Is this normal?

[brewinhard]

As stated above, the sulfur should dissipate with aging providing you minimized it during your initial fermentation process. Is this aroma like a hydrogen sulfide (rotten eggy) kind of smell or more like DMS (cooked corn) aroma? Did you happen to use an appreciable amount of flaked maize (corn) in your recipe at all? If so, that could be the aroma you are getting which in some lagers (American) are allowed.

[Foxhill]

It's more hydrogen sulfide/burned rubber taste. There's no corn in the recipe at all, but there is some rice. I was brewing Jamil's "What most folks call beer".

[brewinhard]

That burned rubber note could be a possible wild yeast infection creating that off flavor.

[Foxhill]

I'm not going to say it's impossible, but twice? With two completely different batches of ingredients?

[Klickitat Jim]

Can you tell us which yeast, and what your fermentation temperature profile is?

[Foxhill]

Sure. First one was Wyeast 2112 California Lager fermented at 65 deg F. Second one was Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager fermented at 50 deg F for 10 days and then 65 deg F for 10 days. The first one was so bad that I ended up pouring it down the drain. The second one was better, but still some sulfur even after a couple months aging.

[Klickitat Jim]

Everyone has a way of running their lagers that they feel is best. Take it or leave it, here's my way. Chill your wort to 48º, then oxygenate well, then pitch the appropriate amount of fresh healthy yeast, then every day raise the temp by one degree until you get to 68º. Dont remove it from the yeast until you reach terminal gravity and detect no diaetyl. At that point chill it to 30º. Then fine it with gelatin. Leave it alone for at least 3 days before racking to a keg or your bottling bucket.

Why chill then oxygenate? Because colder liquids will absorb more oxygen
Why 48º? Because my target starting temp is 50 and I prefer to pitch below that
Why one temp per day? Because most of the temp related undesirable fermentation flavors occur in the first few days. Upping it by one degree per day from 48 means it will have ten days below 58.
Why stop at 68? Because you can get rid of diacetyl at about 62-65, but my hydrometer is calibrated to 68, so why not?
Why chill it to 30º? Because cold is good for dropping particulates, and conditioning beers, and I want to fine the beer as cold as I can get it. Unless its only like 1% ABV it wont freeze.
Why fine? Because I dont want any yeastiness in my lagers, and in my opinion lagers should be brilliant.

Good luck

[Foxhill]

I don't have that quality of temp control yet. My basement is 50 deg in winter so I use that. I'm hoping the temp tolerance of the Bohemian Lager and the addition of the bigger pitch of yeast will do the trick this time, but I will eventually get a temp controller.

Thanks for all your help.