Doppelbock w/ 2206; too fast?

[RickFinsta]

Made my first dopplebock this weekend; 3 gallon batch at 1.095 OG, shooting for mid 1.020s FG. I used a stepped starter of 2206 (4oz. DME into 1 quart, fermented, cold crashed, decanted, repeated). I pitched the starter at high krausen at 60*F wort temperature and tossed the carboy into my 48*F chest freezer. After a few hours it was down to 54*F and already showing signs of active fermentation. The next morning (about 16 hours later) it was at 48*F and had a few inches of krausen, and was going at it like my ale fermentations (I use a lot of 1728).

I generally don't bother checking gravity, but was going to on this one so I could time my diacetyl rest. I guess I'm just wondering if anyone else has had this strain go freakin' crazy, and perhaps if I should try to get my fermentation chamber temps down a bit to try and get it to the low end of the range (46*F) and slow it down?

I'm starting to think yeast just really, really like my basement.

 

[RickFinsta]

I took a refractometer reading last night for ****s and giggles, and I'm at around 1.054 right now (expecting 1.024 FG). So, it's not moving as quickly as the visual activity led me to believe. I think I'l just wait until Sunday, and move it out of the freezer for a few days for a diacetyl rest, then drop it back in at lagering temps (I think I can get about 34*F reliably) until September (for Oktoberfest).

 

[osagedr]

For future reference pitching at 60 then cooling your wort is a mistake. Pitch a few degrees below fermentation temperature and trust the yeast to do their job.

Did you adjust your refractometer reading for the fact that fermentation has begun? If not, you can't trust the reading.

I would suggest leaving it for at least a week at d-rest temperatures, then racking off the yeast for lagering.

Good luck with this brew!

 

[RickFinsta]

Thanks for the reply; I do adjust refractometer readings for the alcohol content. I bumped it up to diacetyl rest on Saturday morning, and as of yesterday, she's sitting at 1.028 (only 4 points to go), and activity has noticeably slowed. Next time I will chill it as you suggest; I was having issues with my chest freezer holding temperature, so to play it safe I pitched a bit warm and then monitored it for the first 24 hours to make sure it didn't drop down too far. I have since fixed the hysterisis and narrowed the tamperature range. I'm going to let it sit until Easter weekend (three weeks total primary) and then I'll rack it and start lagering.

ETA: Oh, and I don't taste any buttery or butterscotch flavors, and no fruitiness to speak of, it's just boozy and carmely/malty so I think the high starting temp didn't negatively impact this brew.

 

[g-star]

For future reference pitching at 60 then cooling your wort is a mistake. Pitch a few degrees below fermentation temperature and trust the yeast to do their job.

Did you adjust your refractometer reading for the fact that fermentation has begun? If not, you can't trust the reading.

I would suggest leaving it for at least a week at d-rest temperatures, then racking off the yeast for lagering.

Good luck with this brew!

^This.

If you pitch cold with enough healthy yeast and oxygenate well, there is no need to even do a diacetyl rest, b/c you won't produce it in the first place.

 

[RickFinsta]

Roger that; I hear 2206 is supposed to be good about throwing no diacetyl at lower temps. Next time I'll certainly pitch at 48-50*F, but I'm just glad this brew is good to go.

I've got a Wee Heavy about which I cannot say the same...

Oh well, after a few hundred gallons I had to make a mistake at least once, right?

 

[RickFinsta]

Dicetyl rest is finished up with this, I think. I got a bit more attenuation than I wanted, maybe I didn't mash high enough. FG is 1.021, and this stuff is BOOZY. I'm actually a bit worried as this strain is only rated to 9% ABV and different calculators put me right there, or as high as 9.7% with onebeer. I'll probably do a hydrometer reading when I rack just to be sure.

So, to be clear, I now can throw it into a 33*F cooler, cold crash it for a few days, and then rack it to my secondary and let it lager at that temp for months, right? Should I be worried if there's a tiny little hint of sulfur on the nose if I shake the fermentor at this point, or will lagering take care of that?