Morrey
Well-Known Member
I have made a number of lagers, but due to some process changes in my brewery, I am now experiencing odors I never noticed. I am using fermenters with glycol chillers so none are in temp controlled freezers any longer. And now we have cool weather in SC, I am not running a vent fan to draw out odors.
Using WLP862 Cry Havoc for the first time, I am fermenting on the low end of the temp spectrum in the mid-50's. There is definitely an odd odor coming from the off gassing, but I cant seem to identify the odor well enough to describe it. This is not what I'd determine to be a typical sulfur smell like farts after eating boiled eggs. Its almost smells like machine oil that has gotten hot on a motor, so I checked the chiller. All motors and condensers running fine. Probably I'm not describing the odor well but its definitely from the beer's BO tube and nothing mechanical in my equipment. I sampled from the racking arm and the beer looks fine, smells fine...but has a sharp taste on the back side. Its like nothing is infected but just sharp. But I expect this for young lager....almost like nothing is wrong but this funky odor.
I am just approaching 2 weeks in fermenter so I am far from finishing. I brought it up for a D rest, now slowly backing it down to 50F. I think I'll leave it another week at 50F before crashing, kegging and lagering a few months on gas.
Anyone else had odd off gas odors that are hard to describe? I am almost certain this is not an infection...but is this normal?
Using WLP862 Cry Havoc for the first time, I am fermenting on the low end of the temp spectrum in the mid-50's. There is definitely an odd odor coming from the off gassing, but I cant seem to identify the odor well enough to describe it. This is not what I'd determine to be a typical sulfur smell like farts after eating boiled eggs. Its almost smells like machine oil that has gotten hot on a motor, so I checked the chiller. All motors and condensers running fine. Probably I'm not describing the odor well but its definitely from the beer's BO tube and nothing mechanical in my equipment. I sampled from the racking arm and the beer looks fine, smells fine...but has a sharp taste on the back side. Its like nothing is infected but just sharp. But I expect this for young lager....almost like nothing is wrong but this funky odor.
I am just approaching 2 weeks in fermenter so I am far from finishing. I brought it up for a D rest, now slowly backing it down to 50F. I think I'll leave it another week at 50F before crashing, kegging and lagering a few months on gas.
Anyone else had odd off gas odors that are hard to describe? I am almost certain this is not an infection...but is this normal?
