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WayFastJett wrote: ↑Tue Nov 02, 2021 8:44 am i have looked through the forum using the google search and there are some posts that are similar but not same grain bill and the smells sound more pungent than i am experiencing.

This just happened to my very first AG mash bill last weekend.
I poured the mash into two fermenters and one was exactly that way, extremely pungent, burning if I got too close. That's how I found this post, with the same concerns.
I plan on running them both and will post my results in a week or so.

Does it smell like vomit?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butyric_a ... %20acid%20(from%20Ancient%20Greek,liquid%20with%20an%20unpleasant%20odor.

If this is the case you need to cool your mash faster.

Ben wrote: ↑Tue Apr 19, 2022 6:05 am Does it smell like vomit?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butyric_a ... %20acid%20(from%20Ancient%20Greek,liquid%20with%20an%20unpleasant%20odor.

If this is the case you need to cool your mash faster.

I wouldn't say vomit, just strong especially within 6" of the mash surface, it has a sharp sting in the nose like a burn and vinegar or ammonia.
I def did not let the mash cool as much as I have in the past, but again, both fermenters started the same. But if that is the case, what do I do with the mash right now?

I had two near identical wheat mashes, one quickly acquired a puke like smell that ended up as strong nail polish. This followed it through in the stripping run, during the spirit run it was extremely concentrated in the fores and heads, but near-gone in the hearts.

Aging them both on oak for a month has caused the nail-polish flavor to come back, subtle but its there. Not jazzed about it, I know sometimes fermentation that go south, can still be saved, but so far I'm more in the camp of dumping them.

I had another mild puke ferment that distilled out fine, it wasn't a home run in the first place.

for mine adding baking soda (after testing the PH was too low in around 4.2) did not have potassium carbinate on had so used baking soda) it brought PH back up and smell was gone by the next day, but came back 2 days later and i added more baking soda to bring the ph up again. when it finished there was a very slight smell remaining but much weaker. no floaties or anything funny growing) when i did run it about a month after ferment stopped it tasted fine coming off but there was a thick foamy grey ring about 3/4" from where the distilate level was in the still. i am guessing it was the baking soda as nothing before or after has done that. i did also do a heavy cleaning of all equipment after that run was done including the fermenter. (Craft Meister Alkaline Brewery Wash with as hot of water i can stand my hand in for 25mins while using soft cloth every 5 to wipe surfaces. then scalding hot rinse and then starsan spray before using). my experience does not seem to have affected the wash adversely other than yield was about 0.5L less for same size wash but that was final cuts so might have been a bit more in heads/tails and i didnt notice while blending.

lots to learn still but still a fun journey!

Jsullivanj wrote: ↑Mon Apr 18, 2022 6:55 pm
This just happened to my very first AG mash bill last weekend.
I poured the mash into two fermenters and one was exactly that way, extremely pungent, burning if I got too close. That's how I found this post, with the same concerns.
I plan on running them both and will post my results in a week or so.

Ran them separately and consecutively. Nearly identical in every way, start to finish, stats were the same.
I've even blended a little bit between the two runs and everything seemed very normal.

so final update (bottled and drank so no more to be had) so i ended up mixing them together and proofed to 40%. there was a faint fake banana taste up front (like the banana flavoured penicillin for kids) and almost an Allens apple juice after taste. but after a few drinks a week later it was less noticeable. either way, havent had a problem since using my PH meter more often and only adding sour mash when i was expecting it (in a later rye not yet off aging) but help from the group was much appreciated and results were tasty enough to not call a failure.