Professor Frink

Recipes 

So I brewed an Oktoberfest a week and a half ago, and I'm wondering if anyone knows how important a diacetyl rest is? I'm heading out of town on Friday for 9 days, so I figure fermenation will probably not be done yet (I haven't checked the gravity since pitching), should I just forgo the diactyl rest?

__________________
Primary: Cherrywood Smoked Porter
60 Minute IPA
Secondary:
On tap:Amber Ale
Milk Stout

Lagering:

http://www.lazydogbrewery.com

WBC

Recipes 

Take a taste and see if you have a Buttery/Butterscoth taste. If you don't then you can just lager it.

Ref: How to Brew - By John Palmer - Yeast Starters and Diacetyl Rests
Ref: How to Brew - By John Palmer - When to Lager

__________________
Cheers,
WBC

Fermentor 1: Bill's House Ale II, Fermentor 2: German Helles, Fermentor 3: Bill's Schworzbier (Black Bier)
Tap 1: Bill's House Ale II, Tap 2: German Hefewizen, Tap 3: Nut Brown Ale
Future Brews: Stone IPA Clone, Blonde Ale, Budvar Clone, Newcastle Clone
New toy: Blichmann 27 gallon fermentor

“If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging”

“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment”

Piotr

Recipes 

I've read that Munich Lager is a major diacetyl producer.
I always rise temperature for last 1/3 of fermentation using this yeast, just to be on the safe side.

Professor Frink

Recipes 

That's what I was thinking, but I won't have an opportunity to to the diactyl rest until it ferments out. I hope the yeasties will wake up at that point.

__________________
Primary: Cherrywood Smoked Porter
60 Minute IPA
Secondary:
On tap:Amber Ale
Milk Stout

Lagering:

http://www.lazydogbrewery.com

menschmaschine

Recipes 

What were your pitching and fermentation temps? How does the Krausen look? Is it starting to fall? I always figure diacetyl rests are safer to do than not to do. If your Krausen has started to fall, you could just do the rest now before you go away.

__________________
END TRANSMISSION

Professor Frink

Recipes 

I pitched at 50 degrees, which is what it's been fermenting at for 10 days, and it's still chugging along. It doesn't look like the krasuen is falling yet. I'm going to check the gravity when I get home, I figure I can go and do the diacetyl rest tonight until Friday no matter what the gravity is.

__________________
Primary: Cherrywood Smoked Porter
60 Minute IPA
Secondary:
On tap:Amber Ale
Milk Stout

Lagering:

http://www.lazydogbrewery.com

menschmaschine

Recipes 

Also, if you just let it in the primary at 50dF for the whole time you're away, that's sort of like a long, cooler diacetyl rest. It may serve the same purpose as a shorter, warmer one. Yeast can substitute time for temperature (within reason) for cleaning up diacetyl. And I don't think you'll suffer any noticable flavors from the beer sitting on the yeast an extra week and a half. Or, just raise the temp to the upper end of the optimal range, like 55dF and let it sit for the 9 days. That should definitely work. Just some thoughts.

__________________
END TRANSMISSION

zoebisch01

Recipes 

Was your starter at the same temperature? If so then I'd say you can probably not have to do a diacetyl rest. From what I understand if your yeast is at ferment temps (and by that I mean cold ferment temps, at the low range of the yeasts capability) and you pitch the yeast and maintain the wort at those temps then you don't need to perform a diacetyl rest as no detectable amounts are produced. However this is a function of yeast strain as well. I have always used the W34-70 which is noted to produce minimal diacetyl to begin with. I have never detected diacetyl in any of my Lagers.

__________________
Event Horizon ~ A tribute to the miracle of fermentation.

Brew what you like. Do this, and you will find your inner brewer.

Saccharomyces

Recipes 

Won't hurt to raise it to 55 and leave it there while you are gone. If there is any diacetyl that would be ample time for the yeasties to munch on it.

__________________
[How to Calculate Mash Efficiency | Do I Need a Yeast Starter? | My Ghetto Fermentation Chamber | Twitter | 6 Gal. HDPE Fermenters | Slanting Yeast | No Sparge Brewing]

WBC

Recipes 

+1, Good answers guys. This beer will be good.

__________________
Cheers,
WBC

Fermentor 1: Bill's House Ale II, Fermentor 2: German Helles, Fermentor 3: Bill's Schworzbier (Black Bier)
Tap 1: Bill's House Ale II, Tap 2: German Hefewizen, Tap 3: Nut Brown Ale
Future Brews: Stone IPA Clone, Blonde Ale, Budvar Clone, Newcastle Clone
New toy: Blichmann 27 gallon fermentor

“If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging”

“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment”