Diacetyl Rest Timing

Ingredients
1

I’ve heard a few different timetables as to when you should begin a diacetyl rest for a lager–everything ranging from one week to three weeks. I’m coming up on three weeks in primary now, and it’s still bubbling away. However, it’s worth noting that it took a good five days or so before I saw activity in the airlock. So is there something to look for when deciding when it’s time to bring it up to rest? Should the bubbling be pretty well settled before a diacetyl rest? Is that irrelevant? I want to make sure the yeast has plenty of time to work its magic.

Similarly, it sounds like peoples’ diacetyl rests can be anywhere from 36 hours to one week in duration. Are their guidelines here or things to watch for?

2

When I anticipate fermentation is about finished, I take a gravity sample.  After getting a reading, I taste it.  If I taste diacetyl, I do a rest.  If not, I don’t.  If I do, it’s usually for about 3 days.

3

Ah that seems like a pretty good reason to take a gravity reading. I should probably start doing that eh?  :wink:

4

Yeah, you might want to think about it…:wink: