Question on fermentation

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by firstthenlast, Nov 28, 2013.

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  1. firstthenlast

    firstthenlast Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2013 Massachusetts

    Hello,

    I just brewed my first All Grain last night. I am now 12 hours into fermentation.

    Krisen has started to form, (about half an inch) however the beer smells like rotten fruit. Is this normal when only partial way through fermentation? It does not smell like beer at all.

    On another note, my OG was 1.050, and predicted OG 1.063. During infusion I had problems with temperature control. Do you think that the temperature problems caused this discrepancy and is it a big deal?

    Thanks in advance.
     
    #1 firstthenlast, Nov 28, 2013
    Last edited: Nov 28, 2013
  2. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    is it a sulfury smell?

    Mash temperature might have been the reason, or one factor, or not. There are many reasons your OG could have been off. If you describe your recipe, process, and measurements, people can help troubleshoot.
     
    #2 VikeMan, Nov 28, 2013
    firstthenlast likes this.
  3. firstthenlast

    firstthenlast Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2013 Massachusetts

    Recipe, 11lb US 2-row, 1lb Cara 30, .5lb US Victory. 6 gallon sparge water and 4.25 Gallon for mash. Then I did a 80 minute boil. Pre-boil gravity was 10.30 (@170F, so probably a little denser in reality).

    Hop schedule; 0.5oz warrior 15.7AA @ 60min, 1oz Cascade 7AA 15min, and 1oz Cascade 7AA @ 5min. During sparge I used the false bottom in my mash tun, I also might have tried a bit too hard to extract all the liquid from the grains, not sure if that matters.

    I would say that yes it is sulfur like the smell. Also I don't smell alcohol despite the fact that fermentation has begun. I also pitched the yeast when the temperature was a little bit high maybe mid eighties.
     
    #3 firstthenlast, Nov 28, 2013
  4. Tebuken

    Tebuken Initiate (0) Jun 6, 2009 Argentina

    ´Then I did a 80 minute boil. Pre-boil gravity was 10.30 (@170F, so probably a little denser in reality).´


    At that temperature(170F) your pre-boil wort might be around 1052-1053 so your OG before fermentation might be around 1060 after 80 min of boiling.
     
    #4 Tebuken, Nov 28, 2013
  5. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Assuming your post boil volume was 5 gallons, your 1.050 post boil OG translates to a mash efficiency of about 56%. That's a bit low. If you measured that OG in a larger volume, then your efficiency was something higher. If the volume was less than 5 gallons, then the efficiency was something lower. What was your actual final volume?

    Not sure what you meant by "tried a bit too hard," but there's nothing you can really do when lautering that would hurt efficiency, unless you're leaving extra wort behind in the mash tun (puddling/pooling/stuck). You mentioned temperature control problems, but not what they were. If your temps were outside the ranges where the malt's enzymes (alpha and beta amylase) are most efficient, that could have been a factor. Also, your grain crush could have been a factor, if it was too coarse.

    Sulfur smells are not uncommon. They should eventually dissipate. Pitching into mid-80's wort is going to be a problem though, at least with most yeast strains. The yeast themselves will love it, but you'll get a lot of extra fruity and/or solventy esters, as well as fusel alcohols, which can make your final beer taste "hot." You really need to get the fermentation temp (the temp of the wort/beer, not the ambient temp) under control.
     
    #5 VikeMan, Nov 29, 2013
  6. jncastillo87

    jncastillo87 Initiate (0) Jan 27, 2013 Texas

    That is a high pitch .. could have a lot to do with the smell.
     
    #6 jncastillo87, Nov 29, 2013
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