Some Lager Questions

Hi guys! I brewed my first lager a couple if weeks ago and I'm about to go into the lagering phase and I have a few questions.

First the background. It's a partial mash Vienna Lager fermented with two packets of safelager w34/70. It was at 13-14c so about 55-57 which seems warm for a lager but was the manufacturers recommended range. Fermentations gone fine, and I've hit my targets (og 1.041 FG 1.011).

So the questions. Should I do a diacytle rest? There doesn't seem to be much room to raise the temperature! Also, for lagering I don't have a carboy and can't get one (I live in Japan and there is no "local brewshop :-( ) so is it better to rack to my bottling bucket and clean an reuse the fermenter or is it better to just lager it for two weeks as is. The first route seems to be riskier for extra o2 and the second risks nasty dead yeast flavors. Either way is risky but what's the best option?

No harm in doing a diacetyl rest. Or you could always sample it to see if it is buttery or has a slick mouthfeel (diacetyl characteristics) and perform the rest if it does. As for the lagering with your setup... I would perform the diacetyl rest for 3-4 days, then crash the beer down to around 0C for another 10 days. This should put you at a total of 4 weeks in the primary. Pour your priming sugar solution in the bucket, rack the beer, and bottle. Let it carbonate at room temp for 3-4 weeks. Then lager in the bottle for a month or so.

It's a bit late in the game to do a D-rest (which is best done when it gets to 75% of the way to FG so you still have yeast activity). Your ferment temps (assuming measured on the vessel) were a bit warm, but not bad. 50*F or so would have been better.

Lagering should be for 4 weeks in the mid-30's. An option they may work for you is to lager a month in the bottles after they have carbed for a few weeks.

Thanks for the advice! The situation isn't ideal, but hopefully the beer will turn out fine.