Strange smell stuck in my nose

I boiled my first batch about 10 nights ago in my kitchen. American Wheat. Ever since that time I have had a smell stuck in my nose. It is definitely the smell of the boil I did ten nights ago. It is not unpleasant but it is stuck in my nose. I can even smell it when I am at the office. Does anyone else have this issue?

I’ve never had that issue. Never heard of it happening either. Is it fading with time?

You are hooked. You are a brewing junkie.

This happens to me a lot with certain smells. At least in my case, I just think it’s my brain perceiving that smell because it’s so distinct and memorable. It’s kinda like a good or bad memory or event. You can relive it pretty realistically in your head. Your brain is a wonderful and sometimes terrible thing :slight_smile:

This^. I sometimes start smelling that “brew smell” when I begin my brew day, even before heating up the water, so I know it’s in my head. But for sure with other smells too. My wife and I once bought a sofa set from a used furniture store. Looked great in the showroom, but when it got delivered delivered it smelled overwhelmingly like cat pee. Scrubbed it, carpet cleaned it, febrezed it, and machine washed the removable parts. After cleaning it nobody else (not even my wife) could smell it, but 6 years later it still smells like cat pee to me.

I never liked hop-forward beers until the first time I brewed and threw in the bittering hops (all the recipe had was 60 minute addition and a small 10 minute addition). It was so weird, but my mind couldn’t forget it. It still hasn’t.

It’s funny you should bring this up. I also brewed the American Wheat as my first beer and it took me a long time to get the smell of the hops out of my sinuses as well. I never knew hops were so pungent. I think me being nervous and standing over the kettle for the entire one hour boil probably had something to do with it.

Anyhow, a good flush of the sinuses (neti pot or spray) should get rid of it pretty quickly.

[quote=“DaveSt”]It’s funny you should bring this up. I also brewed the American Wheat as my first beer and it took me a long time to get the smell of the hops out of my sinuses as well. I never knew hops were so pungent. I think me being nervous and standing over the kettle for the entire one hour boil probably had something to do with it.

Anyhow, a good flush of the sinuses (neti pot or spray) should get rid of it pretty quickly.[/quote]

“Get rid of it”? Good God, man! He’s not complaining! He’s bragging!

It took nearly two weeks but the smell is gone from my nose. Glad to know I wasn’t crazy.

I used my outdoor gas burner for my last batch which, of course, is a lot less frustrating and much more efficient.

Thanks fellers!