So I just took a hydrometer reading and it's at 1.000 and I smelt it and it has a faint fart smell to it I was making a orange blossom mead did all my sanitizing and everything it's been fermenting for 3 weeks now is it supposed to smell like that?
Mead smell
- Thread starter Eddieg26744
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The fart smell is totally normal. It's caused by hydrogen sulfide which is created by fermentation. Let it ride. The smell will diminish and eventually go away, as everything ferments out and no more h s is created.
You could have prevented that if you added the proper nutrients or fermented at a cooler temperature.
OP
OP
I got a starter kit it's my first batch I followed the instructions to the letter used everything they gave me
Stressed yeast can produce a noticable hydrogen sulfide (H2S) smell. Most people can smell H2S at < 0.5 ppm. As @Maylar suggested. For your next attempt look up TOSNA 2.0 or 3.0.
Stress can be caused from a number of things including poor or not enough nutrient, too high a temperature resulting in too quick a ferment or improper / low pH to name a few.
You have some options. (In order of what i personally prefer)
1. Wait it out, after a few months it will degass itself and or convert to a sulfur or mercaptan.
2. Degas by using a small vaccum pump
3. Gently stir a few times without introducing too much air.
3. Add a copper sulfate.
Good luck let us know the progress / outcome.
Stress can be caused from a number of things including poor or not enough nutrient, too high a temperature resulting in too quick a ferment or improper / low pH to name a few.
You have some options. (In order of what i personally prefer)
1. Wait it out, after a few months it will degass itself and or convert to a sulfur or mercaptan.
2. Degas by using a small vaccum pump
3. Gently stir a few times without introducing too much air.
3. Add a copper sulfate.
Good luck let us know the progress / outcome.
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As it has been notes, proper nutrients and temperature management can go a long way. As an aside, apples and grapes can very much generate these smells as well and will usually pass pretty quickly.
If you degas your mead as it is early fermenting you might notice these smells. In a basic mead without grapes or apple it is a warning sign and will likely only get stronger. If you smell this, you will really want to mix the hell out of it to get plenty of 02 in there and that will go a very long way to taking care of this before it is a problem.
The aroma you described sounds very subtle and probably isn't an issue. When stronger and you let it go, you are just potentially setting yourself up for a bigger issue if you don't get enough O2 in there to counter it. These issues usually pop up pretty early where all the extra 02 will not represent an issue.
If you degas your mead as it is early fermenting you might notice these smells. In a basic mead without grapes or apple it is a warning sign and will likely only get stronger. If you smell this, you will really want to mix the hell out of it to get plenty of 02 in there and that will go a very long way to taking care of this before it is a problem.
The aroma you described sounds very subtle and probably isn't an issue. When stronger and you let it go, you are just potentially setting yourself up for a bigger issue if you don't get enough O2 in there to counter it. These issues usually pop up pretty early where all the extra 02 will not represent an issue.
OP
OP
I used oranges and I don't know of it's considered early it's 3 1/2 weeks in as far as the temperature I live in Phoenix Arizona my ac struggles just to keep it at 74 degrees and there's always a cake at the bottom of dead yeast about a inch thick so do I stir it trying to avoid the yeast?
Off topic, but I lived in Phoenix for seven years before I started brewing or making mead. Would love to get some of Costco's raw Desert Wildflower honey for a batch. Really nice big flavors plus a touch of spice!
At 3.5 weeks no need to stir the lees.
I would rack off them, helps to degas a bit and let it "finish". Give it a few weeks to a month after racking and see what you got.
I would rack off them, helps to degas a bit and let it "finish". Give it a few weeks to a month after racking and see what you got.
OP
OP
Yeah I'm gonna rack it this weekend and let it sit so fingers crossed
OP
OP
So I racked it into a new carboy after it sat for a month what do I do with the dead yeast and fruit do I just pour it in the trash?
OP
OP
I gave it a taste as I racked it right now and it was super bitter almost tasted like eggs and tequila
Yes. Or down the drain.
For the eggs, stir it heartily, and let it age in secondary under an airlock.
For the tequila, let it age. Consider oaking it.
OP
OP
Yeah I put an airlock on it and planned on letting it age for a while I think I will try the oak thing because it's undrinkable right now
Time is your friend.
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