Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Sulfur from Wyeast 2124  (Read 5757 times)

Offline jlap

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 48
Sulfur from Wyeast 2124
« on: January 17, 2012, 01:23:47 pm »
I'm trying to get serious about brewing lagers this winter.  The first was a G. Pils with the Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager.  I pitched 2 packs into a 2 L stirred starter for a 6 gallon batch.  The primary fermentation as at 51 F and was active within 24 hours.  Around day 6 I noticed that it was producing a fair amount of sulfur.  By day 8 it was basically done fermenting and I ramped the temperature slowly up to 60 for a diacetyl rest and to ensure complete fermentation.  I left it there for a week and moved to a keg to lager.  There is still some sulfur evident in the samples I've taken after another 2 weeks.

I'd love some input on the following:

1. What could I have do to prevent this level of sulfur production?  Nutrient?  More O2?  Is this common with this yeast strain?

2. Has anyone ever used CuSO4 to deal with sulfur in a beer?  I've used it in wine with great results but I can't find anything about using it in beer.  I was thinking of doing some bench trials to see what the effect is.

Offline HydraulicSammich

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 186
  • Logan, UT
Re: Sulfur from Wyeast 2124
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2012, 01:36:16 pm »
I have used that yeast on many occasions.  I pitch at 44 degrees, let it ramp up to 50-52 degrees and it sits on the yeast for 4 weeks then kegged and lagered. for a couple of months or whatever.  It always has sulfur at 1 to 3 weeks in the primary.  It cleans itself up quite nicely by the end of 4.
AHA Member 900001775

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: Sulfur from Wyeast 2124
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2012, 01:55:13 pm »
There were a couple posts recently touching on this issue. One, I think mentioned stirring gently with a piece of copper. The other advocated hooking your co2 to the beer out post and with the lid open, pushing co2 through the beer to scrub the sulfur out.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline jlap

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 48
Re: Sulfur from Wyeast 2124
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2012, 02:06:40 pm »
Copper sulfate is the modern way of achieving the same result as stirring with the copper pipe or using a racking cane made of copper.  Copper is highly toxic and in NY anyway the limit in wine is 4-5ppm.  This requires major dilution of the copper sulfate solution to get an accurate and small enough addition.  Typically you would dilute 1 ml of 1% CuSO4 with 99 ml of water and add only a few ml of that solution!  Stirring with a pipe or using a racking cane made of copper is imprecise and potentially dangerous (probably depending a lot on how you do it).  I plan to use copper sulfate but I'm surprised that there isn't information about commercial brewers doing this b/c it's so common in wine making.

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: Sulfur from Wyeast 2124
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2012, 02:30:01 pm »
Copper sulfate is the modern way of achieving the same result as stirring with the copper pipe or using a racking cane made of copper.  Copper is highly toxic and in NY anyway the limit in wine is 4-5ppm.  This requires major dilution of the copper sulfate solution to get an accurate and small enough addition.  Typically you would dilute 1 ml of 1% CuSO4 with 99 ml of water and add only a few ml of that solution!  Stirring with a pipe or using a racking cane made of copper is imprecise and potentially dangerous (probably depending a lot on how you do it).  I plan to use copper sulfate but I'm surprised that there isn't information about commercial brewers doing this b/c it's so common in wine making.

I think alot of commercial brewers actually just make sure there is a piece of copper somewhere in the system. After all alot of old school boil kettles were copper, hence 'coppers'. Also I think there is less sulfur produced normally in beer fermentation than in wine.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline beerstache

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 97
Re: Sulfur from Wyeast 2124
« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2012, 03:32:06 pm »
I just recently brewed a BoPils using 2124 and it had the sulfur odor too.  I've brewed other lagers with different yeasts and sulfur
is a common by-product so I wouldnt sweat it.  It just needs time and conditioning to clean up!

Offline chumley

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1205
Re: Sulfur from Wyeast 2124
« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2012, 04:10:52 pm »
+1 to lagering and waiting.

The last thing I think I would ever do to my beer is add copper sulfate to it, no matter how little the amount.

Offline ukolowiczd

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 144
  • Burlington, VT
Re: Sulfur from Wyeast 2124
« Reply #7 on: January 19, 2012, 04:13:59 pm »
Yeh, I haven't used this yeast but I had major issues with the Kolsch yeast and sulfur. I know it's an ale yeast but after two weeks fermenting - wow - rotten eggs. After only 4 weeks lagering it was completely clear of the sulfur and dee-licious. I've made this beer 4 times since then! So I agree, give it time.