Diacytle in pilsners...

[Ozwald]

You might want to try Whitelabs' WLP940 Mexi Lager. It's avery clean fermenter and rips through beers. My new fave lager least...

Yeah I am a huge fan of Mexican Lager. I made some great beers with it, however I will say I didnt care that much for it in my baltic porter. The yeast produces very little diacetyl if fermented at 50(cold pitch) and is really crisp(the best thing about it).

It's pretty good, but you gotta keep an eye on your tires. Last time I used that strain I turned around for a minute, my car was on milkcrates & I couldn't find that damn vial anywhere. Punk.

[ziggy]

The diacetyl you think you have could be kettle caramelization. I made a lager in which I intentionally boiled the crap out of the first runnings to produce kettle caramelization and it had a distinct butterscotch flavor to it which I thought was diacetyl. Then I took it to work and had one of the beer experts taste it and he said that it wasn't diacetyl, it was a very nice caramel flavor that he enjoyed very much. When we use direct fired kettles in homebrewing we tend to get more caramelization than the steam fired professional breweries. Go get yourself some artificial butter flavor in the baking aisle of the grocery store and some commercial German pilsener like Bitburger and try spiking the Bitburger with the artificial butter flavor and compare to your beer.

[loadmaster]

Try pitching a bit colder, maybe 46F and then raise your temp 1F per day until you hit 52F. Then just let it ferment until it is done. The colder temp during the growth phase help reduce production of dia. Use the mr. Malty yeast pithing rate calculator and make sure you are pitching enough yeast.

[biertourist]

830 is a great lager yeast however it is a little time and temperature sensitive compared to others. You are rushing fermentation a bit, go 15-20 days cold and then drest for another 3-7 depending on taste. Some less sensitive yeast with diacetyl are 833 and 838, they also turn the beer quicker in my experience with them.

Listen to this wise, wise man! 830 (Weihenstephaner) is just SLOW at everything. Slow to to start fermenting, slow to ferment, slow to condition; it makes GREAT tasting malty lagers when you let it take its sweet time, but it can't be hurried. 833 / 838 are easier to use.

I had a SUPER diacetyly last batch (I underpitched dramatically) but taking some of the yeast and making a "second round starter" and then pitching this "krausen beer" and letting it do it's thing for 2 weeks at 60F got rid of all traces of diacetyl. -Make a krausen beer and extend that diacetyl rest out to 2 weeks if you need to but DON'T dump a diacetyly beer; it's an easy flaw to fix. (Unless it comes from a pediococcus infection, then you're screwed.)


Adam