Yeast cake smells like vomit

[kingofsweden]

I just bottled my 5 gallons of irish red ale and thought to save the yeast. I boiled and cooled water and slushed it around with the cake and its giving off this nasty smell. should i toss instead of extracting?

 

[jbaysurfer]

I don't know what you mean by "extracting", but I wouldn't use yeast that smelled like vomit.

 

[kingofsweden]

i meant separating it from the trub. i poured the top layer into mason jars and that doesnt smell bad but the remaining rest of the bucket still reeks.

 

[Trox]

I don't know what you mean by "extracting", but I wouldn't use yeast that smelled like vomit.

Just about everyone of my yeast cakes has a vomity smell to them and there has been no issues with any of my beers. Every pack/vial of liquid yeast I've used smelled like vomit to me; I think it is just the natural smell of the yeast, and so don't see any reason not to use it.

Edit: Should emphasize that the smell nor taste gets transferred to the beer.

 

[DaNewf]

I bottled an ESB last night. I don't harvest yeast so I dumped the trub into the toilet in my basement half bathroom.

The combined visual and aromatic effect triggered my nostalgia for those long gone university days when I spent an inordinate amount of time praying to the porcelain god.

 

[Mattums]

@DaNewf... LMAO!!


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[Yooper]

I've never had a yeast cake that smelled bad, except once. It had a definite "fecal" smell to it after storing it in the fridge a bit too long.

A yeast cake should definitely smell yeasty- but I would not use yeast that had a vomit-like smell to it. That's a definite bad sign!

 

[andy6026]

It's normal. I make a point not to bottle beer while hungover because the smell when cleaning the buckets makes me throw up in my mouth.

 

[patthebrewer]

Vomit?!?!?!

My yeast cakes always smell ....well...yeasty. I've never interpreted that to smell like puke. I agree with yooper, you probably don't want to brew with that.

I Hope your beer doesn't smell like vomit!!!:cross:

 

[Trox]

I've never had a yeast cake that smelled bad, except once. It had a definite "fecal" smell to it after storing it in the fridge a bit too long.

A yeast cake should definitely smell yeasty- but I would not use yeast that had a vomit-like smell to it. That's a definite bad sign!

I'm thinking this might just be a matter of perception; unless every vial/packet of yeast I've gotten was bad from Northern Brewer, Midwest brewin, and both LHBS I visit. Again every last one had a vomity smell at least to me with Edinburgh yeast being the worst. Not a single brewing yeast I've used had the same yesty smell of the bakers yeast I'm used to.

Again all my beers turned out great though.

 

[jbaysurfer]

Just about everyone of my yeast cakes has a vomity smell to them and there has been no issues with any of my beers. Every pack/vial of liquid yeast I've used smelled like vomit to me; I think it is just the natural smell of the yeast, and so don't see any reason not to use it.

Edit: Should emphasize that the smell nor taste gets transferred to the beer.

I guess smell is subjective too. I've never smelled a yeast that smelled like vomit. At least I'm in good company! Thanks Yoop!

 

[kingofsweden]

My beer tastes and smells fine. I may use 1 jar of the collected yeast and make beer bread as a test to see if it's still good. Worst case scenario I wasted a little flour instead of wort

 

[electrolight]

I find that vodka smells like vomit... not because it does but because I had a little too much a few months ago (if you know what I mean).

Have you had to much beer at any recent point in time? ;P

 

[hnycrk]

What type of yeast was it?

 

[kingofsweden]

Dawnstar Nottingham Ale Yeast
It came with my northern brewer irish red ale kit

Btw it made the best bread ever.

 

[Thedutchtouch]

One mans yeasty is another mans vomit, I guess. Save the yeast. If the beer is terrible, you can always toss the yeast later.

 

[northcal]

Did you let your airlock/blowoff tube dry out?

I had that happen once to a yeast cake I was saving. Flies laid eggs and I had maggots and pupae in there and the yeast cake smelled like vomit. Only time I felt like hurling when rinsing out a used fermenter.

If the yeast cake smells that bad, I would imagine the beer will too?

But perhaps you exaggerate the smell a bit.

Good luck,

 

[helibrewer]

That smell is butyric acid and sensitivity to it varies.


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[jbaysurfer]

^I've officially learned something new today.