WLP400 - Sulfurous smell at airlock

[bucketnative]

First time using WLP400. I followed Biermuncher's Blue Balls Wit recipe (Except that I targeted an OG of 1.045), and I took my usual precautions with sanitation.

I'm a habitual airlock sniffer.

Pitched at 74F, and on days 1 and 2 of fermentation at 65F (room temperature), the smell from the airlock was sweet, typical of what I would expect from a newly fermenting beer. On Day 3, it took on a sour/sulfurous smell at the airlock. It's in a plastic bucket, and I haven't peered inside yet.

I can't think of any reason beyond infection why I would have that smell (particularly that drastic shift in odor) from the airlock?

 

[m00ps]

dont worry about it, definitely

 

[bucketnative]

dont worry about it, definitely

Are you implying that this is a case of stressed yeast, perhaps due to the 50% wheat content of the grain bill?

This is my first witbier done with all grain.

EDIT - Did some more reading, and it seems H2S production is a documented phenomenon with some fermentations using WLP400. I won't worry about it any longer. I'll just let it ride until fermentation is complete.

 

[dmtaylor]

This is very common and totally expected. Don't worry. The sulfur will be gone in a week or two, or three weeks at the very most. No worries.

 

[bucketnative]

This is very common and totally expected. Don't worry. The sulfur will be gone in a week or two, or three weeks at the very most. No worries.

Good to know. I am a bit of a sanitation obsessive (I work in the sterilization field), so I was in a self-flagellating mode this morning over the possibility of infection. I'll admit to a premature post without taking the time to read up a bit more.

I was planning on primary fermentation for a month or so given my schedule and the lower temperature in the basement.

 

[bucketnative]

FYI - Bottled this one on Saturday, which was a total of four weeks in the primary fermenter. The beer looked, smelled, and tasted like a witbier. Thanks for allaying my fears back then.