[Wort-H.O.G.]

If you are going to a secondary, you can do the d-rest now, but I just leave mine in the primary for a month without D-rests.  The yeast finish the lager off without a problem.

no secondary...right to keg after fermentation is done. but considering i have diacetyl present now at 1.020 (75% of target 1.010) im questioning moving it now to d-rest or waiting for it to move a little lower just in case the beer actually finished up lower than 1.010..get what im saying?

[a10t2]

You're well below the gravity where I would worry about temperature, so I say go ahead and start letting it warm up.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

You're well below the gravity where I would worry about temperature, so I say go ahead and start letting it warm up.

ok appreciate it. and would you let it warm up and let it stay there until finished, or move it back to freezer after a few days and slowly drop temp to 45F..then transfer to keg after 2 weeks for lagering at 32?

[hopfenundmalz]

You're well below the gravity where I would worry about temperature, so I say go ahead and start letting it warm up.

ok appreciate it. and would you let it warm up and let it stay there until finished, or move it back to freezer after a few days and slowly drop temp to 45F..then transfer to keg after 2 weeks for lagering at 32?

Warm it up. Fermentation will speed up and finish in 2 days in my experience. Then cool.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

You're well below the gravity where I would worry about temperature, so I say go ahead and start letting it warm up.

ok appreciate it. and would you let it warm up and let it stay there until finished, or move it back to freezer after a few days and slowly drop temp to 45F..then transfer to keg after 2 weeks for lagering at 32?

Warm it up. Fermentation will speed up and finish in 2 days in my experience. Then cool.

thanks again so much..as you can see im new to lagers...been an ale guy exclusively until recently. already learned something today..pitch below target temp..around 45F next time!  question on that - i use copper chiller and can get wort down to about 60F. should i then stick the brew kettle in my freezer and wait for it to hit 45F, or transfer to carboy with airlock into freezer and wait for it to drop to 45F? not sure if the time in the kettle even with lid would expose wort to too much oxygen, and therefore carboy with airlock would be better.

[ynotbrusum]

What he said.  My practice is no d-rest, since I leave it on the yeast for a month.  Your system sounds fine, too.

[blatz]

transfer to carboy with airlock into freezer and wait for it to drop to 45F?

this.

then aerate and pitch your yeast.  you won't have "too much exposure to oxygen"  - the yeast need lots of oxygen right after pitching - you will be fine.

[denny]

just wondering if waiting another day or two fermenting at 50-51F is better than pulling it now for d-rest, just in case it does end up at under 1.010.....any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!! thanks

I'd let it go.  Yeast cleans up diacetyl, so the more it ferments the more it should reduce the d.  FWIW, I pretty much always let it ferment to my expected FG, then do a d rest if needed.  It seldom is.

ETA:  having seen Sean and Jeff's comments, do what they say!

[Wort-H.O.G.]

just wondering if waiting another day or two fermenting at 50-51F is better than pulling it now for d-rest, just in case it does end up at under 1.010.....any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!! thanks

I'd let it go.  Yeast cleans up diacetyl, so the more it ferments the more it should reduce the d.  FWIW, I pretty much always let it ferment to my expected FG, then do a d rest if needed.  It seldom is.

Denny- i think perhaps you never needed the d-rest anyway...correct? i ask because everything i have been told or read, says you need some yeast activty to clean up D if its present (the reason for performing d-rest at about 75%)...if you wait until its done, and you do have D, is it going to clean it up?

i guess my point is - you lager correctly and dont get diacetyl.(or very small amounts) i clearly made the mistake of pitching yeast at 60F vs. 45F, and i have diacetyl present now. chances are, keeping it at lager temps until its completed, would leave me with diacetyl since my levels were higher due to error in pitching temp....no?  all the more reason to do the d rest before it finishes is what im gathering from the feedback.

[denny]

Denny- i think perhaps you never needed the d-rest anyway...correct? i ask because everything i have been told or read, says you need some yeast activty to clean up D if its present (the reason for performing d-rest at about 75%)...if you wait until its done, and you do have D, is it going to clean it up?

IME. yeah, it does clean up as long as it's still in primary.  Warming it up makes the yeast active enough to consume the d.  That said, I think you got good advice from Sean and Jeff.

[davidgzach]

+1 to the above.  Warm it up and let it burn out/clean up the diacetyl.  You don't have to keg it once fermentation is complete.  Lager it on the cake for a few weeks if you can.  It will continue to condition and the yeast will go to sleep with nice reserves so you can reuse them on your next batch.

Dave

[Wort-H.O.G.]

+1 to the above.  Warm it up and let it burn out/clean up the diacetyl.  You don't have to keg it once fermentation is complete.  Lager it on the cake for a few weeks if you can.  It will continue to condition and the yeast will go to sleep with nice reserves so you can reuse them on your next batch.

Dave

that's the game plan. plan on moving it back to 55F, then drop it a few degrees each day until 45F and leave it on cake for 2 weeks. then i will rack to keg for another 3 weeks at 34F.

[davidgzach]

+1 to the above.  Warm it up and let it burn out/clean up the diacetyl.  You don't have to keg it once fermentation is complete.  Lager it on the cake for a few weeks if you can.  It will continue to condition and the yeast will go to sleep with nice reserves so you can reuse them on your next batch.

Dave

that's the game plan. plan on moving it back to 55F, then drop it a few degrees each day until 45F and leave it on cake for 2 weeks. then i will rack to keg for another 3 weeks at 34F.

Why stop at 45F on the cake?

[ynotbrusum]

+1 to the above.  Warm it up and let it burn out/clean up the diacetyl.  You don't have to keg it once fermentation is complete.  Lager it on the cake for a few weeks if you can.  It will continue to condition and the yeast will go to sleep with nice reserves so you can reuse them on your next batch.

Dave

that's the game plan. plan on moving it back to 55F, then drop it a few degrees each day until 45F and leave it on cake for 2 weeks. then i will rack to keg for another 3 weeks at 34F.

Why stop at 45F on the cake?

For me it is always just an issue of space.  One month in primary then to keg for bulk aging at colder temperatures - the kegs fit easier into the fridge that serves as my "on deck" area...and I need the space in the lager chest for the next batch going into primary.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

+1 to the above.  Warm it up and let it burn out/clean up the diacetyl.  You don't have to keg it once fermentation is complete.  Lager it on the cake for a few weeks if you can.  It will continue to condition and the yeast will go to sleep with nice reserves so you can reuse them on your next batch.

Dave

that's the game plan. plan on moving it back to 55F, then drop it a few degrees each day until 45F and leave it on cake for 2 weeks. then i will rack to keg for another 3 weeks at 34F.

Why stop at 45F on the cake?

well, my thought process is bring it down slowly since i had some diacetyl from pitching at 60F vs 45F. im in no rush, so figure i will keep the yeast doing their thing as long as possible before i crash it down to 34F for lagering.