Brew smells very sulfury after 2 weeks primary

[Remos112]

Hello everybody I have a belgian blone brew in the fermenter wich I underpitched a bit with Wyeast Ardennes, but since this is an extremely aggressive stain I figured all should be fine.
OG was 1.064 and it fermented like crazy for 2 days and then it was done or slowed down severely. I took a hydro sample and it read 1.014, a tad higher then I was aiming for, but not too bad either. The brew however smelled very sulfuric. I figured it's only been 1 week, time willl likely heal it. Took another sample today and as I was planning to dry hop I unscrewed the lid. FG was 1.014 so no change there, the smell was still horrible definitely something I wouldn't drink. I figured the yeast might have crapped out and aren't able to clean up after themselfs. I had a jar of Het Anker yeast (Gouden Carolus) laying around and decided to pitch that in the hopes of slightly lower FG and most off all a clean smelling beer. This yeast is a very high attenuator alot like Wyeast French Saison so I have fairly good hopes.

What are your opinions, did the yeast quit due to underpitch? Did it finish right where it should and is the sulfur coming from something different? Could it be infected? (it looked totally normal in the fermenter) And was the idea of pitching another yeast a good idea, or should I have done something different?

All thoughts comments and suggestions are welcome here.
Thanks in advance.
Remi

 

[Remos112]

Btw if this topic is better suited in Yeast and fermentartion can a moderator move it there?

 

[jmcquesten]

No experience with that yeast, but I vaguely remember reading or hearing about a way to scrub sulfur using co2. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[Remos112]

Cheers !

 

[chickypad]

Not knowing your other details like mash temp, etc. I'd say that's not out of the realm of normal for 3522. IME it's a little less attenuative then some of the other Belgian strains like 3787 for example, and maybe a little more finicky, and it frequently gives sulfur. I've never had the sulfur transfer over to the final beer though, I suspect you may get rid of that just by packaging.

Edit: how was the temp, did it drop off at the end?

 

[Remos112]

The mash was single infusion
60 minutes at 65c/149F and a 10 minute mash out at 77C/170F

The fermentation temp was 20C/68F the first 2 days and after that I raised it 1 degree per day to 23C/73F wich is a stable temperature atm.

I have brewed this beer about 5 times, and it was always a great beer. I never ever experienced any sulfur with this strain either.

 

[Remos112]

Full recipe:
Fermentables:
Pilsener malt 5268 grams
Carapils 236 grams
Sauermalt 118 grams
table sugar 453 grams
Hops:
Styrian Goldings 28grams
Saaz 28grams
Amarillo 50 grams
Yeast:
Wyeast 3522 Belgian Ardennes (Chouffe)
Misc:
Coriander seeds: 17grams
Bitter orange peel (curacao)18grams
1 tablet Whitelabs Syrvymoces
1 tsp Irish Moss soaked in water

Mashing schedule:
30 min 63c
60 min 65c
10 min 75c

Boiling schedule:
Total boil 90min
28 gr. Styrian Golding 60min
14 gr. Saaz 30 min
17gr. coriander 15min
18 gr. curacoa schil 15min
453gr. tablesugar 15 min
1 tablet: Syrvymoces 15min
1 tsl Soaked Irish Moss 15min
14gr Saaz 15 min
8 gr Saaz 5 min
dryhop with 50gr amarillo the last 10 days

 

[SirSpectre]

Let it age out. Ardennes is one of my favorite yeasts. It'll clean up in another 2 weeks.

 

[FVillatoro]

I haven't used this yeast, but I have gotten strong sulfur before with WLP029 and raising the temp to the 70s to release co2 helped.
Currently I just used Wyeast 1028 and it's got sulfur - which didn't happen in the past - but I now use a stainless chiller so no more copper to help remove sulfur.

After 2 weeks in the keg it's going away, and I poured a sample and let it sit for a few mins and all the sulfur goes away.

Basically give it some and it'll be okay.

 

[leonardoreges]

Sulphuric components are usually results from fermentation, but as it is very volatile, it tends to be taken out by the co2 that leaves the fermenter.
In fermentations that has a very low airlock (or blowoff or whatever) activity, or that are too vigorous for one day than finishes blowing off, there are not enough or time or co2 to move away these volatile sulphuric components.
Repitch is not gonna better it.
The way to do it is scrubbing it out with co2 coming into fermenter through a spigot or somehow from the bottom and leaving it through airlock.
Usually after one or two days it fades away.

 

[parrothead64]

I had a Lager that I kegged that had a strong sulfer smell. After about 10 days on CO2 it was still there. I took it out of the fridge and let it warm up overnight. Pulled the prv and let the all of the C02 out. Chilled down and hooked up to c02. Sulfer was gone. I’m not sure how you would do it if you bottle. If you added a small amount of priming sugar to the fermenter and let it go for 10 days or so, it might create enough co2 to carry it away, but I never tried that. Sulfer in a Belgian yeast is usually from stress. You said you undepitched but didn’t say how much. Some people do that to get more Belgian character. A smack pack into a 5 gallon batch might be low because of your OG. I would make at least a one liter starter next time.

 

[Remos112]

Took a sample today, and it smelled fruity en fresh (might have something to do with the 50Gr Amarillo I addes as well) No hint of sulfur what so ever. Kinda baffled. the hydro sample has a slightly lower fg too, it read 1.013 now, so I think it could have been a stuck fermentation after all. The plan is to let it sit for 2 more weeks, sample, prime and bottle.
Thanks for all the comments everybody!

 

[Smellyglove]

From what I've heard this yeast is a sulfur-bomb. Just let it sit.

 

[Remos112]

From what I've heard this yeast is a sulfur-bomb. Just let it sit.

Never experienced this myself, then again I never underpitched it either. Usually I make a generous starter, but this time I was running low on DME and decided to chance it.

 

[ba-brewer]

It has been about a year since I brewed with Ardennes yeast last, but had used it quite a few time before and never got sulfur. Plenty of clove and thick creamy yeast filling the airlock. Even with a heavy clove aroma in the fermentor it was more restrained in the finished beer.

I have seen people saying it is slow to finish too, but I have not noticed that either.

 

[Remos112]

Update, the beer was in primary for 5 weeks and it ended up at 1.005 (this must be due the Anker Yeast) No hint at sulfur whatsoever. I primed it and sampled one yesterday after 7 days in the bottle, it was fully carbed and tasted quite delicious, a bit more bitter than I am used to, but as it finished at 1.005 that kinda makes sense.