Funky Smell

[Westy1]

Hi All

Just thought I would tap into this vast expanse of knowledge on this question.

I put a brew on last Tuesday night. It's supposed to turn out something like a James Boags. Ingredients were Black Rock Lager, #60 Brewblend, 500g Light Malt, 10g Saaz. I have never done a brew with a brewblend or additional malt or hops (newbie obviously. So when I smelt the gases coming for the air lock it smelt a bit funky. So I put some into my test tube and gave it a good wiff. It smelt slightly better than the gases inthe air lock but still not too flash. I can't say it's an offensive odour but it's not very nice. Does anyone think something has gone wrong? I keep thinking infection but everything was so clean and sterilized...

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Westy

 

[Steve]

So I put some into my test tube and gave it a good wiff.

what did it taste like?

 

[Westy1]

what did it taste like?

To tell you the truth I didn't taste it. I'll give that a go tonight and let you know.

 

[Adamt]

Do you have a better way of describing the smell, rather than funky?

Is it sulphury (rotten egg)? Did you use a lager yeast (i.e. saflager)? If both of these are yes then it is fine and normal.

 

[Westy1]

Do you have a better way of describing the smell, rather than funky?

Is it sulphury (rotten egg)? Did you use a lager yeast (i.e. saflager)? If both of these are yes then it is fine and normal.

You guys are too good

Yeah I would call it a rotten eggy smell and I did use Saflager (S-23, I think).

Just out of curiousity... What makes it smell like that? Is it just the type of yeast?

Cheers for your help mate

 

[Interloper]

You guys are too good

Yeah I would call it a rotten eggy smell and I did use Saflager (S-23, I think).

Just out of curiousity... What makes it smell like that? Is it just the type of yeast?

Cheers for your help mate

It's a charcteristic of the yeasts...
See How to Brew

 

[Westy1]

It's a charcteristic of the yeasts...
See How to Brew

Interloper

I had a read through the link you put up and there is mention of the need to rack the beer into a seperate fermenter for the lagering stage. I have a second fermenter but it needs a good clean. Just wondering how many of you rack into a second fermentor once primary is done? I if so how do I tell when the primary is complete when I can't see a thing through the walls of my fermenter?

Cheers

 

[Steve]

how do I tell when the primary is complete when I can't see a thing through the walls of my fermenter?

take a hydrometer reading - should be around the 1010 mark when its finished fermenting. Just out of interest what temp are you fermenting it at?

 

[Adamt]

You can tell primary fermentation is complete with your hydrometer. I trust you took a reading before pitching?

If you made it to normal batch size of 20-23L, your final reading should be below 1.010. If you are fermenting at proper lager temperatures (10-12C), primary fermentation may take up to 3 weeks.

For lagers I always rack. If you are going to leave it for a month or so, it is best practice to take the beer off of the primary yeast cake to avoid autolysis (yeast eating each other, turning your beer to vegemite). However, you should only rack if you feel your cleanliness and racking technique is up to scratch. Beer is very prone to oxidation and care should be taken when racking!

If you don't rack, it won't be the end of the world though.

 

[Westy1]

take a hydrometer reading - should be around the 1010 mark when its finished fermenting. Just out of interest what temp are you fermenting it at?

Temps are hovering between 11-13 degrees. It's hard to keep it at the same temp without the proper equipment.

 

[Westy1]

You can tell primary fermentation is complete with your hydrometer. I trust you took a reading before pitching?

If you made it to normal batch size of 20-23L, your final reading should be below 1.010. If you are fermenting at proper lager temperatures (10-12C), primary fermentation may take up to 3 weeks.

For lagers I always rack. If you are going to leave it for a month or so, it is best practice to take the beer off of the primary yeast cake to avoid autolysis (yeast eating each other, turning your beer to vegemite). However, you should only rack if you feel your cleanliness and racking technique is up to scratch. Beer is very prone to oxidation and care should be taken when racking!

If you don't rack, it won't be the end of the world though.

Thanks for the info Adamt, but I'm afraid I have more questions

I've read a fair bit of info on the racking techniques everybody uses but found no informaiton for someone with very little spare money and very basic equipment. Gotta start somewhere right The equipment I have is basically 2 fermenters. I want to try this racking business because there a more arguements for it rather than against. I do not have a fridge or any cooling equipment. The temps are controlled by Mother Nature. So the questions are... Is it worth the effort of racking when I can't really cool it down? Can I just connect the 2 fermenters with a hose between the taps and rack away? and, The only real point where Oxygen can can into contact with the beer is in the second fermenter when it is filling. The air will be push out of the second fermenter through the air lock. Will this affect the beer greatly?

I did take a reading just before pitching. It was at 1.047 for 23L.

I must be a real pain in the ar$e Sorry

Cheers

Westy

 

[Adamt]

No worries.

I rack by connecting hose to the full fermenter's tap, and putting the exit of the hose in the bottom of the open, empty fermenter. I sit the hose tangential to the edge of the fermenter at the bottom so it will flow around the edge of the fermenter without splashing. After it has filled a little just keep the hose under the liquid surface and you should get a nice, clean, rack. I don't seal the fermenter with an airlock until I have filled it.

