Decreasing Fermentation Smell indoors

[crusader1612]

Hi HBT!

girlfriend has been complaining about the fermentation smell, I'm doing an alternative of edworts Apfelwein, so its pretty smelly (i like the smell) but its in a spare room with no ventilation because its winter! SO COLD!!

I'm thinking on my next brew, about putting a baking soda solution into the airlock to help remove the odor as it come through?

Will this work?? in the meantime, before i get a chamber built, which will help disguise the smell while fermenting and i can ventilate when i check it etc.

has anyone done anything like this?? and what are peoples thoughts??

 

[ChandlerBang]

Brew more often, she'll get used to it.

 

[bad67z]

Hi HBT!

girlfriend has been complaining about the fermentation smell, I'm doing an alternative of edworts Apfelwein, so its pretty smelly (i like the smell) but its in a spare room with no ventilation because its winter! SO COLD!!

I'm thinking on my next brew, about putting a baking soda solution into the airlock to help remove the odor as it come through?

Will this work?? in the meantime, before i get a chamber built, which will help disguise the smell while fermenting and i can ventilate when i check it etc.

has anyone done anything like this?? and what are peoples thoughts??

1) If your girl is complaining, keep it up she may pay for and help build your fermentation chamber.

2) I don't believe that the backing soda dissolved in water will remove much of the "offensive odor". The contact with the solution will be brief and limited to the outer surface of the bubble.

I have seen a thread or two where brewers were trying to reduce the offensive odor of fermenting Apfelwein. My suggestion would be a standard blow off tube.

Now you can restrict the gas flow out of the catch vessel and filter the gas thru activated charcoal. Maybe a lid on the vessel with a hose leading to another container filed with activated charcoal.

 

[Sixmilecross]

Somewhere in that monster of a thread I thought I recall someone saying that yeast nutrient added to Edwort's Apfelwein would keep the house from smelling like 'rhino farts', especially in the first 3 days of fermentation

 

[bad67z]

Somewhere in that monster of a thread I thought I recall someone saying that yeast nutrient added to Edwort's Apfelwein would keep the house from smelling like 'rhino farts', especially in the first 3 days of fermentation

The last batch I made with unpasteurized apple cider had no "rino farts". I've yet to taste it it is only 8 months old.

 

[billl]

How about just brewing with some "clean" yeasts in the winter months and save the funky smelling ones for when you can open a window?

 

[ak-71]

+1
Healthy hoped APA and clean yeasts (like us-05 / 1056 ) smells nicer than my wife's parfume...

 

[swallace]

The smell is 50% why I home brew! I'm also 50% thirsty.

 

[Sixmilecross]

The last batch I made with unpasteurized apple cider had no "rino farts". I've yet to taste it it is only 8 months old.

It seemed that majority of the people who used Montrachet without a yeast nutrient experienced a more odorous fermentation, especially within the first 3 days. One teaspoon of yeast nutrient/gallon may be something for the OP to consider or try one of the other dry wine/ale yeasts mentioned in the thread (See below)

Breaking it up into three sections because I'm bumping up against the 10,000 character limit.


What other kinds of yeast can I use?
Ale yeasts, champagne yeasts, and wine yeasts have all been tried. They all tend to finish dry, though Nottingham seems to maybe impart some degree of sweetness. Using brown sugar may do the same. The only apparent way to significantly sweeten the apfelwein without additives is to stop the fermentation early by using Campden tablets. In addition to Montrachet, other yeasts that have been used include Nottingham Ale Yeast (the_bird described his result as “wine-like” and about as sweet as a youngish sweet red wine; also SilkkyBrew); Wyeast #1098 (spyk’d); Wyeast London Ale (Orfy); SafAle s-04 (ChillHayze); Lalvin K1-V1116 (MidRex).

Apparently, Nottingham imparts a little bit more sweetness, or perhaps it's the brown sugar that does it. smg8041 made two identical batches, one with montrachet, the other with Nottingham and brown sugar (as was done by ‘the_byrd&#8217, and he had this to say: “Now, I just bottled both of mine. The "Ed's Original" recipe was a nice lite dry wine wine taste. Has a little fizz to it, but otherwise flat. It was nice after the first glass. Cold was better. The other one, ‘The_Bird’ recipe was definitely sweeter and was very much like a light cider. That I have primed and awaiting carbonation. Now I have one sweet and one dry, something for everyone.”

 

[lithium6]

I know this is an old thread but maybe this will help someone. I sometimes have this issue too. It usually will start to go away after 2-3 days. I wouldn't put anything in the airlock other than water, especially if you have any temperature changes as this can cause back pressure and the baking soda will enter your must. using a blow off tube with activated charcoal is an interesting thought above. One thing that I did that helped was put a balloon over the top of the airlock (I use a twin bubbler airlock, a balloon fits nice and tight on it's top). I know some people will say that a balloon could effect flavor but I have never had that problem when I have used it on top of the airlock instead of replacing the airlock with it which is where most of the argument occurs. The balloon should start filling with CO2, as it does this I start to poke some holes into the balloon until it goes limp and falls to the side, but has not fully collapsed. This somewhat slows the release of the gas allowing it to dissipate lessening the smell.

I have also created a make shift ghetto gas filter as well. I had a clear tube about 18 inches long, sorta like tennis balls come in but larger with both ends open. I covered one end with a fabric softener sheet held in place by a rubber band. That end is now the top of my filter. Inside the tube I put a bunch of toilet paper. Don't jam it tight, just a loose handful or two because you still want the air coming out of the airlock. Then I just put the DIY tube over the airlock. If all goes well the odorous gas will pass through the toilet paper trapping some of the odor and the fabric softener on top will also help to neutralize some odor. You may have to change out some of the toilet paper and the fabric softener sheet once a day but these odors should lessen after a few days or so, allowing you not to need this any longer.

 

[abdominousabel]

I have also created a make shift ghetto gas filter as well. I had a clear tube about 18 inches long, sorta like tennis balls come in but larger with both ends open. I covered one end with a fabric softener sheet held in place by a rubber band. That end is now the top of my filter. Inside the tube I put a bunch of toilet paper. Don't jam it tight, just a loose handful or two because you still want the air coming out of the airlock. Then I just put the DIY tube over the airlock. If all goes well the odorous gas will pass through the toilet paper trapping some of the odor and the fabric softener on top will also help to neutralize some odor. You may have to change out some of the toilet paper and the fabric softener sheet once a day but these odors should lessen after a few days or so, allowing you not to need this any longer.

What you’re describing is what potheads call a sploofy I believe lmao

Dryer sheet odor filter. That community will definitely know how to eliminate odor. Maybe look for a forum in the hemp community and take some odor control ideas.

 

[divrack]

The best way to cover up the smell is dig up an ancient thread and leave it out so the stench of decay covers it up...

Personally I just prime my gf with a heady concoction of musks and aromas leaving her olfactory senses reeling and confused.

 

[Kevin_j_sayers]

Anyone think incense would work?

 

[Squirrels]

Carbon filter device in the room. Makes my house smell less like cat.