Warm start with Bock -what can I expect?

I brewed my first AG batch this past weekend, it is also my first attempt at lagering. I made a starter with White Labs 833 Bock yeast and it was much slower than I expected. I had to postpone brewing a day because I didn't see much activity the first day.

Anyway, after I brewed I cooled the wort down to 72F and pitched the starter. I thought I would wait until I saw activity and then cool it down (the starter was the same temp). I put the carboy in the fridge and set it at 64F.
The next morning I couldn't check on it because I was running late for work, but when I got home I checked on it and the wort was actively fermenting and at 71F. I lowered the fridge to 52F.

This morning the batch was down to 61F and I lowered it again to 46F. I plan on lowering it again to 40F when I get home tonight.

My question is, will the high initial temps lead to esters or other off flavors? Also, I set up a blow off tube on the carboy because I wasn't sure how active it could get. Do lagers usually get active enough to need a blow off, or do the lower temps reduce the activity?

TIA

Prolly a lot of diacetyl. Warm the yeast back up after ferm for a few days and, hopefully, they will bring teh diacetyl (if extreme) back down to characteristic levels.

Which are pretty high in Bock to begin with.

Taste for Butter.

Thanks, I was planning on doing a diacetyl rest after a week. I just wanted to make sure I didn't ruin the beer or if it wasn't too late to fix it if I did.

I'd be more worried about esters than diacetyl. Diacetyl can be more of a problem when cold pitching.

Yeah I was thinking esters.

Denny said:

I'd be more worried about esters than diacetyl. Diacetyl can be more of a problem when cold pitching.

Click to expand...

Yup.

Not sure what I was thinking.

(crawls back into hole)