Oktoberfest Diacetyl Rest

[Wort_Cleaver]

I brewed an Oktoberfest 9 days ago, OG = 1.060, estimated FG between 1.015-1.017 depending on the calculator used. Will post complete recipe, if needed.

I used 2 packs of rehydrated Saflager W-34/70 and fermented at 54 F the first few days to get things going, then dropped to 52. Was bubbling away pretty good all week, nothing crazy, but steady. Krausen dropped over the past 2 days and activity seemed to slow down. I took a hydrometer reading today and got 1.018-1.020. Tasted it and didn't really pick up any buttery tastes.

I was planning on doing a diacetyl rest to be on the safe side, but I don't want to jump the gun and crank up the temp too early. In fact, I was planning on dropping the temp down to 50 for the next 5-7 days and then doing the diacetyl rest after at least 2 weeks in primary.

Soooo.... Should I drop to 50 for a few days anyways and then rest, or should I just start the rest now seeing as I'm only about 2-4 points off the estimated FG? I don't want to overshoot and miss my opportunity for a proper rest (which I suppose I might have already), but I wasn't expecting it to be done fermenting this early and I'd rather be patient and wait if I can. In retrospect, I guess I should have started lower than 54, but I was concerned about underpitching and the yeast pack suggested 54 as "optimal" temp.

Planning on transferring to secondary for 2-3 months of lagering after the rest. Any advice, input, thoughts about when I should do this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[helibrewer]

Do the DR rest now for 48 hours then go straight to lagering.

 

[Sulli]

If there was no diacytel detected, why bother with a D-rest?

 

[Wort_Cleaver]

Just figured I'd play it on the safe side and do one. I've read that not everyone is as perceptive to the taste, and since I've never tasted it before I have nothing to compare to. Planning on serving it at a big Oktoberfest party with people who may have more discerning and unforgiving palates, so it can't hurt to clean it up a bit just in case.

 

[wailingguitar]

If it is going to be lagered that long, it should be just fine. Basically, the warm temp rest speeds up a process that will occur on it's own over time.... it won't hurt anything, but if you're gonna have this beer lagering all summer, it isn't going to matter.

 

[Yooper]

If there was no diacytel detected, why bother with a D-rest?

Because some people can't taste diacetyl, and sometimes it's very hard to detect in small amounts. But it gets worse with lagering, so a very mild "slick" mouthfeel might be a butter bomb after lagering!

 

[TyTanium]

...it gets worse with lagering

Yes it does. I have one right now...was barely noticeable when I started lagering. Just pulled a sample after 2 months...as soon as I popped the airlock it smelled like a movie theater.

 

[TimTrone]

Yes it does. I have one right now...was barely noticeable when I started lagering. Just pulled a sample after 2 months...as soon as I popped the airlock it smelled like a movie theater.

Ahhhh, that sucks man. I do a d rest every lager now after something like that happened to me.

 

[TyTanium]

Ahhhh, that sucks man. I do a d rest every lager now after something like that happened to me.

Yeah...I did a D-rest, but apparently a few days too late. I'm hopeful krausening will take care of it. OP - sorry for the off topic, but figured it's at least somewhat relevant.

 

[osagedr]

Do the d-rest now; just let the temp rise to room temperature and leave it on the yeast. A week, two weeks, whatever...won't hurt a thing. Then rack it to your secondary and crash it. Lager it as long as you can stand; a rule of thumb is a week per 8 points of OG. Since it's an Oktoberfest, put it in your lagering fridge until Aug 15th, rack it to a keg, carb it up, and enjoy it in September.

 

[Wort_Cleaver]

Thanks everyone. Brought the temperature up to 68-70 for two days and racked to my secondary tonight. Gravity came down a few more points to around 1.015. Made my wife taste it and no detectable diacetyl at this point. So now I'll just have to wait and see what the final product becomes after a few months of lagering.

Anyone have any thoughts on how fast to drop to lager temperature? Crash it over 24 hours, or gradually decrease a few degrees each day? Or does it even matter? I was planning on dropping ambient temperature down to 50 tonight, then 5 degrees per day until I get down to around 35-40.

 

[osagedr]

Don't do a thing until you are sure you've hit FG. Then you can take it down slowly or quickly, IMO it doesn't much matter. Some folks say go slow, 5 degrees per day as you plan.

 

[TyTanium]

The go-slow is more important if you don't do a D-rest and aren't quite at FG. Then you bring down slowly because you still need the yeast in suspension to get those last few points and reduce diacetyl during lagering.

Since you've done the D-rest and if you're at FG as osegedr said, you can crash it without issue; the yeast have done their job.

 

[KuntzBrewing]

Why do 5 degrees per day? I did a double bock in september and brought it up to 70 over night and rested 3 days, no problems

 

[osagedr]

Why do 5 degrees per day? I did a double bock in september and brought it up to 70 over night and rested 3 days, no problems

The "five degrees per day" thing refers to dropping temperature after d-rest, not increasing temperature on your way to d-rest.

 

[KuntzBrewing]

That makes more sense, but still isn't fermentation over after a d rest, so you can just crash into lagering phase

 

[TyTanium]

Right - see my post above.

 

[KuntzBrewing]

Right - see my post above.

Reading comprehension never was my strongest point lmao

 

[integra93ls]

Good to know. I will be doing my octoberfest soon.

 

[osagedr]

Good to know. I will be doing my octoberfest soon.

Do an Oktoberfest instead.

 

[integra93ls]

Yeah yeah. It was the auto correct on the phone