Getting rid of Sulfur smell when using maylar balloon

[khadjisoteriou]

Dear fellow homebrewers, I am a new homebrewer (15 all grain budgets so far). I use a simple bucket as fermentation vessel with a blowoff tube. I have recently started using a maylar balloon to avoid suckback/O2 when cold crashing (with success).
I now want to brew a lagger. I will be getting Sulfur smell (based on previous attempt) and I am aware it fades away if I keep the beer in the fermenter before kegging for 7-10 more days.
My question is, will using a maylar balloon this time, have the same successful outcome? I mean, any sulfur escaping during fermentation, will be kept in the balloon (along with CO2 of course) and when I start to coldcrash, wouldn't sulfur 'return' in the bucket? How will sulfur smell 'escape' in a setup like this? Would love to hear from any of you using maylar balloons when brewing lagers.
Cheers

 

[hotbeer]

If you hadn't used the balloon then perhaps the sulfur compounds would have been created early in the fermentation and blown away by less offensive stuff being gassed off toward the end of fermentation.

However, if the balloon is filled with those sulfur compounds then surely the headspace must still have them too. Whether they also stayed in the beer because they couldn't escape is for someone else to answer.

 

[khadjisoteriou]

If you hadn't used the balloon then perhaps the sulfur compounds would have been created early in the fermentation and blown away by less offensive stuff being gassed off toward the end of fermentation.

However, if the balloon is filled with those sulfur compounds then surely the headspace must still have them too. Whether they also stayed in the beer because they couldn't escape is for someone else to answer.

Thanks for replying! I have used the balloon for previous brews, never for a lager. First 3-4 days just a blowoff tube in starsan solution, so gases are blown away 'freely'. I attached the balloon when fermentation starts to slow down.

I am pretty sure sulfur gases are still created past this point, so not sure what will happen once I start cold crashing. I worry that leaving the beer longer in the fermenter after fermentation is complete, will have no positive effect for sulfur removal since the balloon will be attached.. Cheers

 

[hotbeer]

I'm not sure when the sulfur compounds are created. I have never noticed them for the brews I've done. Most of them ales of various types that came out very good for the most part and a few stouts I failed miserably at.

What type beers do you get the sulfur smells, or is there a particular ingredient you can tie it too? Or is it in your water?

 

[khadjisoteriou]

I'm not sure when the sulfur compounds are created. I have never noticed them for the brews I've done. Most of them ales of various types that came out very good for the most part and a few stouts I failed miserably at.

What type beers do you get the sulfur smells, or is there a particular ingredient you can tie it too? Or is it in your water?

I'm not sure when the sulfur compounds are created. I have never noticed them for the brews I've done. Most of them ales of various types that came out very good for the most part and a few stouts I failed miserably at.

What type beers do you get the sulfur smells, or is there a particular ingredient you can tie it too? Or is it in your water?

Thanks for commenting!
Sulfur smell is very common with lagers. I have never experienced it with any of the ales I have tried. I made a Munich Helles (lager) without using a balloon. Plenty of Sulfur smell, but after leaving it in fermenter for about 10 days post fermentation, it faded away. Yet, without a maylar balloon, I did not cold crash this particular badge. I would prefer using the balloon and cold crash if possible.. Cheers