Lager and my reality

[Trobocco]

I've had my lager doing diacetyl rest for about 4 days now at 66 degrees. I shut the heat in my basement off and figure it will drop to around 60 by tomorrow. My garage is currently 50 so that's where I was thinking of taking it next. Followed by that I have a temp controlled fridge. From what I read online it's best to drop about 5 degrees per day. Will my jump from 60 to 50 have a negative effect? What is the purpose of lowering the temp in 5 degree steps?

 

[AnOldUR]

Lager yeast will continue to work at lower temperatures, but dropping the temperature too fast may shock them and cause them to go dormant.

 

[ajdelange]

I've had my lager doing diacetyl rest for about 4 days now at 66 degrees. I shut the heat in my basement off and figure it will drop to around 60 by tomorrow. My garage is currently 50 so that's where I was thinking of taking it next. Followed by that I have a temp controlled fridge. From what I read online it's best to drop about 5 degrees per day. Will my jump from 60 to 50 have a negative effect? What is the purpose of lowering the temp in 5 degree steps?

I thought that given that one does a diacetyl rest (I don't) the idea was to 'crash' to as close to freezing as you can get as quickly as possible. When you do a diacetyl rest you are relying on the warmer temperatures to convert any acetolactate to diacetyl quickly and on the yeast, envigourated by higher temperatures, to clear it as soon as it is formed. Once this is done you are, essentially, finished with the yeast and want to clear them ASAP. Perhaps I'm all wet on this because I use the traditional program.

In the traditional process one definitely wants a slow decline, 1 - 2 °C/day in order to keep the yeast active or rather to diminish their activity slowly so that even near freezing they are still able to reduce diacetly and acetaldehyde if slowly which is OK because beer made this way is going to be lagered for months on the yeast cake.

 

[Cyclman]

I D-rest until I reach FG, then crash it to just above freezing, then lager 1 week per 10 gravity points, always comes out fantastic.

 

[davehuge]

You still want some yeast activity after the D rest for a lagering period, so a slow drop is probably better as a sudden crash might make the yeast go to sleep. Going to 50 over a day or so isn't a big deal though, it'll be fine I'd say.

 

[Natdavis777]

I D-rest until I reach FG, then crash it to just above freezing, then lager 1 week per 10 gravity points, always comes out fantastic.

I do my lagers the same way and havent had any issues. Once my krausen starts to fall, I will raise my temps and let it hang there for a week and then transfer/lager.

 

[02fx4dude]

The way I understand is if you do a d-rest to allow the yeast to clean up, you can just crash it and allow the yeast to go dormant. If you don't do a d-rest you need the yeast to stay active and should slowly drop temperature so the yeast keep going.

I always do d-rest for 4-5 days and dropp to 34F in about a day.

 

[wobdee]

The way I understand is if you do a d-rest to allow the yeast to clean up, you can just crash it and allow the yeast to go dormant. If you don't do a d-rest you need the yeast to stay active and should slowly drop temperature so the yeast keep going.

I always do d-rest for 4-5 days and dropp to 34F in about a day.

This is what I've read as well. I do 6 days at 50, 4-5 D-rest at 60 then cold crash. My lagers turn out great with no diacetyl.