So my first lager is an Oktoberfest. I hear so many different thoughts on diacetyl rest or not. I pitch cold. I am able to get my wort down to 48 degrees. I do a large 1 gal starter on stir plate. I pitched at 48 degrees and noted 1" Krosen at 13 hours in. So nice healthy yeast i believe.
Yeast is 2206 bavarian wyeast.
So question is i would like to just keep it in primary x 3 to 4 weeks then transfer to secondary and start lagering. Do you really think a diacetyl rest is needed if fermentation and yeast are well controlled?
You only need a diacetyl rest if you smell or taste diacetyl near the end of fermentation. If not, you can skip the diacetyl rest. I sometimes do it out of convenience or habit’s sake, but I know it’s not always necessary.
I’ve used 2206 quite a bit and never needed a diacetyl rest for it. But like Dave says, taste the beer near the end of fermentation to determine if you need to do it.
My first lager was also an Ofest ALSO made with 2206! I wondered the same thing, and given the time I was investing in the beer, the last thing I wanted was butter after 6-8 weeks of waiting.
I tasted mine after 3 weeks of primary, and man, I thought it was ready for the keg at that point! I did do a forced diacetyl test (google it) and perceived something, but I wasnt sure if it was just rich caramel malt or butterscotch before a dry finish. If you want to be absolutely sure, the forced diacetyl test will essentially convert any remaining SMM (diacetyl precursor) to diacetyl in your sample, and you will then know a rest is required for the entire batch.
One thing I’m not sure of though: shouldn’t a diacetyl rest be done at the end of primary fermentation? I think your yeast (and mine, for that matter) might be inactive by the time you (or I) raise (raised) the temp up.
Jamil said in one of his podcasts that in many styles of lagers, if you have a strong, healthy enough primary fermentation with plenty of healthy yeast at controlled temp (which it sounds like you did), little lagering is really required. The beer might round out a bit with some cold-aging, but you should basically be ready to roll soon.
BTW, I LOVED this beer (it was Jamil’s recipe). Great things await you amigo. Real, real rich malt, but a crisp finish. Enjoy.
I’ve also used this yeast at low ale temps to make a pseudo-steam with GREAT results. Good way to make a starter for your next O-fest or bock with this one.
If you pitch enough yeast (and if it was producing an inch of krausen 13 hours in, it appears that you did) and you let fermentation complete, you should not need a D-rest. It seems some strains are helped by it, but I universally skip it.
:cheers:
Same here.
