So just finished my first couple of lagers and was happy with the results but not blown away. Before I take my carboy out for a diacetyl rest the flavor is phenomenal, very lager like and crisp ; however, after performing a diacetyl rest (beer has only a couple gravity points left) for a couple of days my lagers turn more ale like with fruity esters being given off. These don't go away with long periods of lagering either. Is there any way to avoid these? Should I rack to secondary first and then perform a diacetyl rest? Whats everyone's fermentation process when fermenting a lager? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.