My cider stinks

[Green-Lobster]

i read you can place a piece of copper , like a pieceof sterilised pipe into the brew to clear up the sulfur . had this problem last year and the brews i had this issue with, even though the smell disapated ,tended to leave me with a headache after 2 pints.
The nutrients are the answer, with that addition, never had a problem. I never tried the copper solution as i was to far down the track when i noticed . Would be good to hear if others have tried that remidy .
Cheers.

 

[Mutaneer]

Unsure about the copper solution,
Just thinking back to High school Copper Sulphate experiments, you end up with brown/ blue precipitate that then turns clear if you heat it.
But you wouldn't heat your brew.

Some interesting reading on Sodium Metabisulfate here
http://www.seafish.org/media/Publications/sodium_metabisulphite_rpt.pdf

Particularly this bit
"On contact with acids, metabisulphite liberates gaseous sulphur dioxide (SO2)"

So with the acids in your apple juice or any added lemons, etc SO2 will stink.
Further reading gives this

SO2 can cause severe irritation and respiratory disorders. Sodium metabisulphite is a severe irritant through topical and
ocular contact and through ingestion.

and

Sodium metabisulphite is an off white crystalline powder which emits harmful sulphurous odour. In solid form metabisulphite is harmful to the skin, digestive system and in particular the lungs. All exposure should be limited or preferably removed through correct handling procedures. Protective equipment for handling and operation should comprise oilskins, boots, rubber gloves and respirator. All handling should be carried out in a well ventilated area.

Now, don;t know about you, but since reading a number of articles, I'm staying well away from metabisulphate as a preservative/ sterilising agent.

 

[Greg.L]

SO2 and sodium/potassium metabisulfate have been proven safe in the quantities used in wine and cider for many years. The quantities are measured in ppm. Metabisulfate can contribute a slight bitterness and some people are more sensitive, but it doesn't contribute to the rotten egg sulfur smell at all. You should be careful using it in concentrated form but once diluted it is quite safe. It is perfectly reasonable to avoid using it but that doesn't mean a lot of scaremongering talk is called for.

 

[Mutaneer]

Didn't mean for it to come across as scaremongering.

I've used it for years (in proper concentrations), but have had the same sulphur smells with some of the beers i used to do,
As soon as i stopped using it, no more smells.
Plus having asthmatics in the family, avoiding it was a better option.

Also, it's a pain in the butt to use a sanitiser, long contact time needed, plus have to wait for it to dry.

 

[wynnum1]

Problem with sulfur is if allergic or have low tolerance like gluten .Did a Mangrove Jacks cider pear and it had sulfur listed as containing and smelt sulfur during ferment . Mangrove Jacks cider yeast on there documentation will go as low as 12 degrees yeast works quickly.

 

[Airgead]

Yeah... if you have asthmatics in the house, keeping it around (unless you can keep it well sealed and well away from them) is probably not a good idea.

There are much better sanitisers out there and if you want to use it as an antioxidant, using it in the form of campden tablets is a good way to go. Being a compressed tablet there is no loose powder floating around.

I tend not to use it at all as the missus has asthma and a reaction to so2 in wine.

But yeah... sulphur smell usually = low nutrients (although some yeast strains will produce some anyway).

Cheers
dave

 

[TheBaron]

Cheers for the advice all.

Just as an update, I checked on the cider last night and the sulphur smell has pretty much gone, leaving behind a much less obvious but much more pleasant cider-ish smell.

I haven't done anything to make this happen, is there any chance this could mean fermentation has stalled?

 

[Airgead]

Either that or it just means that the yeast has finished producing sulphur...

Has fermentation finished (ie: are you at your FG)? or is it still going?

Some yeasts will produce sulphur at first then once they exhausts whatever precursor chemical they are using, they will stop. Some will re-metabolise some of the sulphur they produced earlier and break the compounds down further to extract more energy from them. Yeast are complex buggers. Its not just sugar->alcohol+c02...Sulphur compounds will also react with other stuff in the wine to produce different compounds that may or may not impart a small or may bind into larger molecules and drop out of solution.

The main thing is that your cider no longer smells of farts. This is a good thing.

 

[TimT]

I haven't done anything to make this happen, is there any chance this could mean fermentation has stalled?

Smells and gases emitted by a fermentation will change from day to day, just as the brew itself is changing. Anyway, it's not just the smell, innit? You should be able to tell there's a stuck ferment - if the gravity of the brew is not dropping over several days, there's no visible krausen or bubbling on the surface, or in the brew itself, if nothing is going through the airlock, then I might be more concerned. Then again, it might be a finished ferment too.

 

[TheBaron]

The main thing is that your cider no longer smells of farts. This is a good thing.

True. I will count my blessings.

The gravity dropped from 1.021 to about 1.012 when I checked last night, I'm planning to check again tonight. I can hear audible bubbling which I'm taking as a good sign. I've also tasted it a few times and it has tasted noticeably drier each time, which is making me inexplicably excited. I never planned to get so much joy out of yeast and juice.

 

[Mardoo]

I've also tasted it a few times and it has tasted noticeably drier each time, which is making me inexplicably excited. I never planned to get so much joy out of yeast and juice.

Welcome to halfway down the slippery slope. Enjoy the ride!