First Time Lager Smells Sour

[komomos]

I have ever brewed 5 batches. All of them had this soury smell.

Then I thought that is related to fermenting "ales". Now I go with a Saflager S-23. Now at 1.027 it has appeared.

I'm fermenting pretty low to lower contamination risks (43F)


All of the yeast has massed at the top. Isn't that strange? I took a spoon from yeast. It smells very heavy sour. Is a yeast smells?

I hate that smell. I would like odour-free beers like commercial beers.


PS: Beer tastes OK. All of them were OK but smell!

 

[cosmatics]

Hate to be that "guy", but we need to hear more about your process and recipe etc. Beers that are clean and proper sanitation should not smell sour.

John

 

[wailingguitar]

Did the finished beer smell bad to you, or just the yeast? Yeast has a smell that many people find objectionable. If the finished beer tastes/smells good, you're fine.

 

[lumpher]

that's too low. not only do you have stressed yeast, you have an incomplete fermentation at 1.027. bring the temp up to 52 for a few days, then up to 62 for 3 days. look up a term called "diacetyl rest".

 

[wailingguitar]

Not necessarily, lumpher, we don't know how long the beer has been fermenting... if there is yeast on the surface as he indicates, it is probably still working. I have fermented S-23 in the low 40s many times (as low as 35 with active ferment), and with reasonable aging there is no need for a warm diacetyl rest.