Is this normal?

[Foxhill]

Hi folks,

I brewed an American Lager (O.G. 1.056) and used Wyeast California Lager 2112. This is my first real lager (all grain, liquid yeast). Fermented at, pretty much, ale temps because I have no temp control. Fermentation seemed to go normally and I racked it to secondary then kegged when fermentation was complete. I have a lot of sulfur taste in the beer. Is this normal because the beer is so young?
Brewed 14-06-23
Kegged 14-07-15
tasted yesterday and sulfur has decreased somewhat but still strong.

Thanks in advance,

Ed

[BDawg]

Lager yeasts throw a LOT more sulphur than ale yeasts.
you can blow some of it off by putting a black beer out connector on your co2 line, and hooking it up to the beer out side, while releasing pressure from the pressure release valve on the lid. Do this a few minutes and the sulphur will decrease a great deal.

You really need temp control to do good lagers. Lager yeasts will produce large amounts of esters when fermenting too warm.
The yeasts are in total much more finicky. At a minimum, you can build a fermentation chamber like Son of Fermentation Chiller which uses Ice within a foamboard chamber to keep your carboy cool.

HTH-

[Foxhill]

Thanks for the quick response. So, if I understand correctly, even though the 2112 is supposed to be ok with warmer temps, it still needs to be cooled and will still throw a lot of sulfur in the upper end of its range? So is my beer trash?

[dmtaylor]

Sulfur always disappears with age. Usually it is gone in about 3 weeks. Occasionally it takes longer. Give it time and it will clean itself up with no effort required. Or you can offgas like BDawg says to help accelerate the process.

[spiderwrangler]

I have a foolproof method to avoid excessive sulfur in your beer.

Step 1. Brew ales.

[Foxhill]

I have a foolproof method to avoid excessive sulfur in your beer.

Step 1. Brew ales.

HAHAHAHAHA Good idea!

[Foxhill]

Sampled the beer this morning. Good head retention, lots of body (I like that) and less sulfur. I'm beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel, so I'll keep it a while longer and taste it again next week. I guess it just makes me wonder when I read on other blogs that people are brewing lagers and drinking them within a month. Does cold fermentation have that big an effect? I can see ester formation, but sulfur?

Guess there's really only one way to find out......

On a good note, gonna brew an ale on Friday.

[brewinhard]

Was your primary fermentation "vigorous" enough, even for a lager? This can help to blow-off some of that sulfur as well. Some of those lager strains can really produce a ton of it. Other strains are a bit cleaner and easier to work with.