Sulfur Smell in fermentation without using campden tablets

[SirHopsMore]

I pressed 14 gallons of juice on Sat 10/18 from 25% fresh juicy apples and 75% from apples that were a month old (not bad, just much softer). Due to time constraints, I pasteurized the cider at 180 F for 15 minutes and let it cool overnight. I re-pasteurized again the next day, added yeast nutrient and 0.010 gravity from corn dextrose. Final gravity was 1.062, I chilled is down to 83 F transferred into my conical and pitched. I pitched with 2/3 of a quart of yeast from a Saison (white labs Belgian yeast) that just finished. I set the fermentation temp to 75 F and came back 3 hours later to see it bubbling away. This morning when I checked on it there was a STRONG sulfur smell. What in the world is causing this? I didn't use a cider yeast or Campden tablets so where is this god awful stench coming from?

 

[Mr_fleabite]

In my experience (a wine making perspective) 75 F is a touch warm 60-70 F is kind of the sweet spot for fermentation. Your yeast are likely rocketing through fermentation and many yeasts actually produce SO2 during fermentation.
If you'd like to lessen the smell you can do a "splash rack" from your fermenter to another vessel, clean your fermenter out and rack back into it, be forewarned that this can release CO2 that's in suspension, and it can get quite foamy. Another point to consider is that if your cider has finished fermentation I wouldn't recommend a "splash rack" as it will oxidize your cider.

In the case that your cider has finished primary fermentation, and smells, I'd rack it off the lees (goo at the bottom of the container). You didn't mention in your post if after settling for a day if you racked off the solids/ lees before pitching, if this was the case I suspect it may be part of the stink.

If after racking (which ever method suits you) you still get a smell I'd recommend trying inserting copper tubes into your cider (thoroughly cleaned & SANITIZED) slowly stir the cider with the tube and let sit for a day (make sure the tube is cut long enough so you can pull it out easily or drill a hole so you can hook it with a coat hanger/ something along those lines. Hopefully that will clean it up, you can let the tube sit longer if needed/ if you notice a difference. Please note that this copper tube business will only help if it's a simple sulfide problem (H2S).

Hope that helps.

 

[Byeast]

Definitely sounds like high temp.

 

[Yooper]

Stressed yeast (from lack of nutrients and a high level of c02) can cause a sulfur odor, and eventual lead to H2S, which will ruin the cider.

I'd get some nutrients in there right away and stir to degas and see if that helps dissipate some of the sulfur odor.