First time using lager yeast. Burnt rubber smell/taste...time to pitch?

Hey now! I just transferred my winter warmer to the secondary and have discovered a burnt rubber smell and taste. This is the first time I have ever used a lager yeast(WLP810). After reading John Palmer's, "How to Brew" I believe I've personally experienced autolysis. I think I fermented at too high of a temperature for this kind of yeast and caused the cells to die. Has anybody ever have this happen to them? Is it time to dump this batch and start new?

You are going to get a lot of responses asking for more info. Wlp810 can throw sulfur, much like a handful of lager strains. But like I said you'll need to supply a bit more info on this beer like how long it sat in primary, how much yeast did you pitch, what temp was the fermentation performed, etc.

beerbeer95648 said:

You are going to get a lot of responses asking for more info. Wlp810 can throw sulfur, much like a handful of lager strains. But like I said you'll need to supply a bit more info on this beer like how long it sat in primary, how much yeast did you pitch, what temp was the fermentation performed, etc.

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It was in the primary for two weeks as for the recipe called for it. I pitched one vial of the WLP810 and no starter. I should have had a starter but had no time to get it going before the brew day. I chilled the wort down to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The wort did not have any activity for two days until it got to 56 degrees Fahrenheit. For the next six days it had good activity. The temperature increased slowly in my basement from that point on to around 64 degrees Fahrenheit. When I transferred today the temperature of the wort was at 58 degrees Fahrenheit.

Very doubtful you have any autolysis issues. Most likely it is sulfur production due to yeast stress. Dont dump it. Give it some time to gas off. Sulfur is relatively volatile and will improve as long as it is able to vent and not sealed in a bottle. Even in a sealed container some report a dissipation over time. I have not seen that. I recently had a sulfur issue with British ale yeast. I ended up putting it in the keg and venting the pressure a few times a day for a week or two. This will often mostly remove it (and some hop aroma). The best prevention is picking strains that are not as susceptible to sulfur production coupled with good pitching practices. But rest assured this one can be salvaged.

Thank you for your advice man! I will let it chill and see if the aroma/taste escapes itself. I think for now I'm gonna just brew ales until I get the proper knowledge and equipment for lagers.

No problem. Good luck with it, I am sure it will be fine. Every time I have an issue like this, even if the beer is not like I wanted, I just try to remind myself that as long as I take something away from the experience the money and time weren't a complete waste. And if the sulfur doesn't reduce enough for you and you have a keg setup, like I mentioned don't be afraid to keg it and carbonate it followed by periodic venting of the keg. It will drive off some of the beneficial aromatics but can also salvage an eggy batch.