Fixing diacetyl..

[casualbrewer]

I made a recent thread about my latest brew having a lot of diacetyl in it. I fermented for 5 days at recommended temps and got alot of diacetyl. So for the past 3 days I have had my brew at 68 degrees to rid the diacetyl. I checked it today and it is worse smelling and tasting than before. A total butter bomb it seems. So I just boiled up some Pilsen DME along with some table sugar, dumped it in and gave my yeast a rousing hoping to spark a active secondary fermentation and eat up the diacetyl. If this doesn't work, what is the next step?

 

[BrewerBrad82]

One trick that can substantially remove diacetly is to get some highly active yeast in there. Make a 1 liter starter with another vial/smack pack of yeast and wait for it to come to high krausen. Once at high krausen, dump that baby in the beer. The active yeast can go a long way to metabolize the diacetyl in the beer and clean it up quite a bit.

 

[motobrewer]

One trick that can substantially remove diacetly is to get some highly active yeast in there. Make a 1 liter starter with another vial/smack pack of yeast and wait for it to come to high krausen. Once at high krausen, dump that baby in the beer. The active yeast can go a long way to metabolize the diacetyl in the beer and clean it up quite a bit.

i've heard this, and tried this, and didn't find it successful.

 

[mkeckjr]

It is indeed true that it can help, however. This technique is called kräusening and has been used for many years in professional breweries in Germany.

http://byo.com/malt/item/966-kräusening-techniques

However, casualbrewer, I think I commented on your first post. I think you said in your last post that you used WLP840 and fermented at 58 F, which is not in the recommended temps for the yeast. Is this the same beer?

Another very common cause of a great deal of diacetyl (the amount you're describing) is a pediococcus infection. You might consider that if this is not the same beer and you're seeing multiple beers with a lot of diacetyl.

If the diacetyl is indeed from a saccharomyces-only fermentation, you may be able to rid yourself of it with kräusening. I have had success with this in the past. However, I wouldn't use a lager yeast as described in the BYO article, I'd use something like US-05. It is a good diacetyl reducer. If, on the other hand, you have a pediococcus infection, I am not sure how much it will help.

 

[casualbrewer]

I pitched at 58 and ramped down to proper temps (lower 50's to mid 40's). My airlock is bubbling like crazy right now so I know my yeast are still healthy. If the second ferment doesn't clean it up then I guess I can throw some notty in there..

 

[casualbrewer]

Well my second ferment seemed to take maybe half of the diacetyl out. Going to give it a few more days before I cold crash and lager. Hope this beer turns out drinkable.