Lager emiting a sharp smell

[maltoftheearth]

This thread was also posted in Beginner's yesterday but I didn't receive any replies that were useful. Hoping a change of venue will solve that ...
+++
On Friday I brewed up a recipe for a Dortmunder, I did not alter the water profile but I did add some hops (.75 oz Hallertauer) that I had laying around to the mash in the hope of increasing acidity and grain conversion. During the boil I added Hallertauer and Saaz according to this recipe:

http://www.brew-dudes.com/dortmunder-export-recipe/459

According to BeerSmith this did not take me out of the IBU profile for a Dortmunder.

Since I transferred to the primary for fermentation there has been steady action in the airlock for two days and a light krausen. I left the home from Sunday night through Wednesday. When I returned, I opened the freezer and got a minimal rhino fart smell. Took a whiff from the airlock and got a strong astringent/hop smell. Not offensive, just really strong.

This is only my second lager so I don't know if this is indicating anything or not. It seems to me (and again, I am a rank amateur) that this might be a sign of a seriously unbalanced, and overhopped, lager. Please tell me I'm wrong!

 

[EoinMag]

Lagers often give off more sulphur than other ferments which would explain the rhino farts, and then you have the smell/burning effect in the nostrils of CO2, both things combined will explain your issues.
Nothing to worry about, don't whiff the airlock too often it'll singe the hairs in your nostrils sometimes

Let it do its thing, it'll be all good.

 

[kornbread]

I'm a set it and forget it kind of guy. So, often I pitch the yeast, shut the refrigerator door, set the temp, and then don't open it again for two weeks.

Sometimes when I open the door the smell is pretty intense. (Especially if I have more than one beer fermenting at a time.) But 99% of the time the beer taste just fine.

 

[HotbreakHotel]

Rhino farts is an understatement I think. Lagers stink really really bad when they are in active fermentation!

 

[VoodooManX]

I was scared my lager had gone really really south (it smelled of rotten eggs/ surphur) this is slowly dissipating but my research yielded the same advice as above. Lager's ferment nasty!

Lagering is a test of patience and willpower. That much I'm sure of now.

 

[maltoftheearth]

OK, I did not realize the sharp smell was likely CO2. Good to know that, sounds like things are going strong with the ferment despite a krausen that is not the best.

BUT ... I should have been more explicit in stating that my confusion was whether smelling a strong hops smell during a lager fermentation meant that I was headed toward a seriously unbalanced (too hoppy) lager. I understand the rhino farts, I embrace them, but I don't know whether mixing hop smells with my rhino farts is a great sign!

 

[EoinMag]

Essential oils will be blowing out that airlock too at this point, chill, wait it out, you cannot tell what something will taste like from an airlock, otherwise most beers would taste like a monkeys ass.