D-rest, timing, knowing when fermentation is done

The typical story about what to do a D-rest is: wait until fermentation is 75% done, then d-rest for 2-3 days, then rack to secondary.

But the general philosophy here is that your fermentation isn't done until you've got the same hydrometer reading 3 days apart.

So what do you usually do to decide when to rack to secondary? Does your d-rest end up being 2-3 days, then you take a hydro, then wait 3 more days, then another measurement, for 6 days of d-rest total before racking?

Thanks.

Here ya go buddy

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/preventing-diacetyl-hold-butter-please-70438/

Simple, I never rack to secondary! Problem solved . I just leave it be in the primary for minimum of 3 weeks (most often 4-5) and let the yeast do their job. Is there a reason you need to rack it?

You can guestimate when you're about 75% of the way to FG pretty easily. For example, the activity slows down a bit and you check the SG and it's 1.020-1.022 or so. That would be a good time to do a diacetyl rest for just about any lager.

The lager shouldn't be racked to secondary until the FG is reached (this should happen during the diacetyl rest) and there is absolutely no hint of diacetyl in the beer. Then it can be racked and the lagering process begin. This may mean more than 48 hours at diacetyl rest temperatures, if there is an oily mouthfeel or a slickness on the tongue (signs of diacetyl) or if the beer isn't yet at a stable FG.

cyclonite said:

Simple, I never rack to secondary! Problem solved . I just leave it be in the primary for minimum of 3 weeks (most often 4-5) and let the yeast do their job. Is there a reason you need to rack it?

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It's a lager, so I rack before lagering.

Yooper said:

The lager shouldn't be racked to secondary until the FG is reached (this should happen during the diacetyl rest) and there is absolutely no hint of diacetyl in the beer. Then it can be racked and the lagering process begin. This may mean more than 48 hours at diacetyl rest temperatures, if there is an oily mouthfeel or a slickness on the tongue (signs of diacetyl) or if the beer isn't yet at a stable FG.

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Thanks Yooper - this gets to the point of my question. If you are supposed to wait for 72 hours of hydrometer stability, it seems to me that 48 hours of d-rest should never happen....