Rotten Eggs

[alwilson]

Morning All,

My fermenter, with a TEA clone has started to whiff of Rotten Eggs, presumably this is an infection. Is it salvageable? Should I let it carry on, or just ditch it now?


thanks alot,
Alex

[dave-o]

Let it ferment out, fine it for a week and then try.

[boingy]

Bad smells do not always mean bad beer. Fermentation is an odd thing. Stick with it.

[crookedeyeboy]

I chucked away my first ever two brews coz of eggs....LEAVE IT!!! Its a yeast by product smell....dont make my mistake!!

[alwilson]

cool, well, as the general agreement is leaving it, I shall leave it.

But out of interest, this is the second brew of this recipe, everything is the same as the original (which didnt smell of eggs). The only thing different is the water, this brew has been 'burtonised' - would that account for the smell of eggs

Cheers,
Alex

[Eadweard]

Hmmm...could adding sulphur lead to an eggy smell...

[alwilson]

We added, as per the instructions:
1 teaspoon of gypsum
1/2 teaspoon epsom salts
to both the mash water, and also the sparge water.

Was that too much - this is for a 23 litre brew.

[boingy]

Epsom Salts = magnesium sulphate.

Bad egg smell = sulphur.

There's yer reason, matey. It's not necessarily a problem for the final beer though - the sulphur should mostly be gone by then.

[alwilson]

Ah, brilliant. thanks boigy!
So should I leave our the epsom salts next time or just put up with the eggy whiff?

[boingy]

You should wait to see how it turns out, I reckon.

[crookedeyeboy]

Your salts should be going in with the malt for maximum effect not the liquor