Help with 1st cider

[Wxohio88]

So I decided to get into homebrewing and what better way to start then with cider. I got 4 gallons of cider from a local farm, added it into a 5 gallon carboy. I did a lot of research at first so I added campden tablets into the cider to kill any wild yeast. after about 38 hours I added yeast nutrients and the yeast with is a Nottingham ale yeast. The fermentation process started and the bubbles came and went but I noticed a smell of rotten eggs. I looked into it and found this was normal. So I started waiting and waiting. Now it is a month after the start of the brew and it still smells like rotten eggs. Did I wait to long? Will it ever go away? I am at a lost and need help/advice.

Bryan

 

[hunter_le five]

First: Welcome to the forum.

Second: Have you been taking gravity readings? Do you know if fermentation is still going on?

In my experience, the sulfur "rotten egg" smell will likely fade shortly after fermentation has completed.

One month is definitely not "too long". I've had ciders take nearly two-months to complete fermentation, and another month or so of aging for the taste to mellow out.

 

[Wxohio88]

I have not been taking readings, I moved it to another spot and I just saw the airlock bubble once. I can take a reading now if you like.

 

[insanim8er]

That's the rhino farts... Ghastly smell

Generally it's because you should've added more nutrients. It will go away. You need to bulk age it for a while. DO NOT bottle it until you've bulked aged it for a few months and the smell has gone away.

Also rack off the lees when you bulk age.

 

[Wxohio88]

I am going to ask a noob question now lol, what is bulk age and how do I do it? I am thinking it is putting it into another carboy and letting it just sit?

 

[insanim8er]

I am going to ask a noob question now lol, what is bulk age and how do I do it? I am thinking it is putting it into another carboy and letting it just sit?

Yup... Just be sure when you bulk age, you have the liquid up to the base of the neck of the carboy, so you eliminate surface contact to oxygen. If you don't have enough liquid, add sanitized marbles to bring the level up.

It's always better to bulk age vs bottle age because everything will be consistent. Just NEVER bottle when you have a weird smell because you'll trap it into the bottle.

 

[Wxohio88]

I took a gravity reading of it after a month. It is showing .999. I was not able to taste it due to the smell of it, (couldn't bring myself to try it)