Problem with my Stout - HELP Guys???

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mgortel

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Man...I bet you never heard that before...... :cross:


My second batch of brew is/was a Stout. This is a variation of Boondock Stout I found on this awesome site.....

I opened my fermenting bucket today to take a SG reading (it has been in primary 3.5 weeks)....I planned on taking a second reading saturday and bottling on saturday if all is well on SG. It has not bubbled for around 10 days....so I was figuring fermentation was done....but as pounded in my head here on this site....I am checking SG to make sure....

Anticipating a sweet lovely aroma (similar to how it smelled when I brewed it)....I stuck my nose down to the top of the bucket upon removing lid....to be shocked and horrified to get a nose full of burning "acid like" smell and feel....it was terrible....burned my nose like you cant imagine....I think my nose hairs vaporized.

I took my reading....it was 1.020 (original was 1.052). Final should be around 1.013 I believe...according to QBrew....

I replaced the lid and blowoff hose......and all of a sudden I saw that I was getting bubbles in my bowl that the blowoff hose feeds into....around 8 bubbles per minute.

I was really looking forward to this beer....does it sound like I have fusel alcohol...or some sort of infection.,.....help please....my beer needs a doctor.

Here are the facts:
I was very careful on sanitation...I use StarSan.

Recipe: 3 Gallon Boil

1) Steeped the following for 50 minutes (kept temp between 155-165F)
0.5 LB Caramel/Crystal 80L
1.5 LB BLK Roasted Barley
0.50 LB Chocolate Malt
2) 4 lbs dark LME, 60 min boil
2.0 lbs pale DME, 60 min boil
3) 1.0 oz target, 60 mins
1.0 E Kent Goldings, 20 mins
4) White labs Irish Ale yeast

- After boil, cooled within approx 15 mins with a wort chiller (boiled wort chiller in wort for last 20 mins of boil to sanitize)
- Brought up to 5 gallons total with water I had pre-boiled and put in sanitized jugs.....I did this sanitizing/boiling just before brewing.
- Pitched yeast with wort at approx 70F.

Timeline:
Friday, May 14, 8PM Pitched Yeast
Saturday, May 15, 8PM Just starting to get bubbles
Sunday, May 26, Intermittent bubbling
Friday, May 28, Intermittent Bubbling still
Sunday, May 30 No bubbling
Wednesday, June 9. SG = 1.020, Horrible acid smell when I popped lid and sniffed

Temperature in my basement and on the fermenting bucket has been 60-65 degrees during entire fermentation period.

Any thoughts on what could be going on here?

Thanks!
 
It sounds like you "smelled" yeast fart Co2. Beer changes flavors from the fermentor, the bottle and after. I am willing to bet that everything is just fine.

RDWHAHB!

Yeast is wise and it is far from done if you have bubbles in the blow off bucket! They, unlike guests, cleans up very nicely after themselves.

:tank:
 
I opened my fermenting bucket today to take a SG reading (it has been in primary 3.5 weeks)

...

Anticipating a sweet lovely aroma (similar to how it smelled when I brewed it)....I stuck my nose down to the top of the bucket upon removing lid....to be shocked and horrified to get a nose full of burning "acid like" smell and feel....it was terrible....burned my nose like you cant imagine....I think my nose hairs vaporized.

I think you simply inhaled a big ass whiff of CO2. It burns like crazy.
 
By the way.....when I smelled the beer I put in my hydrotest tube...it did not burn or have the smell......

SO is it possible I was getting Carbonic Acid in my nose/lungs.......from the CO2 in the bucket and the moisture in my nose...i.e. CO2 and H2O = Carbonic Acid????

Could it be that benign of a situation??? I hope so!:mug:
 
Walker....we miust have been typing at the smae time.....that is excellent....sounds like that may be all it was.....

OK...so I still need to wait longer than 3 more days probably as it is once again bubbling (after 3.5 weeks in fermenter)...and SG is only at 1.020....it should be closer to 1.013....so i may have another week or so to wait.....that should be no problem??? i.e. 5 weeks in fermenter is ok?
 
+1 to the other replies. I have a lager in my freezer. The other day I made the mistake of inhaling in the freezer when I was checking the temp. Lol. It does burn but it lets you know the yeast is working. :)
 
A few hours ago I opened up one of my conicals, stuck my head in (yes, I can fit my head in it) and took deep smell.

Almost.
Knocked.
Onmuhbutt.

Yer probably fine. :)
 
Wow...I missed your post Zim.....thanks for response....I will let go another week at least....check SG next week...

man...if Chemistry was this cool in High School I would have gotten an A+.......I will never forget that CO2 and H2O = Carbonic Acid.....:drunk:
 
Can someone explain to me why I was not getting bubbling action in my blowoff water for the last 10 days....and now after removing lid and taking SG reading...and replacing lid...I am now getting bubbles in blowoff bowl..........8-10 per minute.
 
Ahhhh....

OK....so...again my SG (after 3.5 weeks) is at 1.020 and it should be closer to 1.013...... Any problem with me leaving in primary another 10-14 days (i.e. 5 weeks total)....any chance of off flavors or should I rack to a secondary?
 
If there aren't any off flavors now then your chance of developing them in another week are quite small, unless you have say an ungodly heat spell without AC. But looking at where you are, that's pretty darn unlikely.

In a week I personally would bottle/keg it. Let it age as long as you can stand, and don't overcarb.
 
I am figuring 3 oz corn sugar for carbing the 5 gallons......based on 65F at bottling time and 2.0 CO2 level.....sound about right?
 
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