rotten eggs smell

Forbidden fruit yeast? Something new? HJ

It's fine.

-------->Denny

err...are you sure you didn't fart? ;)

Yeah, it's a Belgian ale yeast, I threw the packet out so I don't have the number.

Thanks Denny, I thought so but I wanted a second opinion.

At first I thought it was the dog!

The book "Mastering Homebrew: The Beer Maker's Bible" by Brian Kunath (ISBN 1-85076-991-5) says of "Sulfry, rotten eggs":

"Hydrogen Sulfide is often formed in small, unnoticeable quantities. Bacterial infection is usually to blame for excessive (noticeable!) amounts."

The cure is to "Maintain sanitation and fermentation temperatures."

So who is right??? Is the starter infected or not?

I wouldn't worry. Some yeasts will produce a bad stench during initial fermentation. A starter should be no exception.

I remember a Kolsch I made which stunk like egg farts when the yeast kicked in, but the beer came out fabulous after some cold conditioning.

Forbidden Fruit is a seasonal offered by Wyest. Has many of the same characteristics as some p-abbey's. Don't worry so much if it is slight, the phenols are quite impressive in this strain.

Rob

Chill

There's a big difference between a rotten eggs smell from the yeast (it does happen sometimes) and H2S. PURE H2S IS dangerous because it contacts moisture (lung tissue) and forms concentrated Sulphuric acid

- which eats the mucus membranes. That's the pure concentrated gas.

There is something called the "level of perception," where one becomes aware of the chemical/odor and the "toxic limit value" where it actually hurts/affects health.

Frequently, there is a wide disparity where the level of a toxin becomes detectable, and where it actually causes damage. There's also the function of the olfactory sense becoming less sensitive to a toxin as exposure increases . . .

Just cause you can smell it, doesn't mean it can hurt you.

I did have an exposure to H2S at a lab I worked at. When I smelled the gas, I held my breath. The immediate problem was a mild headache. Two days later I had a "cold." These days I have "smoker's cough" and don't smoke.

The type gas is less important than the concentration.

Speaking of egg farts, if it's not too off-topic I would like to ask why do farts smell like eggs immediately after eating eggs? It's worse if the eggs are runny, so what I figure is that the uncooked eggs undergo a fermentation process before they reach the intestines... I can feel gasses "growing" in the stomach for 3-4 hours after eating runny eggs. But, the timing doesn't seem right, I would think that at 98.6 degrees a complete ferment would take twice as long. However the eggy smell is immediate. Are there any common breakfast foods that would serve as some sort of catalyst?

I'm by no means an expert, I'm just trying to explain my observations.

Larry

Got it too, using Wyeast 1728 (??) with the Scottish Ale kit I just bottled. Funny thing about the smack pack was that it took 10-12 days to swell. Maybe something was up with the yeast.

Anyways, wort stunk out of the airlock pretty bad of sulphur for 5-6 days and then just went away. I'm a novice and was told by the pros in this NG not to worry. By the time I racked and filled, the smell was totally gone. They say it will be beer.

I'll let you know around Christmastime after it has conditioned. Hopefully Santa will bring me two glass carboys.

FOOLS!! Turn to the dark side and drink your beer fresher. Aging is for spirits, harumph!

-gcitagh