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Cider Digest #0560
Subject: Cider Digest #560, 21 October 1995
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #560 21 October 1995
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Re: sulfur smell (Michael S Ferdinando)
re: Weird smell (Dick Dunn)
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Subject: Re: sulfur smell
From: msf2@cornell.edu (Michael S Ferdinando)
Date: Mon, 16 Oct 1995 09:23:07 -0400
Peter Matra <stalkwol@cloud9.net> asked about a sulfur smell coming from
his fermenting cider. It otherwise seems fine.
I have never encountered this with a cider before, but this is a very
common reaction with several strains of lager yeast. My last Oktoberfest
lager kicked up a very strong sulfur smell for the first three days of
primary fermentation. I used a Wyeast lager yeast, but I don't remember
which one.
You didn't mention what type of yeast you used (wine, beer, wild), but
yeasts kicking out sulfurous odors is common for several strains. I
wouldn't worry. Your cider should be fine.
`
Michael S Ferdinando
Production Control Assistant--Cornellcard
Cornell University Office of the Bursar, 260 Day Hall, Ithaca NY 14853
607-255-5980 // msf2@cornell.edu
"The name that can be named is not the Eternal Name."
--Tao Te Ching
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Subject: re: Weird smell
From: rcd@raven.eklektix.com (Dick Dunn)
Date: 17 Oct 95 01:08:39 MDT (Tue)
Peter Matra <stalkwol@cloud9.net> wrote:
> This is my first cider and it seems to be fermenting really
> rapidly. I have done sucessful meads, and I have a question. At the first
> initial two to three days when this started fermenting I smelled a faint
> hint of that rotten egg/sulphur/stink bomb smell. After about a week it
> has gone away and I can just smell alcohol/cider smell. Very weird. Can
> anyone tell me what this is? and what kind of chemical reactionc occurred?
This is common for most yeast during the early stages of fermentation...
obviously something to make you sit up and say "WTF???" but, fortunately,
nothing to worry about. As Peter notes, it goes away. Here and there, I
have seen it in beer, wine, mead, and cider...ecumenical yeast flatulence.
One thing you might want to consider--not from the H2S smell in particular,
but just general practice--if the fermentation seems to be going like gang-
busters, you will probably improve your lot by cooling things down a bit.
If your fermentation room is near a window or a door (and it's cooler out-
side than inside!), open up and let some cool air in. The fermentation
won't stall or stick if it's currently going wild and you cool it just a
bit. What you gain is a reduction in esters and odd tastes. In most
cases, better results come from slower fermentation as long as the fermen-
tation doesn't stall due to low temps...you'll prefer the lowest temp that
keeps things perking along.
- ---
Dick Dunn rcd@talisman.com -or- raven!rcd Boulder, Colorado USA
...Simpler is better.
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End of Cider Digest #560
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