Should I smell the spices in my spiced beer during fermentation?

[Don223]

My Christmas spiced ale has been fermenting for 4 days now. When I sniff the air lock, I don't really smell anything. Should it smell like spices?

I added these at 2min. left in boil:
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
1 tsp of ground ginger
1oz pkg of bitter orange peel

It smelled really good while it was sitting in the ice bath cooling.

 

[BargainFittings]

Most of the smell will come off in the beginning but I would think you would smell a little bit of spice.

How fresh were the spices?

 

[Piratwolf]

I smelled mine all the way thru fermentation, secondary, and at bottling. Then again, my additions were a little higher and I also added 2tbsp vanilla extract.

"All your home brew are belong to us!"

 

[william_shakes_beer]

I did a pumpkin ale that called for 2 tbsp of pumpkin spice in a hops bag the last 2 minutes of the boil. Nice color but little to no npumpkin flavor. This weekend I am bottling the rebrew. I threw the spices in without the hopps bag the last 15 minutes of the boil. Much more aroma coming out of the airlock, so I'm hopeful.

 

[IffyG]

If it's coming out of the airlock, it's not in your finished beer.

 

[Don223]

I figure I'll give it 2 weeks and do a gravity check and taste it at that time.

What if the spices are a little weak? Can I boil some more spices in a cup of water and add it to the keg when I rack it?

 

[Don223]

UPDATE: 2 Weeks Later

I took a gravity reading and it went from 1.071 to 1.020. Beersmith says I should get to 1.018.

I tasted it and I can only taste a hint of orange peel, citrus, and alcohol. No cinnamon or ginger.

As suggested above, I checked the date on the spices and they were old. So my plan is to get some fresh ground cinnamon and ginger and then boil up a cup of water and add this to my primary.

Any tips or suggestions on this?