[wamille]

I'm leaving to go on vacation soon.  So I've placed almost completely fermented beer in my fridge while I'm gone.  The gravity is currently 1.014 (almost, if not, done).  I'll be leaving it in the fridge at 50F until mid July.  Will this temperature allow for the clearing of diacetyl and other flavor compounds?  Or should I leave it on my porch for another week prior to leaving and then put it in the fridge while I'm gone? 

[mainebrewer]

You don't say how long its been in the fermenter but, assuming its only been a couple of weeks, I would leave the beer at fermentation temp and then when you are actually leaving put it in the fridge at 50 degrees. Assuming you are using an ale yeast, it will be pretty inactive at 50 degrees.

[corkybstewart]

If you racked it to secondary or kegged it and left it in the house what would the temperature be?  If not too hot I would rack it and leave it at room temp.  Any ale yeast will be pretty much dormant at 50F so if it isn't finished fermenting it still won't be when you get back.

[wamille]

The beer was made on 5 June.  I transferred it to a secondary on 11 June.  The OG was 1.061.  I had a large yeast starter (WYEAST 1450 - Denny's Favorite) and aerated for one-minute.  The yeast I'm using seems to work at low temperatures because I used it in three other beers that were left on my enclosed porch during late winter/early spring.  The strip thermometers on the fermenters were as low as the upper 40's to the lower 60's during the fermentation period.  Each beer tasted great and attenuated fully.  Unfortunately leaving the beer on my enclosed porch isn't an option.  It's getting into the upper 80's here in Seoul, Korea.  I suppose when I come back from leave I could put the fermenter in a large plastic container I have and fill it with water and frozen bottles of water each day... as I had done during the entire time it was in the primary fermentation phase.  I guess a week would clear out the diacetyl and other flavor compounds.

[mainebrewer]

Personally, I wouldn't have transfered to a secondary container until it had reached the desired FG.
Generally, there's not a lot of fermentation going on in secondary. What was the gravity when you transferred?
Anyway, my earlier suggestion remains, especially since it is no longer in the primary fermentor, leave it at its current temp until you are ready to leave, then put in the fridge until you get back.

[wamille]

Mainebrewer,
I put the beer in the secondary early because I wanted to get it off the trub and knew I was going to need to keep it in the refrigerator due to the high heat on my porch.  The gravity reading was 1.013 when I transferred it.  The attenuation was quick and quite effective.  My only concern now is keeping it in the refrigerator for about a month while I'm gone.  I wonder if the diacetly and other compounds will be cleaned up by the yeast at those temps.  My guess is it will.