Wyeast 3944 and awful smell in witbier

i just took my first taste after kegging and carbonating a Wit that I brewed using wyeast 3944. Everything I’ve read mentioned an awful smell during fermentation which I did experience. However it seems to have carried into the packaged beer and it’s completely terrible. I fermented in the mid to high 60s in a temp controlled fridge and let it finish near 70-72. Anyone else experience this with the same yeast and can help explain where I went wrong?

 

How long did you let the beer in the fermenter before kegging and carbonating? Some ale yeast strains with develop sulphur during fermentation, but with enough time, it will disappear. I had a few give the same aromas, but never ended in the final product.

Could be your beer was not properly ready. Some yeasts needs to clean after themselves.

But it should dissipate after a while.

 

It was in for two weeks. This thing fermented like crazy. Within a day of pitching the yeast it was blowing out of the blow off tube. I made a starter using the pitch rate calculators. It fermented down to 1.005 within a couple days so it had over a week of conditioning.

 

That yeast does stink really bad. Fortunately it will age out in 3-4 weeks. Patience is all you need.

 

I typically let wits sit in primary for about a month, specifically to let the sulfur smells dissipate. If it's in the keg, you can blow the pressure off and repressurize a few times to try and drive the sulfurous odor out.

 

You think it will age out even in the keg? I though about purging the co2 a couple times a day. Not sure if that actually does anything but maybe.

 

I don't think purging helps much. However keeping it fairly warm at room temperature (not cold) will help for sure. If it's in a fridge, pull it out.

 

One last question for you Dave, I guess you've had similar experience with this? I noticed the smell during fermentation and read that it was typical. I can pull it out and let it sit at room temperature for a bit. Would you recommend leaving it under pressure so it doesn't lose the carbonation?

 

I have used this yeast on a Hoegaarden clone ones and it was ready from brew day to glass in 3 weeks. 2 weeks primary, carbed in 2 more days and tried one at week 3, very delicious.

Another thing I have experienced with The forbidden fruits strain is. It gives loads of nasties during fermenting, which will always age out totally. I did however once overpitche this yeast quite a bit (starter was intended for heavier OG) and all of the sudden all the nasty smells during fermentation were gone. No rotten eggs sulfur nastynes at all.

I think your beer just needs more time and it will be just fine.

 

Yes, it's happened to me with this yeast. I prefer the White Labs equivalent in this regard.

I would depressurize, and vent off pressure periodically, then recarbonate later.