Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: diacetyl question  (Read 53 times)

Offline Lazy Ant Brewing

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 628
diacetyl question
« on: March 18, 2024, 04:40:36 pm »
If the wort was held in your fermenter at 66 F for an ale until fermentation was complete, and then you bottled it at that temp adding priming sugar, could you perform a diacetyl rest in the bottles by warming them up to 72 F and holding them at that temp while bottle carbonation was increasing?

Thanks in advance for your answers.
It's easier to read brewing books and get information from the forum than to sacrifice virgins to appease the brewing gods when bad beer happens!

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11320
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
Re: diacetyl question
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2024, 07:45:32 pm »
I doubt there will be enough active fermentation from bottle conditioning to scrub the alpha-acetolactate (the precursor to diacetyl). If you are concerned about diacetyl you should do a forced d-test (hold beer about 160F for 20 minutes then cool down and see if you smell or taste diacetyl--the warm temps cause the alpha-acetolactate to convert to diacetyl). If you smell or taste diacetyl hold the beer on the yeast at a warmer temp for a few days then test again. Alpha-acetolactate is flavorless, so you won't know you have diacetyl until it's too late if you don't perform the test. If its already in the bottle it is probably too late to fix it.

That said, for an ale,. I doubt diacetyl will be a problem or require a d-rest.
« Last Edit: March 18, 2024, 07:51:09 pm by majorvices »