Extremely strong fermentation odors

[Ernst-Haeckel]

Hi all, I brewed a weizenbock yesterday, pitched with Wyeast weihenstephan 3068. I checked on it this morning and fermentation took off with a bang; very active indeed!

When I opened the keezer, it smells extremely strongly of green apples. It is so pungent, if I put my head close to the blow-off bucket it burns my nostrils. Literally burns, smells extremely sour. There is no distinguishable banana esters, maybe some clove, but dominantly green apples. In my opinion, it doesn't smell right.

Is this normal for 3068? Fermentation temp is ~70 F.

Here is my grain bill:

8 lb pale wheat
4 lb pilsner
1 lb caramunich type 1
1 lb carawheat

2 oz tettnanger @60

made a starter of 2 cups water, 1/2 cup DME the night before. The starter was a little strange in that it didn't appear to be very active, but when I shook the starter it effervesced like crazy.

Any thought? Thanks in advance! I am worried it is already infected, maybe I'll end up with a lambic!

 

[Revvy]

Fermentation is often ugly, AND smelly.........and perfectly normal.

Relax. Some yeasts stink when fermenting.

 

[seabass07]

Especially with that yeast! You're lucky you've got a green apple smell. For me it is usually a mixture of banana esters and rotten eggs. Not a good combo. It's known to throw off some crazy smells.

BTW it's too early for an infection. The yeast will turn the green apple (acetaldehyde) into ethanol and the smell/flavor should go away.

 

[edb23]

yeah that's all good.

Have you ever seen someone say on here that their beer still tastes a little "green"? They'
re often referring to that green apple thing that occurs when beers still a little to young

 

[Ernst-Haeckel]

Thanks. I just did some reading on acetaldehyde, including some Revvy posts, sounds like that's what I have (still learning a lot!).

So I think I may have overpitched. I also read that if you over pitch 3068 you can lose all banana esters, which may be why the acetaldehyde is so prominently displayed.

Regarding the starter: is it normal for the starter to appear so quiet but strongly effervesce when shaken? That was new to me!

Also, when allowing the yeast to "clean up" the acetaldehyde and other off-flavors produced during fermentation, is there a recommended temperature to make clean-up more efficient?

 

[edb23]

I try to ferment all my ales around 65 to 70, i think you'll be good where you are.

 

[seabass07]

Thanks. I just did some reading on acetaldehyde, including some Revvy posts, sounds like that's what I have (still learning a lot!).

So I think I may have overpitched. I also read that if you over pitch 3068 you can lose all banana esters, which may be why the acetaldehyde is so prominently displayed.

Regarding the starter: is it normal for the starter to appear so quiet but strongly effervesce when shaken? That was new to me!

Also, when allowing the yeast to "clean up" the acetaldehyde and other off-flavors produced during fermentation, is there a recommended temperature to make clean-up more efficient?

That's normal for starters. I usually have just a tiny bit of krausen on them.

 

[seabass07]

You definitely did not overpitch. And with a 70F fermentation, you should get a lot of esters. You won't know until it's done. It's very possible that the other smells are just overpowering the banana.

 

[Revvy]

No, what you have is "noob nerves." You think your beer is weak like a new born baby, that merely looking at it wrong will ruin it, and that every little thing that seems strange to you instantly means something wrong...when in reality like I said fermentation is ugly and stinky and perfectly normal.

Relax.

 

[Ernst-Haeckel]

No, what you have is "noob nerves." You think your beer is weak like a new born baby, that merely looking at it wrong will ruin it, and that every little thing that seems strange to you instantly means something wrong...when in reality like I said fermentation is ugly and stinky and perfectly normal.

Relax.

No worries, I'm pretty relaxed about the whole thing, just really inquisitive! I mean, look how much I've learned this morning! Green apple smell comes from acetaldehyde, the yeast will clean it up and convert it into ethanol, I likely did not over-pitch, the origin of "green" beer, starters can appear very still but are regardless healthy, etc...

Thanks for the comments everyone! Noob, yes, but learning

 

[beaksnbeer]

We are all learning this "HOBBY" is a learning process, a few years ago thought was to get your beer of the yeast cake as soon as primary was done and transfer to secondaries, now we have learned that it's better to leave them sit on the yeast cake to help clean the beer.

 

[mrgstiffler]

Especially with that yeast! You're lucky you've got a green apple smell. For me it is usually a mixture of banana esters and rotten eggs. Not a good combo. It's known to throw off some crazy smells.

BTW it's too early for an infection. The yeast will turn the green apple (acetaldehyde) into ethanol and the smell/flavor should go away.

I jut used the same yeast and had the same banana and rotten eggs smell as you. As the OP said, it was more powerful than any of my other batches too. Took off within hours and had krausen coming out of the airlock. I was impressed.

 

[subliminalurge]

Green apple smell comes from acetaldehyde, the yeast will clean it up and convert it into ethanol,

And here's the fun part.

Your body will convert that ethanol back into acetaldehyde, the main culprit (along with dehydration) in producing hangovers...