Oktoberfest lager help???

About a month ago I brewed an octoberfest lager all grain batch. I made a yeast starter with white labs 820 octoberfest yeast. I grew up 4 vials in a 2L starter. I pitched my yeast into the wort at 55 degrees F. I held 55* f for two weeks then lowered to 45*f.

My in experience and lack of attention to this batch is whats worrying me...

It was at the 55* for two weeks because I forgot about the batch. this is my first lager and I normally watch my fermentation in the house as I walk by it from time to time. this one is in a fridge in the backyard... I forgot it was there.

In a haste, I dropped the temp down to 45* around day 14. that's were it's been for a couple weeks now.

didn't know about dialectal rest... what should I do now? let it ride or raise the temp for a couple days and recrash back into lagering temps? also, It's still in the primary vessel... should I switch to secondary or leave it?

Anyone else had an experience like this?

What was your OG and your projected FG? Have you taken a reading? If it's already reached FG, then I don't think a D-rest will really help much, but it certainly won't hurt.

In my experience, even if I don't do a d-rest, any perceived diacetyl taste will drop out with aging anyway... It would just be quicker had you done a d-rest.

I'd definitely get it off of the yeast cake sooner than later, if it's already hit FG. No need to secondary, just either keg or bottle.


In short, as far as diacetyl goes, it may be perfectly fine. And if not, time heals all wounds

thanks for the tip. I'll pull It from primary and keg it. maybe a taste sample will help me find out where i'm at with it to. I wasn't expecting to drink it until Halloween at the soonest so I still have another month of playing with it. If it takes longer then it is what it is i guess...

What is the current gravity? Taste and smell for butterscotch. Letting it warm up may help the yeast clean it up the diacetyl and drop to your expected gravity. After that rack off the yeast cake for the lagering phase.

update- I ended up raising the temp to 55 for a week then crashed to 45 for two then to 35 for two. probably not the right way at all but it's been kegged and it tastes great. I can't taste any off flavors but I'm gonna have my homebrew club try and tear it apart and see what they think... the way it is now I really like it...

tstanonis1 said:

update- I ended up raising the temp to 55 for a week then crashed to 45 for two then to 35 for two. probably not the right way at all but it's been kegged and it tastes great. I can't taste any off flavors but I'm gonna have my homebrew club try and tear it apart and see what they think... the way it is now I really like it...

Click to expand...

I'm going to say raising temps did nothing. White labs says it is a very malty yeast and doesn't mention sulfur aromas from diacetyl. If you read the book Yeast you'll find out that diacetyl will be cleaned up by the yeast over time and a rest where you raise then lower the temps really isn't needed. People do it because it's faster but I feel letting the yeast sit at their preferred temperature longer is easier. Set it and forget it just like kegging. Lagering will smooth EVERYTHING out. Great yeast selection.