Smelly All Grain Brew

[Almanac]

A word to the wise!

I recently pitched an all grain wash and decided to try out a Champagne yeast from Brouwland called Vinoferm Champ.

I've used this in the past in small sugar washes before with reasonably good results.

The current wash is fermenting away but there was one notable thing I had not experienced before - a huge amount of Sulpher Dioxide (SO2) produced - almost choking when I went into my garage on the second day.

If using this yeast make sure you have plenty of ventilation - preferably an extractor fan.

AM

[Capt-Cudellez]

I've had quite a few eggy grain ferments, they always seem to clean right up, it's just smelly for the first 2/3rds of the ferment.
There is quite a bit on the beer forums, and I don't believe it's anything to be worried about, but you don't sound worried anyhoo.

[optic]

Should think that strain of yeast behaves much like a Lager yeast,that sulphur aroma is the norm in all grain Lagers that I have brewed it does dissapear eventually but I do Lager it at 3c for a month or so after fermentation.

[knobby]

Sounds like a classic case of "Rhino Farts"............. I have had this with making apple wine google it....... It does bloody whiff but does not carry through the finished product

[Almanac]

Thanks guys. It's day five and the ferment is nearly finished and the SO2 is all but gone too.

Just finished installing a flexi-hose and a fan which can be operated by the thermostat in the box to blow the gas outside for future washes 'cause I have a lot of that particular yeast - 500g

I just hope the end result is worth it

AM

[Keystone]

I have read elsewhere that Safale US-05 or Danstar Nottingham ale yeast would be a recommended yeast for all grain washes.

[Almanac]

Have to hit up my supplier. Thanks for the pointer.

Plenty of other recipes I can use the offending yeast on.

AM

[Almanac]

Update:
That ferment was pitched on 06 Nov and finished bubbling on or about 10 Nov. There being no activity for 24 hours I degassed it on 11 Nov and turned the temperature control off. The temp quickly dropped to 12oC and I left it until today to start getting it ready for stripping.

The usual procedure for me would be to rack off to another container, trying hard not to disturb and transfer any of the lees, and leave the second container to clear for a few days too. I'd also recharge the fermenter and get the yeast started again.

Today I was to rack off the beer to a second container but this wash was dark chocolate brown and I couldn't see the end of the syphon even though it was only just below the surface of the beer. This meant I wouldn't be able to see the yeast cake and avoid getting some of it sucked into the syphon.

I carefully watched the tube on my auto-syphon for the first signs of any sediment so I could pull out the syphon and leave the yeast cake undisturbed but, to my amazement, I was able to syphon off the entire wash, all 55Lt of clean, crystal clear, dark brown beer, and no lees. I even tilted the fermenter to get the very last few drops and the yeast cake never moved.

I've always had to leave the last few litres behind so as to keep the beer clean going to the boiler but this wash and yeast have really opened my eyes. 40Lt of the beer went straight to my boiler, instead of having to wait days to clear completely, and I've even pressed my trusty Airstill into service to help with stripping the balance.

As soon as the boiler was on I was able to top up the yeast cake with some lukewarm water and preheated another batch of stored wort, and a 4lt yeast bomb, in my plastic boiler to standard pitching temp, aerated the hell out of it and got the yeast cake back to work.

It may seem like a little thing but being able to rack straight from fermenter to boiler is new to me and I'm really happy as it's made the process shorter and cleaner.

AM