sulfuric smell is underpitching?

[Remos112]

Hello everybody I have read about the Wyeast forbidden fruits yeast giving off foul sulfuric smells during fermentation, and so far in every brew with that yeast I have smelled it.

However yesterday I planned on doing a heavy 8.2% brew, only to find out that I was missing some key ingredients for that same beer (shame on me)
So I;ve decied to make a somewhat higher abv white beer since I made the starter already and it was warmed to room temperature already. Read a bit about overpitching, and the unlikelyness of it ever happening, so I just pitched the entire starter.

It is fermenting like crazy, blowing bubbles continuesly, it sounds like a leaking faucet! But to my surprise the typicall sulfuric smell is not here at all, it smells incredibly fruity, one of the best smelling beers I have smelled so far.

Am I on to something here that forbidden fruits needs more yeasts to to it's job without foul smells? I would love to hear your experiences/opinions.

This is the wheat beer I created:
1 can Muntons Wheat beer
1 can Coopers LME Wheat
17 grams of koriander seeds crushed
the rind of 4 large lemons
1 canister of golden syrup(16oz) 453 grams
Wyeast Forbidden Fruits est.300 Billion cells

OG was 1060

 

[sky4meplease]

Possibly.
Pitch rates are one of the hardest variables for the home Brewer to control.
What is your fermentation temperature and is that different from past batches?
Interesting observation though. Take notes!

 

[Remos112]

Possibly.
Pitch rates are one of the hardest variables for the home Brewer to control.
What is your fermentation temperature and is that different from past batches?
Interesting observation though. Take notes!

My fermentation temperature is between 19-21 degrees celsius or 66-69F
As it has always been on all previous brews. I will def. keep notes and I will keep you all posted

 

[Remos112]

Fermenting has slowed down a bit, still no sulfur smell, smells really fruity!
did a gravity reading and it is at 1030 atm. (started last saturday) I plan to keep it in the fermenter for 3 weeks then bottle it. Will keep you posted

 

[zwiller]

I think sulfur is hit or miss and we cannot control or predict it much. Some strains are more prone to it than others. I ran into it more often when fermenting on the lower side of temps. In my experience, beers that threw sulfur for me seemed to turn out better than nice smelling ones... Nice smelling ones always lost that great smell once fermentation was over. Weird, right?

 

[Remos112]

I think sulfur is hit or miss and we cannot control or predict it much. Some strains are more prone to it than others. I ran into it more often when fermenting on the lower side of temps. In my experience, beers that threw sulfur for me seemed to turn out better than nice smelling ones... Nice smelling ones always lost that great smell once fermentation was over. Weird, right?

All my sulfuric smelling brews turned out great eventually too so no idea if it is for better or for worse. thanks for your input. I find it very interressting

 

[day_trippr]

I have grown fond of 3787, always pitch a healthy size starter of it, run it right in the middle of its temperature wheel house for the first five days, and every time after four days of churning it starts pumping out the sulphur notes.

It starts with a huge spike then tapers off over a handful of days until by the time I dry hop in another week or so it's hard to even pick up any more. And nobody has picked up on that character once it's on tap.

My expectation is by then all the easy eating has been completed (I should check the SG next time), the yeast are cleaning up after themselves, and whatever it is they're eating is causing the epic flatulence...

Cheers!

 

[Remos112]

I have grown fond of 3787, always pitch a healthy size starter of it, run it right in the middle of its temperature wheel house for the first five days, and every time after four days of churning it starts pumping out the sulphur notes.

It starts with a huge spike then tapers off over a handful of days until by the time I dry hop in another week or so it's hard to even pick up any more. And nobody has picked up on that character once it's on tap.

My expectation is by then all the easy eating has been completed (I should check the SG next time), the yeast are cleaning up after themselves, and whatever it is they're eating is causing the epic flatulence...

Cheers!

No experience with that strain, I have some Wyeast 1214 in the starter for a high gravity abbey though, curious how that turns out. So far still no sulfuric smells from the forbidden fruits and it is still bubbling away.

 

[Remos112]

Fg after one week of fermenting is 1016 now, still smells nice and fruity, not foul in any way. I will let it in there 2 more weeks before bottle-ing.
Interressting side note, it is a nice orange colored beer, probably the golden syrup's fault, so maybe not true to style wheat like say Hoegaarden, but wow it smells great. Can't wait to finally taste it in a couple of weeks.

Tonight I will be doing a double batch Brewferm Abdij with Wyeast 1214. Curious what that will bring me smellwise.