bomb candies or something.
     
  7. #7
    chungking

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Nov 11, 2012
    I figured if anything, it should be a rich malty smell. It had 7 lbs of lme and 1 lbs of candi sugar. It might be the candi sugar, never used that before. Not sure why it would make it smell bad though...
     
  8. #8
    shoreman

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Nov 11, 2012
    Some yeasts throw off sulfer and gross biproducts - there's a few Belgian yeasts that I use that do I wouldn't worry about it
     
  9. #9
    buttcord

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Nov 11, 2012
    Yes, it is not surprising that old, empty bottles smell a little sour.
     
  10. #10
    unionrdr

    Homebrewer, author & air gun shooter  

    Posted Nov 11, 2012
    Aaah,here we go...I meant that I actually drank the beers I mentioned. not just talking outta the air. Those bottles get rinsed & all anyway. I noticed that Belfians so far seem to have a little of that sort of quality to them. Besides the funky stuff some yeasts throw off as they get to work. Euro ones throw sulfer smells like old dino farts.:drunk:
     
  11. #11
    Pappers_

    Moderator Staff Member  

    Posted Nov 12, 2012
    I don't smell or taste sour in Chimay, either.
     
  12. #12
    Pappers_

    Moderator Staff Member  

    Posted Nov 12, 2012
    Way too early to be worried. And if it is infected, there is nothing to be done about it now. Let it finish and give it time. Hope it turns out great!
     
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