capturing diacetyl?

I'm brewing an imperial pumpkin ale that I plan to condition all summer so it's smooth as butter come October. Speaking of butter, I'm trying to capture diacetyl to add a buttery note.

Recipe is on the forum (Cyclops Pumpkin Ale) but briefly, it's:

18lbs 2-row
1 lb Crystal 10
1 lb Cara-Pils
58 oz (2 big cans) Libby's pumpkin puree
2 lbs honey (mixed with pumpkin and baked, then blended with strike water)
1 oz CTZ @ 60
1 oz EKG @ 10
spices.
OG=1.094
FG=?
Wyeast 1187 Ringwood Ale

I brewed it last night, and adding a stepped-up starter this afternoon. My plan is to let it ferment out for about a week (NOT open fermentation as recommended) and then transfer to glass. I don't have great temperature control, so I'll swamp-cool both the fermenter and the carboy to cold crash to the best of my ability.

As much as I'd like to bulk-condition, I'm open to bottling quickly if necessary. Bottle grenades notwithstanding.

First problem: Anybody try something like this? Does it work?

Second problem: How do you keep enough yeast to ferment out a big beer + carbonate bottles without having the yeast eat up all the diacetyl? How do professional breweries do it?

Fanks,
BrownRice

Hey BrownRice, Recipe looks good but im not sure how much how much diacetyl is going to be left behind when everything is said and done. IIRC the ringwood ale yeast finishes pretty clean. I suppose at warmer temps it could possibly throw you some off flavors. How about butterscotch flavoring (maybe like http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XWBWGC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20). Just rack to bottling bucket and add to taste. That way you will get something without the chances of the yeasties eating what you have worked hard to get. Have you considered adding Lactose to it as well?

Do you have your spices figured out already? Are you going for a pumpkin pie flavor or just pumpkin?

-Imp

Yeah, I've been trying to figure this out and it looks like when a brewery wants to retain some small amount, they'll either crash cool and rack, pasteurize, or if it's a brewpub, just serve it up!

The confusing part is why so many people complain that it leaves so much behind! Why else would there be so much hate for ringwood?

I'm trying it in a closed fermenter instead of open, and sitting in a swamp cooler with frozen water bottles for 60* ambient temp (more concerned with fusels than flavors).

At bottling I'm planning to add McCormicks Vanilla, Butter & Nut extract as recc'd from the Southern Tier PumKing clone page. Stuff is not cheap if you're special ordering. I also have some vanilla beans soaking in bourbon that I might add.

I'm not opposed to adding lactose, but wasn't planning on it. I guess it would add body as well, so maybe I'll give that a second thought. Can that be boiled up and added at bottling since it's too late to add to the fermenter?

Re: spices, I used 0.5 tsp of ginger, nutmeg, and clove powder in the boil for 5 min. I'm expecting the spices to fade, so I'll add some more spice at bottling. Probably make a tincture/tea from generic spice mix and add to taste.

Here is a good article on it's causes and much more..

http://beersensoryscience.wordpress.com/2010/11/18/diacetyl-1/


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Muchos thankos!

Spices look good and will fade. The vanilla helps to smooth it all too but it seems like a little goes a long way.

Imp

Too late for this batch, but I wonder if you used a lager yeast and never raised the temp. for a D-rest, if you might retain some diacetyl.
Great article by the way, jalmeida. They cover it well in the 'Yeast' book also.

You'll get plenty of diacetyl with Ringwood. It's a nasty yeast. Under pitch it a hair and ferment cool, and you'll have your butter bomb.