I did a Brewhouse Oktoberfest kit (just add water and yeast) this fall with Wyeast 2633 Oktoberfest Lager Blend. Made a good-sized starter and fermented at 50 or just under. Did a D-rest as usual, but still ended up with a D-bomb after I racked off the yeast. Very, very disappointing since I thought I had pitched a lot of yeast and really didn't envision having yet another D-bomb.
So I set out to try to see if there is a way to fix this and came upon the following article about krausening:
http://***********/stories/wizard/a...tyl-a-targeting-strike-temperatures-mr-wizard
Now...I was about to start a Vienna lager that members of my club are doing. I have a Wyeast 2308 smack-pack for that. By happy coincidence I have ingredients for a 6 gallon batch but only want to make 5.25. So, my plan is to make a 3 litre batch of Vienna, pitch my 2308 at 60 degrees as per the article above (maybe more like 56 given the specifics of 2308), let it hit high krausen, then dump it into my D-bomb Oktoberfest and wait a few weeks to see what happens. If it works, I will then use the slurry that settles out as the starter for my Vienna. If not, I will assume the diacetyl has come from an infection (I am generally careful) and dump the batch.
Perhaps I should just bite the bullet and buy another pack of the Oktoberfest yeast...it's just too handy that I have the extra grain from my Vienna though.
Any thoughts on the wisdom of this proposed course of action?
So I set out to try to see if there is a way to fix this and came upon the following article about krausening:
http://***********/stories/wizard/a...tyl-a-targeting-strike-temperatures-mr-wizard
Now...I was about to start a Vienna lager that members of my club are doing. I have a Wyeast 2308 smack-pack for that. By happy coincidence I have ingredients for a 6 gallon batch but only want to make 5.25. So, my plan is to make a 3 litre batch of Vienna, pitch my 2308 at 60 degrees as per the article above (maybe more like 56 given the specifics of 2308), let it hit high krausen, then dump it into my D-bomb Oktoberfest and wait a few weeks to see what happens. If it works, I will then use the slurry that settles out as the starter for my Vienna. If not, I will assume the diacetyl has come from an infection (I am generally careful) and dump the batch.
Perhaps I should just bite the bullet and buy another pack of the Oktoberfest yeast...it's just too handy that I have the extra grain from my Vienna though.
Any thoughts on the wisdom of this proposed course of action?