Sulphur odor

[Coriba]

Lots of cider makers report sulphur odours in their ferment. I don’t get that very often, but this year I have on a Perry I’m making. Crushed and pressed 6 gallons and pitched with Mangrove Jack Yeast with one tablespoon of DAP. On third day or so a sulphur odour appeared and I added another half tablespoon of DAP and stirred the lees. Anything else I can do? Odour not bad but want to nip in the bud.

 

[Canadianjen]

Hey! I can’t provide an answer for you but wanted to say I am also experiencing the same issue with my Perry and my current Transparent apple cider. I usually have no issues but the odd batch has the Sulphur smell and I haven’t figured out how to get rid of it.

I have read on this forum that others suggest sloshing back and forth in the jug and or racking into a new sanitized carboy. This I have tried and will check mine again today. Hope you find some help! I will keep my eye on this post for other answers.

 

[sreichenberger]

Hey @Canadianjen & @Coriba – when I started producing Ciders I had the exact same problem. I found that the solution is just to let it sit for a couple of weeks. Time will help the sulfur odor dwindle down. I used to get a lot of sulfur odor in my Ciders because I was super anxious to taste them one to two weeks after bottling. The more I let it sit untouched, the less sulfur odor I got from my Ciders.

 

[rjmaillie]

Occasionally I will get a batch with sulfur issues that do not seem to fade with time. In those instances I use Kupzit, a combination of copper citrate and bentonite, toward the end of secondary and before long term storage in kegs. It always works.

 

[jrgtr42]

I've run across sulfur in my ciders several times. It always goes away if I give it time - and it seems some oxygen will help. One time I was a bit lazy and didn't rack to secondary and the sulfur didn't go away, but when I open a bottle and let it sit for a while, it clears up.
So my advice, is to RDWHAHB/C/P

 

[Coriba]

The DAP addition and stirring the lees seems to have eliminated the odour.

 

[Ronnb]

I've read where this sort of smell happens when fermentation occurs at lower temperatures when the yeast is stressed.
I did find some other ideas about dealing with this:
https://www.homecidermaking.com/why-does-my-cider-smell-like-sulfur/As mentioned herein, copper can be used to get rid of this off smell. I've had one other person tell me they simply put a copper penny into their batch, however, to quote one account:

mabrungard 2015-04-14 14:15:55 UTC #9
I wouldn't use pennies, they have too much zinc, even the older ones. Find a piece of copper tubing and use that. Make sure all oil is off the tubing and be sure to scrub it to get rid of tarnish. A friend of mine mentioned he dipped a length of tube for only a few minutes and obtained immediate relief from the sulfur.

I realize this is anecdotal but it may be worth some experimentation with.

 

[kwiley]

Hey @Canadianjen & @Coriba – when I started producing Ciders I had the exact same problem. I found that the solution is just to let it sit for a couple of weeks. Time will help the sulfur odor dwindle down. I used to get a lot of sulfur odor in my Ciders because I was super anxious to taste them one to two weeks after bottling. The more I let it sit untouched, the less sulfur odor I got from my Ciders.

You say you let it sit for a few weeks. Do you mean in the primary on the full lees, or did you rack it early and sulfury, and let it sit in secondary for a long time to clear the sulfur?

I'm confused as to how sulfur outgases after fermentation is complete. Be it in primary or secondary, once fermentation is done, there is no more fermenting CO2 gas pressure pushing the headspace through the airlock, so any sulfur that outgases just sits there trapped in the headspace. How does sitting for a long after fermentation is done help clear the sulfur?

Thanks.

 

[Nick Z]

You say you let it sit for a few weeks. Do you mean in the primary on the full lees, or did you rack it early and sulfury, and let it sit in secondary for a long time to clear the sulfur?

I'm confused as to how sulfur outgases after fermentation is complete. Be it in primary or secondary, once fermentation is done, there is no more fermenting CO2 gas pressure pushing the headspace through the airlock, so any sulfur that outgases just sits there trapped in the headspace. How does sitting for a long after fermentation is done help clear the sulfur?

Thanks.

In my experience, the sulfur doesn't go away over time. It sticks around and copper is the only way to get it out. I've run into several resources that suggest that once the sulfur odor is in the cider, it is there to stay. I think I managed to get rid of it mid ferment in one situation with DAP and a bunch of stirring. Otherwise I've had to correct it with copper in some form.

I've read some stuff that suggests splash racking the cider to try and get rid of it.

I've had sulfur go away over time in beer. Not in cider. Sulfur has been the bane of my cider existence this year. And as much as I'd like to blame the yeast, I'm pretty sure it's my fault.

 

[CV_Apple_Gal]

Reviving this thread for a question!

What if you poured the cider into copper mugs? Would that work to eliminate the sulphur smell? (I too had that problem last year and it hasn't gone away after almost 6 months)

 

[dmtaylor]

Only one thing you need:

PATIENCE

Leave it alone for a month. Sulfur will be gone or almost gone. Some things cannot and should not be rushed.