smell

[raedan]

Hi all,
I've got a couple of brew on the go at the moment and when I went to test the SG a couple of days ago I noticed a strong smell coming from the brew and when I stirred it the smell got quite strong. One brew has 500g of light dry malt and 500g of dextrose and the other has brew enhancer 2. Today I again tested the SG and although the smell was not as strong I could still smell it. More so the one brew with the light dry malt and dextrose in it. The two fermenters that I'm using were wash with a sterilized solution and wash out after with really hot water and dried days before they were used. Before being used I again rinsed them out with really hot water. Has anyone got an idea what the smell could be and will it affect the beer?
:confused:

[BigEd]

You need to describe the odor. Fermentations gernerate many smells as a matter of course.

[raedan]

A sharp odour simular to when lighting a match and getting a nostril full of sulphur in the old days. Thats the only way I can describe it. :(

[BigEd]

It's sulphur dioxide. Many yeasts will produce the compound during fermentation. It's more usual with lagers but ale yeasts can also be producers.

[raedan]

Thanks BigEd, will the sulphur dioxide ferment out and the smell goes away? because the brew is just about finished.:)

[Mill Rat]

Originally posted by raedan
Thanks BigEd, will the sulphur dioxide ferment out and the smell goes away? Yep.

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by raedan
Thanks BigEd, will the sulphur dioxide ferment out and the smell goes away? because the brew is just about finished.:)

just remember - everything you smell is LEAVING the beer. Be happy that funny/odd/bad smells are coming out and not good ones.

[Old CW4]

Originally posted by HogieWan
just remember - everything you smell is LEAVING the beer. Be happy that funny/odd/bad smells are coming out and not good ones.

Hogie, I love that! But now I wonder if the pleasant smells coming from my fermentings are a bad thing.....?

Being an old guy, my smeller isn't what it used to be but I have so enjoyed the pleasant odors from my airlocks. It tends to tell me something nice (or drinkable) is going on.

[Mill Rat]

Old CW4, I think the basic message here is to not worry over how the fermentation smells. If it smells good, it probably is good. If it smells odd, it's probably good, too. The only time I'd worry about a smell is if you have a favorite recipe that you brew pretty much verbatim each time and it's smelling different than the other times.