QuercusMax
Well-Known Member
I'm trying to figure out if I am having an infection issue (pedio?) or if it's just something wacky going on with this yeast continuing to work after kegging.
I'm using WLP860 Munich Helles yeast for a 1.048 helles. I made a 3 quart starter, shook periodically, let it ferment out, then decanted and pitched at 6C, aerating for 5 minutes with drill+paint stirrer. (This is my normal lager procedure, I've done well in competition like this.) I raised the temperature up to 12C over 2 days, let it sit there for 2 days, then raised up to 13.5C for a week.
I took a gravity sample, it was 1.011. Didnt get any diacetyl or sulfur. It tasted a little raw/grainy, but that's normally what I get from this regime.
I then crashed to .5C, left it 6 days, and kegged and force carbonated, and left it at 33F for a couple days. It was really nice, crisp, no sulfur or diacetyl noticeable.
Since then I've moved it to my keezer which I keep around 40F, and it seems to have developed a ton of sulfur and diacetyl, but the crazy thing is they seem to get better and worse from day to day. One day I'll get massive sulfur aroma, but minimal diacetyl, and the next the sulfur will be gone but the diacetyl will be huge.
Is this normal? Should I just let it sit for another couple weeks? I've never had this with a lager before, but I've also never used this yeast. In the past, I've noticed lagers get clearer and smoother during the first few weeks of lagering, never had them get worse. I know I did rush this one a bit, but I've had 1.060-1.070 lagers that are extremely drinkable after this amount of time.
I'm using WLP860 Munich Helles yeast for a 1.048 helles. I made a 3 quart starter, shook periodically, let it ferment out, then decanted and pitched at 6C, aerating for 5 minutes with drill+paint stirrer. (This is my normal lager procedure, I've done well in competition like this.) I raised the temperature up to 12C over 2 days, let it sit there for 2 days, then raised up to 13.5C for a week.
I took a gravity sample, it was 1.011. Didnt get any diacetyl or sulfur. It tasted a little raw/grainy, but that's normally what I get from this regime.
I then crashed to .5C, left it 6 days, and kegged and force carbonated, and left it at 33F for a couple days. It was really nice, crisp, no sulfur or diacetyl noticeable.
Since then I've moved it to my keezer which I keep around 40F, and it seems to have developed a ton of sulfur and diacetyl, but the crazy thing is they seem to get better and worse from day to day. One day I'll get massive sulfur aroma, but minimal diacetyl, and the next the sulfur will be gone but the diacetyl will be huge.
Is this normal? Should I just let it sit for another couple weeks? I've never had this with a lager before, but I've also never used this yeast. In the past, I've noticed lagers get clearer and smoother during the first few weeks of lagering, never had them get worse. I know I did rush this one a bit, but I've had 1.060-1.070 lagers that are extremely drinkable after this amount of time.