My cider smells like egg

[bluemonkey321]

Started brewing some cider, all to the book
but over the past day its developed this really bad smell (It smells like a reaily bad fart or eggs that have gone off) , is this due to lack of nitrogen?

Thanks
Pava

 

[mysteryberto]

It's normal and called rhino farts. Will go away in a few days.

 

[Rezilynt]

Just make sure that if you have company to blame it on the SWMBO
It really will go away.

 

[bluemonkey321]

Its not so bad because its in the garage but i was touching cloth when I smelt it, I thought I would have to bin it.

 

[Evan!]

Yeah, it's sulfur, it's normal, and what mysteryberto said notwithstanding, it will probably take awhile to go away...even in bottle, sulfur compounds take awhile to blow away.

 

[Milhouse]

You can always drink it while eating bacon!

 

[Donasay]

I would steer clear of bacon, my porkfelwine still hasn't started fermenting.

 

[Cugel]

Started brewing some cider, all to the book
but over the past day its developed this really bad smell (It smells like a reaily bad fart or eggs that have gone off) , is this due to lack of nitrogen?

Thanks
Pava

yes the yeast produces the sulphur due to nitrogen deficiency in the must. This may be remedied by use of certain nutrients/energizers during fermentation.

The good people over at gotmead ahve complex nutrient addition schedules designed to add N to the mead must throughout fermentation.

Good luck!

 

[jameswardpeterson]

I hope this isn't blasphemy talking about another brew forum.
over at brewboard.com a member by name of Hightest has what is called a staggered nutrient addition plan. Supposedly it works pretty well, seeing that every recipe pretty much says to use it.
(I only know this because I used to use brewboard until I found HBT, now I dont need brewboard.)

 

[bluemonkey321]

Would adding a bit of maize wort to the must work to boost nitrogen levels?
or would that taste really bad?

 

[BuffaloSabresBrewer]

(I only know this because I used to use brewboard until I found HBT, now I dont need brewboard.)

You will be spared.

 

[hightest]

...over at brewboard.com a member by name of Hightest has what is called a staggered nutrient addition plan.

You may find several other informative documents on my website...

 

[MikeInCtown]

What yeast did you use? I picked up some White Labs Cider yeast and they specifically say it will smell this way but clear after several weeks.

 

[Reddy]

I made some peach wine and it's been fermenting for about 2 or 3 weeks and still stinks! It reeks of sulphur... I did have to sulphite the fruit but still... I'm wondering if it'll ever be drinkable.

 

[Yooper]

If it still stinks, you may have an issue with H2S. Try some of these suggestions: How to fix rotten egg smell in wine - grapestompers

From Jack Keller's site:
Hydrogen Sulfide:
H2S for short, Hydrogen sulfide is produced in all wines by yeast combining with various forms of sulfur, but in excess creates an undesirable, rotten-egg-like smell in wine. If not corrected, the wine is ruined as the gas is transformed into mercaptans, with a skunky odor, and then disulfides, with a sewage smell. Hydrogen-sulfide gas manifests itself as the smell of rotten eggs. Pour the must or wine from one container to another for a few minutes to aerate it. Refit the airlock and wait a few hours. If the smell persists, repeat the procedure. If the smell persists after four such procedures, destroy the batch.

 

[oldtimeydave]

Try nitrogen and/or even a good all around nutrient and move it to a cooler place.

 

[wreckinball9]

I would steer clear of bacon, my porkfelwine still hasn't started fermenting.

priceless :fro:

 

[Reddy]

If it still stinks, you may have an issue with H2S. Try some of these suggestions: How to fix rotten egg smell in wine - grapestompers

Do you think I need to worry about that after 3 weeks? Or just wait it out and see?

 

[Yooper]

I would really be concerned after a week or two- sometimes fermentation does smell, but usually not too bad (except for the well-known rhino farts in apfelwein) or too long. A strong rotten egg smell would concern me.