Some advocate a small amount of (boiled) sugar solution in the bottom of the secondary fermenter to ensure that some CO2 is produced in there, pushing out any air in the headspace. However, usually the racking will encourage a little further attenuation producing enough CO2 to do this. Either way, the diffusivity of oxygen in beer is very very low and you shouldn't get any noticeable oxidation from the headspace without splashing.

Best to practice with some water if you can, but by the sounds of it you only have 1 fermenter free.

 

[Westy1]

No worries.

I rack by connecting hose to the full fermenter's tap, and putting the exit of the hose in the bottom of the open, empty fermenter. I sit the hose tangential to the edge of the fermenter at the bottom so it will flow around the edge of the fermenter without splashing. After it has filled a little just keep the hose under the liquid surface and you should get a nice, clean, rack. I don't seal the fermenter with an airlock until I have filled it.

Some advocate a small amount of (boiled) sugar solution in the bottom of the secondary fermenter to ensure that some CO2 is produced in there, pushing out any air in the headspace. However, usually the racking will encourage a little further attenuation producing enough CO2 to do this. Either way, the diffusivity of oxygen in beer is very very low and you shouldn't get any noticeable oxidation from the headspace without splashing.

Best to practice with some water if you can, but by the sounds of it you only have 1 fermenter free.

Thanks for all your help. I'll let you know how I go when the time comes for racking.

Cheers

 

[Interloper]

A handy method is having a cube or 25litre water container and racking into that. Kmart and Bunnings have very cheap 25L water storage cubes.

One of those will set you back under $20 and some tubing for about $5. You can then use the tubing for racking to a bottling bucket (any sterile 25L container with a tap) when you bulk prime.

I know you are aiming to do it cheap, but the best thing you can do is grab at least 2 racking cubes and some plastic tube. use 1 cube to rack to and one to bulk prime. The more cubes you get the faster you can turn your brews over, as you can keep your fermenters full whilst you rack to the cubes.

I try and keep my fermenters full all winter, so as soon as a brew has 95% finished I rack, then clean the fermenter and get another brew on asap as it gives me some time before I have to worry about bottling it that day if I'm busy!

I have 4 fermenters and 3 cubes and a bottling bucket. I built that collection over time and it's still only about $200 worth of plastic...

 

[peterkinden]

No worries.

I rack by connecting hose to the full fermenter's tap, and putting the exit of the hose in the bottom of the open, empty fermenter. I sit the hose tangential to the edge of the fermenter at the bottom so it will flow around the edge of the fermenter without splashing. After it has filled a little just keep the hose under the liquid surface and you should get a nice, clean, rack. I don't seal the fermenter with an airlock until I have filled it.

Some advocate a small amount of (boiled) sugar solution in the bottom of the secondary fermenter to ensure that some CO2 is produced in there, pushing out any air in the headspace. However, usually the racking will encourage a little further attenuation producing enough CO2 to do this. Either way, the diffusivity of oxygen in beer is very very low and you shouldn't get any noticeable oxidation from the headspace without splashing.

Best to practice with some water if you can, but by the sounds of it you only have 1 fermenter free.

Westy1

Let me emphasize the don't splash part. My first one was a complete stuff up after i recieved some dodgy advice from the home brew / home wine store near the Victoria market in Melbourne. All i wanted was some pipe to run between the 2 taps and the chick...(i know... first error) recommended i use a syphon and that i wouldn't matter if it splashed when moving it from one fermenter to another. I hope they have more expertise in wine making....
i haven't been game enough to rack any more yet. i just leave them a little longer in primary. always worked well for me.

cheers,

Pete

 

[Westy1]

A handy method is having a cube or 25litre water container and racking into that. Kmart and Bunnings have very cheap 25L water storage cubes.

One of those will set you back under $20 and some tubing for about $5. You can then use the tubing for racking to a bottling bucket (any sterile 25L container with a tap) when you bulk prime.

I know you are aiming to do it cheap, but the best thing you can do is grab at least 2 racking cubes and some plastic tube. use 1 cube to rack to and one to bulk prime. The more cubes you get the faster you can turn your brews over, as you can keep your fermenters full whilst you rack to the cubes.

I try and keep my fermenters full all winter, so as soon as a brew has 95% finished I rack, then clean the fermenter and get another brew on asap as it gives me some time before I have to worry about bottling it that day if I'm busy!

I have 4 fermenters and 3 cubes and a bottling bucket. I built that collection over time and it's still only about $200 worth of plastic...

I'm gonna try get hold of some of these cubes that you have mentioned. They sound like the ducks nuts.

I have another question. During the lagering stage I read that the temps have to be lower. I'm not sure I can do this as I don't have the equipment. Do you think it will be a problem if the fermenter holding the racked beer sits at around the 15 degree mark?

Cheers

 

[Adamt]

Secondary fermentation is usually done at lager fermenting temperatures... 10-12 is best but you'll probably get away with 15.

Lagering is done at fridge temperatures or colder (sometimes under 0C, it does not freeze at 0C because of the alcohol content).

Got room in a fridge?

 

[MCT]

fyi, the Willow brand 20L jerries actually hold a little over 23L - I measured one a litre at a time, and marked it off. (which is interesting - the 20L mark on the can was exactly 23L, and there was exactly 3L of deadspace under the tap )

IMHO, whilst it is certainly best to lager cold, if thats not possible, going to secondary as low as you can go is better than not racking at all. Its just a compromise.

How about lagering in corny kegs? Or does too much yeast drop out?