I recently purchased a pack of Omega Hornindal to use on a Kettle sour. I built a large starter to be able to save some of the yeast. The brew came out great so I wanted to do the same thing again. Built my 1.036 1L starter, added 1tsp of slurry and left it on the stir plate @73*. Started seeing activity within an hour and after 14 hours all activity was gone. I went to move the starter to the fridge and got a huge smell of eggs coming out of the flask. I was worried so I left it in the fridge for a few days and decided to try making another starter. Maybe it was the low temp? So I did the same exact steps in creating the starter, but left it at 83 this time (couldn't my starter to 90*). Again same outcome. Does anyone think its OK to pitch? What about drying it? Should I take the slurry from the egg smelling flask and see if I can dry it?
Hornindal smells like eggs
- Thread starter NicFarley
- Start date
-
- Tags
- hornindal omega kveik
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
I've encountered similar with Hornindal, especially recycling it from one batch to the next, but I thought it was just me. Coincidence? I haven't noticed it with Hothead or Voss.
I wouldn't pitch it if I were you. I would dump it, if only because you don't want to start on a bad footing. Cut your losses rather than multiply them. Try to make a starter that doesn't smell bad and use that instead.
I'm open to contrary opinions though. I even invite them. Anyone else experienced this with Hornindal?
I wouldn't pitch it if I were you. I would dump it, if only because you don't want to start on a bad footing. Cut your losses rather than multiply them. Try to make a starter that doesn't smell bad and use that instead.
I'm open to contrary opinions though. I even invite them. Anyone else experienced this with Hornindal?
Last edited:
After leaving the first starter in the fridge for a few days the egg smell went away. Smelled like health yeast to me so I decided to dry it out. I'm going to try a tiny pinch of the dried yeast in another starter to see if it still gets the smell again.
I'll be curious as to what you find out.
If it fails, you could try washing it with a 2 PH solution to kill bacteria and try again.
brew703
Well-Known Member
I've used it one time and didn't notice any egg smell.
505-Brewer
Well-Known Member
Chlorine dioxide solution would be better.
OP are you feeding it nutrient in your starter. Lack of sufficient neutrients commonly throws sulfur smells in numerous yeasts.
I have a smack pack of this about to run some beers with - curious
Darthbrewder
Well-Known Member
I just bottled an Irish red that I fermented with omega Hornidal. Pitched the pack of yeast directly into 85°F wort. It didn’t take off right away though. The wort ended up cooling down to around 68° before active fermentation started(12 hours later). 48 hours or so later I notice some strong Sulphur coming from the fermenter. It lasted about 24 hours then dissipated completely after a few more days. Beer tasted good when I bottled.
This was the first time I used any kveiks so the rhino farts had me alarmed. Seeing as the smell went away fairly quickly though I chalked it up to low fermentation temp.(Since the yeast is conditioned to ferment on the warmer side).
I cropped the yeast from this as well and plan on doing another beer this weekend. I’m going pitch at blood temp this time and try to keep the temp in the 80’s. Curious to see if they throw Sulphur this time.
This was the first time I used any kveiks so the rhino farts had me alarmed. Seeing as the smell went away fairly quickly though I chalked it up to low fermentation temp.(Since the yeast is conditioned to ferment on the warmer side).
I cropped the yeast from this as well and plan on doing another beer this weekend. I’m going pitch at blood temp this time and try to keep the temp in the 80’s. Curious to see if they throw Sulphur this time.
I just read a paper on these yeasts and it stated they are used mostly for high gravity brewing and need lots of nutrients that are found in worts of 1.070 and more. If doing a lower gravity beer they suggested doubling the yeast nutrient addition.
Link to the paper?
Created a 1.2L starter last night with a much higher gravity 1.068. Pitched 1/2 tsp of dried Hornindal at 95*. About 3 hours later it had a thick krausen that looked much better than the previous starters. We are 12 hours in and no egg smell so far. Fingers crossed it doesn't smell when I check it a lunch, but I have faith in this one. I think the last 2 starters stressed the yeast out with a low gravity and not enough nutrient.
Darthbrewder
Well-Known Member
Sorry guys,but I don't know how to do links. I write my recipes out with a pencil,and use the old brewing calculations and a calculator to get my numbers. Not real good on a computer. Most important tool in my arsenal is my Magic Rub eraser!
It's easy: just copy and paste the URL from your browser into your post, the same as if you were typing it in. The URL is that thing in your browser that starts out "http....", at the top of your browser when you're looking at the paper you referred to.
