Plan for fixing diacetyl in lager post primary fermentation

[sean.michaleen]

I think you've learned your first lesson in "the yeast don't care who you are, or what your schedule is" lager making. 1 week in the primary is way too little. "Crash cooling" is something that you do to yeast to get them to drop out - not start lagering. Lagers will test your patience if you goal is to crank them out. They are best left "forgotten", and not rushed.

As far as saving that batch? I'd try a pitch of a neutral, powerful lager yeast like WLP830. However, if it is a real butter bomb - no amount of yeast will clean it up.

Luckily the diacetyl is at a level I'd call "detectable" meaning I notice it if I concentrate but it's not overwhelming. Needless to say, I knew better than to rush things, but sometimes I do things against my own better judgment. Sometimes I just can't fight my natural inclination to be an idiot. It's kind of nice to have your ass handed to you by a single cell organism though...

I think I'll make a starter up with a bit of the original yeast cake and see how it goes.

[mookie1010]

Sometimes I just can't fight my natural inclination to be an idiot.

I suffer this daily.

[ChrisKennedy]

You could try krausening it. Adding a quart or two of fermenting beer to it so that the yeast that is actively fermenting can hopefully uptake the noticeable diacetyl. Throwing just yeast in isn't going to do anything.

[BrewerJ]

Make a starter of your primary lager yeast, pitch when active and let it sit for at least a week. That should clean up most of your diacetyl and or acetyladehyde if you have any of that. I would let it sit for 10 days @58 if the butter is fairly strong. I have done this for acetyladehyde with good results.

[brewinhard]

+1 with the above comments. This might be a good scenario where you should spend some extra bucks and purchase a new, fresh pack of lager yeast to make a small starter with to pitch at high krausen and let the yeast clean up your beer.

You should also check out the most recent thread on diacetyl that has been going on. Lots of info there for you to gleen from.

[ApresSkiBrewer]

I don't have BCS on hand right now... did you hit your numbers? OG, FG?

I'd definitely krausen off another lager strain, but even an active starter of 001 or something neutral, similar and at high krausen would be fine. I'd avoid the belgian strains....

If you don't have the right beer, at the right point of fermentation to krausen off of anyway, you'll need a starter regardless.

IF it were me. I'd do a starter of 1056 (1200-2000mls), pitch it when it is at high krausen (most important)... and would actually pitch it to the beer between 67-70ºF. If you are at your terminal gravity, you aren't going to get too much yeast growth once pitched to the finished beer (and hence, very little ester production from 001, which is very clean at those temps anyway). It'll do a better job of cleaning up the diacetyl in its proper temp range, and better than any lager strain would even at a warm lager temp (say 58).

My vote/ 2 cents.

and +1 on what Mylo said. Don't rush those little suckers, they'll smack you round n round. You ended up creating a ton more work for yourself than just lettin' em do their thing!

Speaking of which. You should always pull a sample and taste your beer, take a gravity esp. if you are trying to cut days off of your standard and/or recommended fermentation schedule. You definitely would have picked up on that diacetyl, and probably would have made the decision not to rush the D-rest.

Hope it works out for you!