Should I Worry About My Lager?

[Prairie Dog]

I've been lagering my first Marzen for a little over 3 weeks. I'm on day 24 right now. I did a diacetyl rest before I kegged it for lagering. When I kegged it for lagering, the beer had a strong green apple flavor which has mellowed over time, but since it has faded, a prominent buttery flavor has developed over the last week or so. I've had my fridge set to 33F for the whole 3 weeks. My question is: will the buttery flavor drop out if I lager for a couple of more weeks or should I warm it up and see if I can't get the yeast to get back to work to clean up the diacetyl? Thanks, everyone!

 

[J A]

When did you do a D-rest and at what temp? It won't be very effective if fermentation is complete. D-rest is best at around 65F when there's still a few points of gravity to go. It's usually a product of cold-slow fermentation so lager yeast (and some others) that are used in the low 50s often produce diacetyl. The green apple flavor that you experienced is usually associated with acetaldehyde and that's a product of fermenting too warm.
Generally lagering won't do much to remove off-flavor molecules but will allow yeast to drop and clear, removing the flavors associated with the yeast itself.
What was you fermentation time and temp schedule. And what yeast did you use and how much?

 

[Prairie Dog]

I pitched 2 packets of 34/70. Fermented at 50F for a week and it was already at FG, so I did a 5 day diacetyl rest at 63F. Kegged it up after that. So maybe I didn’t do the diacetyl rest soon enough or maybe I kegged it up too soon?

 

[J A]

I pitched 2 packets of 34/70. Fermented at 50F for a week and it was already at FG, so I did a 5 day diacetyl rest at 63F. Kegged it up after that. So maybe I didn’t do the diacetyl rest soon enough or maybe I kegged it up too soon?

If it was already at FG, a rest wasn't going to do much good. The yeast needs to be actively metabolizing to consume diacetyl and clean it up. It wouldn't have mattered how long you waited to keg.The 34/70 will definitely develop some diacetyl at 50 degrees so you might just have to live with the flavor of this particular batch.

 

[Sandy Feet]

How big was the batch? I'll pitch BIG for a lager. I'll use 4 of those things in 5 gallons to get it to start quickly. I normally run that yeast at 55 until low krausen. Then, I do the D Rest around day 3 because it started quickly. I have done a D rest at 62, and I have done it close to 60 in the winter when it was very cold in the garage. The one I did at 60 finished extremely clean. I will let it finish at D rest temps. I run a 14 day fermentation just like an ale.

 

[Craigerrr]

I have done a D rest at 62, and I have done it close to 60 in the winter when it was very cold in the garage.

Oh I bet it gets cold in your garage in the winter!
I bet it could get as low as 68F!

 

[Sandy Feet]

LOL. It does freeze overnight in the winter a handful or two of times depending on the year. The garage can get on the chilly side, just not Canada chilly.
I think I actually had to wear shoes for a couple of weeks last January.

 

[west1m]

Terrible! Like growing up in Long Beach Calif. . I had to walk to school , sometimes the big thermometer on the bank would get down to 55f!

 

[Dave Y]

Terrible! Like growing up in Long Beach Calif. . I had to walk to school , sometimes the big thermometer on the bank would get down to 55f!

DAMN. That's south Texas long sleeve shirt weather. I'm cold just thinking about that.

 

[Sandy Feet]

When it does get cold, it different from other parts of the country because it is normally damp. It is easy to get sick because the temperatures fluctuate a bunch. It might be in the 50s and freeze overnight one day and be in the 80s 3 days later. When you get up towards Gainesville or Jacksonville, it does legitimately get cold and can be 10 degrees colder than here. Down south, it can be 10 degrees warmer.

 

[Craigerrr]

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

Terrible! Like growing up in Long Beach Calif. . I had to walk to school , sometimes the big thermometer on the bank would get down to 55f!

And now that you've been in Minnesota for a few years, I bet 55°F (13°C) is shorts and t-shirts weather!

 

[Donoroto]

And now that you've been in Minnesota for a few years, I bet 55°F (13°C) is shorts and t-shirts weather!

It would be in January for sure.

 

[Bigbre04]

i use a spunding valve for my lagers so its a little different. I over pitch everything because...lazy and round numbers. i posted an article about spunding lagers a while ago that was super informative. the recommendation is to start your d rest between 60 and 70% attenuation and let it free rise up to around 65f. I ferment at 10psi and then ramp up to 15 when i let the temp rise for the d rest and it has been really easy and consistent for me.

 

[Prairie Dog]

How big was the batch? I'll pitch BIG for a lager. I'll use 4 of those things in 5 gallons to get it to start quickly. I normally run that yeast at 55 until low krausen. Then, I do the D Rest around day 3 because it started quickly. I have done a D rest at 62, and I have done it close to 60 in the winter when it was very cold in the garage. The one I did at 60 finished extremely clean. I will let it finish at D rest temps. I run a 14 day fermentation just like an ale.

I did a 5 gallon batch and pitched 2 packets. The yeast seemed to work pretty quickly and fermented down to FG in like a week. I was thinking it would take longer, so I didn't really initiate the d-rest until it was already at FG. The lager is still tasting pretty weird at 4 weeks today--oh well. It isn't exactly a drain pour but not exactly pleasant. I'm hoping it might taste a little better in a week or two.

 

[Sandy Feet]

I think on all of mine, krausen drops, temperature goes up. Like Big Bre, Im lazy too. I eyeball it.

 

[J A]

I did a 5 gallon batch and pitched 2 packets. The yeast seemed to work pretty quickly and fermented down to FG in like a week. I was thinking it would take longer, so I didn't really initiate the d-rest until it was already at FG. The lager is still tasting pretty weird at 4 weeks today--oh well. It isn't exactly a drain pour but not exactly pleasant. I'm hoping it might taste a little better in a week or two.

You could try keg-hopping the crap out out of it to cover up the off flavors. It would turn it into a "Northwest Pilsner" or some such but might make it a more enjoyable beer. Better get busy on another batch.