Infection?

[rack04]

I decided to lift the lid on my 3 day old fermenter due to lack of blow off activity. Can anyone think of any reason why the smell would be very astringent? Very cutting to the nose while sniffing. Terrible description but I hope you understand.

 

[rambler]

Are there any signs of foam or bubbles? Have you taken a gracity reading? Do you have a way to post pics?

 

[ACbrewer]

Without knowing more about your receipe, it will be hard to diagnose... One thing that comes to mind for astringent taste (and thuse maybe nose) is using steeping grains and doing them at to high of a temp.

Infections are usually sour, not astringent, usually

 

[bcervin]

3 day fermented beer can have all different kinds of smells. As long as you sanitized well everything is fine. RDWHAHB as they say. For an example... I recently brewed a hefe with oranges. After a week I opened the fermentor and it literally smelled like feces. Sulphur. A few weeks later its in bottles and probably my best brew yet. Don't sweat the small stuff its fine.

 

[rack04]

Are there any signs of foam or bubbles? Have you taken a gracity reading? Do you have a way to post pics?

Yes lots of krausen. No gavity reading as it's only been 3 days. Yes I can post pics.

Without knowing more about your receipe, it will be hard to diagnose... One thing that comes to mind for astringent taste (and thuse maybe nose) is using steeping grains and doing them at to high of a temp.

Infections are usually sour, not astringent, usually

All I can say it is that it cuts the nose like horseradish. It is a irish red ale with 93% maris otter, 5% crystal 120, and 2% roasted barley. I mashed at 152 degrees and have fermented US-05 at 65 degrees.

3 day fermented beer can have all different kinds of smells. As long as you sanitized well everything is fine. RDWHAHB as they say. For an example... I recently brewed a hefe with oranges. After a week I opened the fermentor and it literally smelled like feces. Sulphur. A few weeks later its in bottles and probably my best brew yet. Don't sweat the small stuff its fine.

The only reason that I'm worried is this is the first time that I've had fermentation temperature control and I'm not used this the lag at low temps. Plus I had a little mishap prior to pitching the yeast where I put my hand under the paint strainer to keep from spilling on the floor. I didn't think it through that the wort in the bag would actually still spill into the fermenter after coming into direct contact with my hand.

 

[ACbrewer]

Upon more thought - 3 days isn't enough - I had a beer that I was sampling because the prior one had gone infected (the sour on that could knock you over)... anyhow at like day 2 or 3 the one I was sampling was sour and I thought I was done for.. .but no after about a week it was ok again, and now several months out, it is a fairly good tasting scotish brown ale style
(pity it was to be a honey brown ale - I've made only 1 bad beer, and had lots of good ones, but only about 3 that were the desired target profile >shrugg< )

 

[rambler]

Take a reading and RELAX DONT WORRY AND HAVE A HOMEBREW (or 2)

 

[android]

when you inhale a bunch of CO2 like that, it can seem harsh. don't worry about it.

 

[Pommy]

when you inhale a bunch of CO2 like that, it can seem harsh. don't worry about it.

+1, its not 'beer' yet and its going to smell pretty weird for a while. Wait till you try a lager or apfelwein some seriously intense and strange aromas with those babies :rockin:
RDWHAHB

 

[beerkrump]

when you inhale a bunch of CO2 like that, it can seem harsh. don't worry about it.

+1

When you sniff in CO2, the moisture in your nasal passages turn it into carbonic acid. Ouch. Your beer is fine.

 

[joetothemo]

Co2