Adding sugar/DME to reduce diacetyl

So I recently brewed a Corona clone for my wife. I didn't take it out for the D-rest until it was at 1.008 (it finished at 1.004), and it's been sitting for about 4 days now and tastes of popcorn. I've read that it needs active fermentation to remove the diacetyl. Can I just add some sugar to get the fermentation started, and thus remove the diacetyl? Perhaps I could kill two birds with one stone by adding the sugar when I transfer to the keg, and carb it up that way while removing the diacetyl? Has anyone tried this technique?

Take it out? Of the fridge? A d-rest is done at room temp for about 3-4 days. I read once that once you have diacetyl, you can't get rid of it. I haven't noticed that taste in my brews yet, so I don't know for sure. I'm also not sure of active fermentation removing it; maybe someone else will chime in for that.

avidhomebrewer said:

Take it out? Of the fridge? A d-rest is done at room temp for about 3-4 days. I read once that once you have diacetyl, you can't get rid of it. I haven't noticed that taste in my brews yet, so I don't know for sure. I'm also not sure of active fermentation removing it; maybe someone else will chime in for that.

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If it were true that diacetyl can't be gotten rid of, what would be the point of a d-rest?

To the OP: I'd try rousting the yeast with some warmth and agitation first; if that fails, build up a mini-starter and pitch it at high krausen. Let us know how it turns out. People report mixed results with these kinds of solutions.

MalFet said:

If it were true that diacetyl can't be gotten rid of, what would be the point of a d-rest?

To the OP: I'd try rousting the yeast with some warmth and agitation first; if that fails, build up a mini-starter and pitch it at high krausen. Let us know how it turns out. People report mixed results with these kinds of solutions.

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Diacetyl can be removed, if you do a d-rest. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough. I meant once you get it in your beer AFTER doing a d-rest.

avidhomebrewer said:

Take it out? Of the fridge? A d-rest is done at room temp for about 3-4 days. I read once that once you have diacetyl, you can't get rid of it. I haven't noticed that taste in my brews yet, so I don't know for sure. I'm also not sure of active fermentation removing it; maybe someone else will chime in for that.

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I guess I should have been more clear.. It's been sitting for 4 days at room temp (75*) after about 8 days at 48*.

A “diacetyl rest” is leaving your beer in the fermenter for two or three days after it looks like the fermentation is complete.

That will give the yeast time to clean up the diacetyl they've produced.

Given time, when the yeast is done with its fermentation work, it will actually re-absorb the diacetyl from the beer. Higher temperatures accelerate this process. Once it's back in the cell, the diacetyl is converted into acetoin and subsequently into 2,3-butanediol. The end result is that the diacetyl is no longer in your beer, and the by-products of the cleanup effort have flavor thresholds so high they're not worth worrying about.

If you're brewing a lager, try this trick for your future Batches :

Start allowing the fermentation temperature to rise once the beer has fermented to half its original gravity. By that point, you're far enough into the fermentation that the yeast aren't going to generate any more “ale” characters (such as fruity esters) and you've still got enough time to let the temperature rise to a useful level, say, 65°F. Maintain this temperature until the diacetyl is gone or until the end of fermentation, whichever is later, then rack for lagering.

Hector