Baltic Porter and Diacetyl Rest

[medwaybrewer]

I had a Baltic porter like style I brewed to an OG of 1.075. I used saflager w-34/70 at a temp of 54F in my basement. When it hit around 1.025 I brought it upstairs to my kitchen which is about 65F. Its been about 3.5 days and it hasn't completed primary fermentation. Gravity is about 1.017, I can see slow activity in the carboy, and still getting an airlock bubble every 45-50 seconds.

Should I leave it at 65F until primary is complete? Or is my temperature increase sufficient for the diacetyl rest? In other words, should I bring it back down stairs now to finish primary or wait it out at 65F?

Once primary is completed, should I rack I to secondary immediately for lagering or give it some more time at the 54F temps in my basement?

Thanks!

 

[m00se]

I wouldn't worry about it being at 65F to finish out. Transfer to secondary after gravity is stable and then lager for 10-12wk.

 

[adrock430]

I wouldn't worry about it being at 65F to finish out. Transfer to secondary after gravity is stable and then lager for 10-12wk.

+1, sounds like you're in good shape, although you could lager for around 6 wks should you like, although a 10-12 won't hurt

 

[medwaybrewer]

Thanks. Another question...when I tested SG I also couldn't help but taste it. The malty taste is fantastic but its followed up with a VERY bitter taste that lingers on. Not a good hoppy bitterness but an unpleasant bitterness. I only used 1-1/4 oz of nugget at 60 min, 1-1/4 oz of Willamette at 30 min and flameout addition of Willamette for around 65 IBUs. Is this a normal bitterness taste on lagers of this type that will clean up from lagering or may i have a problem? Oh yeah sparge water was about 168F.

 

[m00se]

Typically 20-40 IBU on Baltic Porter

 

[medwaybrewer]

Anyone else have thoughts here? I know that, according to the style guidelines, its supposed to be 20-40 for a Baltic porter. I was trying to hit more of the Jacks Abby Framinghammer style by using a Breakfast Founders Stout clone as the base recipe and modifying it to have brown sugar, lager yeast, and some other changes to the grains like Munich in place of all 2-row.

Now, this bitterness is not your typical hop bitterness, its bitterness (or worse) on the front and mid palette. I don't feel like the 65 IBUs would cause this type of bitterness in an 8% beer. But I could be mistaken.

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[AerationStation]

With a high alcohol beer sometimes the fusels will cause extra bitterness in the finish. Along with that roasted grains will have their own bitter/astringent taste. The good news is that all those things mellow out as the beer ages. The fusels will go through esterification and some of the fine particles from any roasted malts will precipitate out (along with some hop resins).

But Baltic porter is definitely a beer to age so give it time

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