Fermentation

[voodoochild7]

I just checked on my Maple Pumpkin Ale to check the Kreasen foam upon pulling the airlock there was a very biting strong smell not bad just kind of burning like opening up an alcohol bottle and sniffing the fumes. I drew some from the tap into the hydrometer tester and that did not smell as strong and didn't taste bad. It has been fermenting pretty strongly now since Sunday but tapering off quite a bit so everything so far is nomal. Could this just be from high levels of CO2 or something from all that fermentation going on?

 

[ScottT]

It sounds alright to me but then again I didn't smell what you smelled. I'd just let it finish and see how it turns out. Relax, have a beer.

 

[SilvaRizla]

Mine always smells like that the first couple of days fermenting. Its because all the alcohol floats to the top, you get like a strong "smack around the head" alcohol smell, like whiskey or vodka or something

 

[voodoochild7]

Yes that is the exact way to describe it "smack around the head" whiskey. I'm just a paranoid noobie brewer. I'm learning to relax a bit more about it though.

 

[Shambolic]

It's normal. Breathing those fumes in feels a bit weird too, because there is no oxygen in your fermenter; just CO2.