Apple Cider bit of a 'odd' smell!

[WaynoW]

Hey guys,

Just for something different I put on an Apple Cider kit last week. Not a fan myself, it was at the missus request.

 

The Cider kit came with a wine yeast and a yeast nutrient.

 

At 18.5deg, Fermentation didn't kick in at all until 48 hours then it went along nicely for about four days and is slowing big time now on day seven.

 

Now... in the first five days it smelt great, a really nice apple smell, thing is today, (day 7), it smelt like a 'fart'!

 

So day six and seven after fermentation has wound down it smells funny, I did a SG today and it tasted ok I guess, better than it smelt (1st day OG 1032- 7th day SG 1004).

 

Is it maybe the wine yeast possibly producing this odd smell?

 

or........ Infection, because... (a the risk of being flamed here!) [roll] Airlock Alert [alien] .

I am ridding my household of all airlocks from now on, cling wrap it is! I don't think this would have any consequence but any input would be appreciated please?

 

Couple days ago took a mid week reading to see things where moving and a little water gurgled back through the airlock into the cider, could this have had any infection consequence?

 

Cheers

Wayno

[Matty A]

It could be a character of the yeast although I have never used wine yeast.

 

I know that lager yeast smells like eggs when fermenting. I would still be thinking about bottling it and then just trying them constantly too see if they are getting better or worse. I know the egg smell dissipates in the lagers.

[Hoptimus Maximus]

Now... in the first five days it smelt great, a really nice apple smell, thing is today, (day 7), it smelt like a 'fart'!

 

So day six and seven after fermentation has wound down it smells funny, I did a SG today and it tasted ok I guess, better than it smelt (1st day OG 1032- 7th day SG 1004).

 

It is not uncommon to get a rhino fart smell I am told. Sometime it is a sulphur smell.

Jack Keller's advice (from his site) on how to try to get rid of it: Rotten-Egg Smell: Hydrogen-sulfide gas manifests itself as the smell of rotten eggs. Pour the must or wine from one container to another for a few minutes to aerate it. Refit the airlock and wait a few hours. If the smell persists, repeat the procedure. If the smell persists after four such procedures, destroy the batch.

 

I have 2 small batches of cider on the go at the moment - one at day 13 and one at day seven. Used Nottingham yeast for both and there has been no bad smell from either. A slight apple cider smell is all I can detect. One lot is using Berri long life apple juice ($3.98 for 4.8 litres at Coles) and the other Berri Fresh Apple juice. Both are pasteurised but the long life is UV treated or something.

I was going to stop them at 1.004 by bottling and sterilising to retain a sweet(drop those panties)cider.