I just finished my second lager. And everything I read on the advice level is all over the page.
Short story: I brewed a bock about 6 weeks ago. Two weeks into fermentation, the beer tasted amazing. Amazing! It’s time for diacetyl rest, let it free rise to the low 60’s, but it never made it to 65-68. The buttery diacetyl-flavor slowly faded but was replaced by an odd medicinal flavor. I panicked, and cold crashed immediately, but I never got rid of the flavor. The only thing I could figure was that maybe it was because I didn’t use RO water, and the chlorine in our water is high
Two weeks ago to the day, I brewed my Mexican Lager and used RO Water. Same thing. Primary fermentation for 8 days, then slowly raised to 65 degrees which it hit yesterday (3/23), and I dumped trub, and then began diacetyl. Tasted it Thursday, strong buttery flavor, but it was good. Tasted it yesterday (3/22) and the buttery flavor is slowly being replaced with the more medicinal flavor. Then today, (March 23rd) airlock activity has picked back up. Rather than panicking and immediately cold crashing, I'm just letting it go, I’m wondering if this off flavor is not medicinal, but part of the buttery diacetyl leaving and at this stage (only 36 hours in), this happens to be what the taste is. I’ve read many posts that say, diacetyl could take up to a week. Suggestions?
At this point, I’m tempted (and scared) to leave it at diacetyl rest temps, hoping this off flavor will leave.
Both were fermented on Saflager W-34/70
Short story: I brewed a bock about 6 weeks ago. Two weeks into fermentation, the beer tasted amazing. Amazing! It’s time for diacetyl rest, let it free rise to the low 60’s, but it never made it to 65-68. The buttery diacetyl-flavor slowly faded but was replaced by an odd medicinal flavor. I panicked, and cold crashed immediately, but I never got rid of the flavor. The only thing I could figure was that maybe it was because I didn’t use RO water, and the chlorine in our water is high
Two weeks ago to the day, I brewed my Mexican Lager and used RO Water. Same thing. Primary fermentation for 8 days, then slowly raised to 65 degrees which it hit yesterday (3/23), and I dumped trub, and then began diacetyl. Tasted it Thursday, strong buttery flavor, but it was good. Tasted it yesterday (3/22) and the buttery flavor is slowly being replaced with the more medicinal flavor. Then today, (March 23rd) airlock activity has picked back up. Rather than panicking and immediately cold crashing, I'm just letting it go, I’m wondering if this off flavor is not medicinal, but part of the buttery diacetyl leaving and at this stage (only 36 hours in), this happens to be what the taste is. I’ve read many posts that say, diacetyl could take up to a week. Suggestions?
At this point, I’m tempted (and scared) to leave it at diacetyl rest temps, hoping this off flavor will leave.
Both were fermented on Saflager W-34/70
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