Does Kit Fermenting Smell?

[Ashley.h]

Morning all,

Just ahead of starting my first kit on Saturday and have only just had a thought, and apparently my wife asked this before I started buying the equipment and I said it would be fine haha . If the active yeast is obviously giving off CO2 then (yeast fart?) then what smell if any will it also produce as it come out of the airlock?

Just thinking if it going to stink out the room or only really be noticeable if I'm sitting right next to the FV? I was thinking of hanging an air freshener near the FV haha.

Many Thanks,
Ash

 

[Rodcx500z]

It depends on what you brew and what yeast you use, lager yeast will give off a sulpher smell bad eggy beers yeast a malty smell which smells like horlicks,

 

[AXW123]

It will have some smell - strangely our other half’s seem to notice it more than we do!

 

[Ashley.h]

So will the smell fill the room? And I’m making a MYO stout kit not sure what yeast is in that one.

 

[AXW123]

If it is in your living room you will be able to smell it. In reality some people are more sensitive to the smell than others and find it more unpleasant. My daughter hates the smell and says she can smell it even when it’s in a spare bathroom. I on the other hand quite like it. It is part of the balancing act that you have to do with other members of your family to make sure the hobby isnt too intrusive. Where are you planning to ferment it?

 

[Ashley.h]

If it is in your living room you will be able to smell it. In reality some people are more sensitive to the smell than others and find it more unpleasant. My daughter hates the smell and says she can smell it even when it’s in a spare bathroom. I on the other hand quite like it. It is part of the balancing act that you have to do with other members of your family to make sure the hobby isnt too intrusive. Where are you planning to ferment it?

Well it was going to be next to the wardrobe in the bedroom then it was going to be in the corner of the living room... now I’m clearing a space in the bottom of a cupboard in the bedroom as it will all be out the way then.

 

[Graz]

For years I used have my fermenting buckets on the kitchen worktop and never really noticed any strong smells.

Now I use fermenting fridges and on occasion you do open the door and the phew that's a bit pungent but then all the smell has been trapped in a confined space. In an open room I doubt you'd notice.

 

[Ashley.h]

Thanks guys, I’ll just give it a go and see what happens, can always light a few scented candles haha

 

[-Bezza-]

Smell was never an issue when I fermented in the house. What did result in a "conversation" was the constant glugging of the airlock.

 

[Ashley.h]

Smell was never an issue when I fermented in the house. What did result in a "conversation" was the constant glugging of the airlock.

I had a fish tank for a few years and got used to the bubbles and water movement off that so hopefully this shouldn’t be much of an issue

 

[-Bezza-]

I had a fish tank for a few years and got used to the bubbles and water movement off that so hopefully this shouldn’t be much of an issue

That's a constant sound. Wait til you get intermittent glugging - you'll be on edge waiting for the next one to come, especially when you're excited about the whole process!

 

[Ashley.h]

That's a constant sound. Wait til you get intermittent glugging - you'll be on edge waiting for the next one to come, especially when you're excited about the whole process!

Oh the suspense

 

[Manners]

I ferment in my study and the smell is noticeable whilst the airlock is chugging, but subsides considerably after that

 

[Binkei Huckaback]

To be honest, it probably depends on why she's asking if there's going to be a smell. If it's because she's taking an interest or has a particularlycken sense of smell or memories of living in or visiting a brewery town where the smell is rather pungent, then you might not have a problem. If she's wanting to find a smell, you might have a problem and need to use some of that foam draught excluding tape around the frame.

If your wife is less than happy with you brewing, I'd find somewhere other than the bedroom if possible. Also, to be in the safe side, if it's going to be anywhere near carpeting, furniture, wallpaper etc, put it in a plastic crate with a bin bag over it. This will at least show you're taking every precaution necessary.

Personally, I don't think I've ever smelled anything, but I have a crap sense of smell, have been lucky with supportive partners and have fermented only in the kitchen.

 

[damienair]

I keep my FV in an airing cupboard where I have a good constant temperature of 20-22 degrees. It does sometimes smell whilst fermenting but not too bad and only noticed when you open up the cupboard. Thankfully it does not make the fresh clothes which are airing in the cupboard smell. Otherwise I’d be expelled from there.

 

[Worf]

My lovely often makes comments like, "That oughta be good when it's finished", & "that's a nice room freshener."

But if your don't get the same reaction, just hang a week of unwashed boot-socks nearby & take the blame off the fermenter.

 

[yrhendystu]

I brew in the shed. It's easily doable with a heat pad and some insulated jackets. If you have any outbuildings with power it's an alternative to consider.

 

[Clint]

Stout...I'd be more worried about an explosive fermentation than any smell it might make. Stouts have a tendency to climb out the bucket so put it on a tray!