SWMBO complaining of smell......

[Shizog4]

Hey guys, just did my first "real" brew last night. I did one a few years back with my brother but we didn't pay attention to temperatures or anything. Anyway, the brew went great, pitched my starter around 7:30 and 3:50 when I woke up for work she was already bubbling away.......

The real question here is how can I mask the smell so SWMBO doesn't complain? I am thinking leaving the patio door open(dogs were going nuts last night bc I live in an apartment and people had dogs out)

Should I just get a turkey fryer and go on the patio to brew?

Thanks guys

 

[benharper13]

turkey fryer on the patio would be the best option IMO

 

[SkylerChaBro]

+1 on the Turkey fryer. I was banned from brewing in the house as well after my first batch. The good thing is you can get a Turkey fryer for fairly cheap online, and they generally include a nice big pot as well.

I find it also a lot easier to clean up using a hose than it is in the kitchen sink.

 

[daugenet]

I am lucky and SWMBO likes the smell

 

[Ace_Club]

How can one not like the smell of grains and hops permeating the house? That being said, I'm moving my brew operations to the driveway come spring and will definitely miss that aroma that sticks around the house for a couple of days after a brew session.

 

[mfraier]

My 4 year old son says it smells like broccoli and nasty boogers. Outside is the best option. If the neighbors have their windows open they may be less than thrilled.

 

[buffalobrewer]

shower more often, and use soap.

seriously, move it outside.

 

[bdf24]

I haven't brewed anything yet, I don't even have my equipment yet. I've been reading for weeks now so I'm ready when I take the jump. My wife already told me brewing in the house is not allowed. She's really particular about the way the house smells, so am I. My plan is to buy a 30qt plus turkey fryer to do my boils in the garage or on the back porch depending on the weather. I already started saving non-twist bottles so I don't have to buy any when I start.
My wife wants to try making wine too, that's how I talked her into letting me make beer. I can't wait to get started!
On another note I don't really have the room to brew inside anyway. I have an electric stove and with the range hood I doubt I would have room for a 7 or 8 gallon pot. Not to mention I don't like the thought of all that water boiling off into the house raising the humidity. Wouldn't be a big deal in the summer when the windows are open but in the winter when everything is sealed up it's not a good thing.

 

[stevo155]

Don't shower and she won't mind the smell so much.

Turkey fryer and larger pot for full wort boils. Only thing that sucks is the time of year. Cold isn't so much the problem but wind will really mess with your brewday.

 

[Junkaboy]

My SWMOB calls it "malt perfume"

Some are just luckier then others...

 

[bennyd]

My SWMBO also dislikes the smell. That and the fact that I took up too much room in her kitchen were my big selling points on getting the turkey fryer and brewing outside. This could work in your favor.

 

[Shizog4]

Thx guys, I figured the answer was obvious but figured I'd lye you guys fire away

 

[IrregularPulse]

My wife booted me outside after my first brew because of the smell. Now, looking back on things, she probably wishes she hadn't done that You can fit much bigger systems and much more equipment in the garage!

 

[bad67z]

Ok folks, I'm not trying to be a jerk but... Wow... my SWMBO is not wild at all about the smell once the hops additions start. And like wise I'm not crazy about the winter spice orange marmalade candle sent pot thingy or what ever the hell could be burning from Yankee Candle Co.

I brew inside when it is too f'in cold outside. Maybe 3 to 5 times every winter, and within 24 hrs the house smells just as daisy fresh as it did previous to my brewing.

I guess it comes down to compromise and priorities, my wife realizes how much I enjoy brewing and not freezing my nads off during the winter months. So she puts up with the smell for a very short period of time. She may not crazy about, but IMHO it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

***Post #500***

 

[ajf]

SWMBO = She Wants Me Brewing Outside.

-a.

 

[msa8967]

One advantage of the turkey fryer outside is that it will not contribute to higher humidity levels in your house (which can be quite high already if I remember what living in Florida was like during the summer.)

Using the turkey fryer will also allow you to move to larger batches and go all grain brewing sometime in the future if you like. It is not easy to bring 6-7 gallons of wort to boil using an electric stove.

Regarding the purchase of the turkey fryer, you might want to make sure that the automatic shutoff control can be disabled or bypassed. Thius feature will turn the fryer off after 10-15 minutes of use to prevent pverheating of the oil (not the water). If you do not want to deal with this you can buy a separate propane burner for less than $60. Here is the model I plan to buy soon for $50.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009JXYQ4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[PirateBrewer]

Turkey fryer would be the better option just because of the extended benefits such as full boils, etc. Or you can just brew a bunch of spice beers...when I brewed my pumpkin porter my roommates were stoked because it made the house smell like pumpkin pie for a few days

 

[HerotBrewer]

My SWMBO likes the malty smell so much she made me donate some DME to make malt cookies for her. To each his own I guess.

 

[conpewter]

My wife is not crazy about the smell but always put up with it. Then I brewed outside for a while, now I'm back in the house but I have an all-electric system with an exhaust fan that pulls out the moisture from the boil and the smell.

 

[PanzerBanana]

My SWMOB calls it "malt perfume"

Some are just luckier then others...

I'm with you, my gal likes it when the house smells like a brewery.

 

[ThereThere]

I live in an apartment on the top floor. It won't make the whole building smell will it? anything I can do to keep the smell from getting into other peoples' apartments?

 

[djt17]

I'm with you, my gal likes it when the house smells like a brewery.

My wife sticks her head over the brew kettle (like I do) when hops are added.

 

[Frodo]

I live in an apartment on the top floor. It won't make the whole building smell will it? anything I can do to keep the smell from getting into other peoples' apartments?

If they notice, just say you like to make unique types of bread... but this could backfire and they might want to try it, then you might have to actually make them some funky bread just to cover up the lie. Seriously though, it doesn't seem to permeate everything in my house. It smells, but it's not like you're cooking meth or something.

 

[D_Struct]

My wife started out HATING the smell, but she tolerated it because she knows how much I enjoy it. Didn't gripe or try to make me feel bad.

Now, partly through her want for me to be happy and the fact that she's probably just getting used to the smell, she actually tells me how much she likes it.

 

[jafo28]

My wife hates it so much she goes to her mothers house for the afternoon. I brew in the garage with the door open, like others I got kicked out of the house after the first brew. This as others have said worked to my advantage(turkey fryer). Even with the door open she still complains of the smell, and wants me to air the house out after brewing, makes me laugh every time, good luck.

 

[FireDancer]

+1 on a burner outside. Using a burner is so much faster. Outside you avoid a lot of potential hazards (spilling, scorching, etc).

Hopefully you can use a garden hose to clean up any spills.

I actually blackened the top of the stove from the flame under a big pot for long boils. I figured that would not happen, but it did.

 

[dvdanny]

Wow there are people who hate the smell of hot wort?!

It smells like baking bread and once you add in the hops it smells like baking bread and flowers... how do girls hate that!?! personal preference I guess, OR they are just making up reasons to make you guys stop brewing, lol .

 

[ThereThere]

I actually don't like the smell of brewing either.

Fortunately, the apartment I live in has a very large Indian community who are always making very pungent food so I'm thinking anyone near me will be able to drown out the smell.