Possibly a dumb question...

[deepfat]

...but I'll ask anyway. I just brewed an Irish Red using Wyyeast American Ale II Activator. Usually during primary I'll take a light whiff of what's coming out of the airlock just to smell for unsavory scents. Anyway, I have some vigorous fermentation going and when I went to take a whiff this evening, the scent burned my nose. I'm assuming this is the CO2 coming out? Usually it's a nice mellow wort smell but not so much this evening. Just wanting to see if I'm worrying for nothing. I don't smell anything sour, leather, etc.

Told you it was a dumb question...

 

[BarleyWater]

Definitely CO2, get a big whiff and it will knock you off your feet.

 

[arover]

You know what's funny is I was removing the blowoff tube from my fermenter tonight, and I was trying to get a siphon going on it with some cleaning agent before I put it away...used my mouth cuz I was lazy. Anyways, had one big whiff of that co2, I was taken aback.

 

[deepfat]

Definitely CO2, get a big whiff and it will knock you off your feet.

Thought so. Thanks!

 

[Homercidal]

I opened my fermenter last time and wanted to get a smell and it burned my nose pretty good! I didn't know CO2 was that strong!