Odors while brewing?

[Rbeckett]

Need a quick answer if there is one. I am trying to accomdate my wifes sensibilities and keep smelly junk out of the house. Do home brews create or make an easilly detected odor or smell. My wife is very sensitive to odors and it would be better if she didnt have a reason to complain. I plan to put the 2 1/2 gallon fermentor in a bathroom cabinet so it is dark and the temp stays in the yeast comfort range. But I am concerned that it may produce odors. If it will produce a heavy or easilly detectable odor I will just move the whole thing into my metal shop and call it good. The drawback is that I do not heat the shop so I may have to wait longer since the cool weather may slow the fermentation. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!!!
Bob

 

[kh54s10]

While boiling the wort there is a definite strong smell. I think it is one of the most YUMMY smells! Some say they get strong odors, good ones, while fermenting. I have never really noticed much from mine.

Brew it up, start the ferment and find out if it is disagreeable to her. Then you will soon know if you will be banned to the metal shop.

If so you may need to have some temperature control. Too warm and you will create off flavors and too cold and you may put your yeast to sleep.

 

[birvine]

There can be a smell of sulphur from some beers, yes. As long as your shop was in the high fifties or low sixties you should be ok.

B

 

[petey_c]

Keep it in the shop. Fermentation/brewing = odors. Brewing more so than ferm.. I don't find the odors unpleasant, but I'm not very sensitive to them. You can fill one of those extra large buckets (the ones with the rope handles) with warm water, wrap your ferm chamber with tshirts/towels and replace some of the water as needed. Trying to keep the temp ~70F. You're in Fl., so you shouldn't be getting arctic cold. If your wife has less reasons to see brewing as a PITA, the more you'll be able to brew. Good luck. pete

 

[Revvy]

If you boil indoors it's going to smell, but a lot of people including no brewers find the smell pleasant, especially if they like the smell of hops. But I think of boiling wort as having a combination of a cotton candy, baking bread and making oatmeal all in one.

Fermentation can be smelly, like some have said, some yeast can give off sulphur notes (we call it Rhino farts) but if you find a closet out of the way, like in the basement, then noone should hassle you.

 

[nobody]

i brew 5 gallon batches myself and brewing it smells great to me, but the old lady hates it. when i ferment i put it in a wine cooler set to the low end of the yeast strains working temps. the wine cooler gets to smelling after it really starts working good and hard. the harder it works the more smell i notice. i don't mind the smell myself, but the old battle ax ******* about it when she goes down in the basement. she says it smells like dog crap to her. never really linked the smell of fermenting wort to dog crap myself.

 

[Shavingfoams]

As far as fermentation smells go, I made some apfelwein using lavlin EC-1118. I was worried about the smell, so I jury rigged an activated carbon filter over the airlock. I made mine out of a fast food soft drink cup, a bit of swiffer pad, and aquarium activated charcoal. There was never any strong scent noticeable in the room the fermentor was in. I don't know if the lavlin just makes less hydrogen sulfide or if my filter worked, but I know I'm going to use the concept for future ferments. Note that there was a smell noticeable in the room, but it was neither strong, nor unpleasant.

 

[GodsStepBrother]

Just to make sure, through some coffee grounds in a bowl and put it next to the fermenter inside said cabinet. Even if she opens the cabinet the coffee aroma will over power her nose. Its how they fool drug sniffing dogs on the border :cross:.

 

[baddagger]

i had a 5gallon batch of cider going wich i used a english ale yeast and it let off a bunch of sulfer smells and my basement defently smelled..but the batch of cider i made before that i used a differnt yeast and did not smell... if your worried about the smell , when u pick out your yeast ask your local home brew store wich yeast will give off less funky smells .. or as stated before just stick it in a closet and you shoudl be fine.. just tell your wife not to go in the closet if she does not want to smell it.

 

[Rbeckett]

Thank you for the quick answers. I think I will just take it to the shop and be done. If SWMBO gets started I may as well not even try the first batch. It is far easier to play in my man cave and find a creative way to maintain temps than to argue with her and end up pissed. I can set up an electric blanket and use a fairly accurate thermostat to regulate the temp and I should come out OK. I ordered the small kit (Mr Beer, Premium Gold edition with bottles and 2 refill batches) as a whim since I found it on Ebay priced way wrong. I'm only in for 40 bucks so far but if I decide this is a fun hobby I can always expand to larger batches and bigger equipment. Since I am waiting impatiently for my kit to arrive I have been reading and searching, but did not get a clear answer to my question till now.Thanks!!!
Bob

 

[BrewMU]

The good thing about putting in your shop is that you can tailor the temp for the yeast rather than your wife - she might not understand why her feet have to be cold so your beer will taste good. Personally, other than a close sniffing of yeast, I like the smells of brewing, especially the smell of the boil right after a hop addition. I guess that might be because I'm from South St. Louis - I grew up smelling the good beer funk coming from Pestalozzi St.

 

[kh54s10]

I like the smells of brewing, especially the smell of the boil right after a hop addition. I guess that might be because I'm from South St. Louis - I grew up smelling the good beer funk coming from Pestalozzi St.

When Busch Gardens in Tampa, Fl had the brewery going the smell from there was atrocious! I guess that is because they were brewing Budweiser

 

[Rbeckett]

Yup, for the longest time I though it was a paper mill till somebody said it was Busch Gardens making the smell. Kind of put me off local beer for a long time. I spent 4 1/2 years in Germany and love a good hefe. Chill to around 35 and serve in a beer glass and close your eyes and recall the snow and fun we had. Gosh I miss Germany and the beer fests. Had way big fun, but got fat too.
Bob

 

[nukinfuts29]

The short answer is yes. Boil outside, cover fermenters with a damp towel. This keeps pregzilla and her super snout off my rear.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

The boil scent can be overcome by boiling outside with a propane burner if you are so equipped. The fermentation smell depends on the yeast strain. Some put off sulphur, which can be accurately predicted by researching on the yeast manufacturer's website. What kind of beer does SWMBO like? Perhaps fruit? If the result is appealing to her, she's more likely to associate the production smells positvely.

As to adding heat to the primary ( in the mancave) place the fermenter in a rubbermaid tote and fill it half full of water, then drop in an aquarium heater set to the proper temp. If you need to add cool, substitute the heater with a couple frozen 2L bottles.