Diacetyl (Butterscotch)

[Ashman]

Ok brewed an all grain using the Wilko English ale yeast. It cleared as expected and hit the expected gravity reading. FV the garage for 2 weeks in the primary ( pretty cold). 2weeks carbonation. It’s drinkable and I initially thought it was fruity but I’m leaning towards butterscotch. I can only think I went too cold with the FV and should have bumped up the temp at the end at the target gravity prior to bottling ? What are others experience of this yeast ?

 

[Clint]

Good.

 

[Dutto]

Excellent results.

Wilco Ale Yeast (aka Nottingham Yeast or Gervin-12 Yeast) is my "go to" yeast for almost all brews that I wish to ferment between 19*C and 22*C.

 

[Oneflewover]

I think that it's a reliable yeast that tolerates a wide temperature range (I've used it successfully 14c to 25c) and is highly flocculant. Very clean flavour profile, and quite a high attenuator, so can be a little ordinary as an ale yeast. Good for dry stout or a pale beer (e.g. pseudo lager) where you don't want much flavour from the yeast. As such I always keep a sachet in the fridge.

If your garage was at the lower end of its temperature range it would probably have benefited from a rise in temperature for a diacetyl rest I suspect.

 

[Ashman]

I think that it's a reliable yeast that tolerates a wide temperature range (I've used it successfully 14c to 25c) and is highly flocculant. Very clean flavour profile, and quite a high attenuator, so can be a little ordinary as an ale yeast. Good for dry stout or a pale beer (e.g. pseudo lager) where you don't want much flavour from the yeast. As such I always keep a sachet in the fridge.

If your garage was at the lower end of its temperature range it would probably have benefited from a rise in temperature for a diactyl rest I suspect.

Thanks and thanks to other posters. I’d be way way below that lower temperature in a North facing garage in January. Presumably although I got gravity readings and the beer cleared I hadn’t twigged the diacetyl rest needed to be longer!

Does everyone just raise their temps at the end whatever or only raise when the butterscotch smell presents itself?

 

[Oneflewover]

I tend to raise temperature towards the end of fermentation to ensure full attenuation, but particularly when fermenting at low temps to deal with diacetyl.

 

[Ashman]

I’m still struggling with diacetyl. I am raising temps as suggested but Oddly it didn’t seem to show up in kit fermentation only the all grain batches (same yeast used). So I’m wondering if it’s the malts, mash process or hop additions? To mash I just get water to 70C on hob, add malts, take off the heat and leave for 90. I don’t monitor the drop.

 

[The Baron]

My house yeast I think it is excellent and do not venture much from it unless using CML Kolsch or Cali Common. Never had a problem fermenting even at sub 20c but from what you are saying your temp in a north facing garage will probably be too low and may extend or even stop the fermentation. I would try to lift the temp by wrapping the fermenter in old duvets,blankets, towels etc to help with temp control or use a water bath aswell, heating pad or even a aquarium heater.

 

[Ashman]

My house yeast I think it is excellent and do not venture much from it unless using CML Kolsch or Cali Common. Never had a problem fermenting even at sub 20c but from what you are saying your temp in a north facing garage will probably be too low and may extend or even stop the fermentation. I would try to lift the temp by wrapping the fermenter in old duvets,blankets, towels etc to help with temp control or use a water bath aswell, heating pad or even a aquarium heater.

Thanks. I’ve put a greenhouse 40w heater in a cabinet but have only really been holding 17C recently but can’t get above it. Last night it was very cold and the Inkbird temperature suggests it’s only 12C in there. I have temp logging so I can probably see how cold the ambient got overnight with the heater full on.

I’ll try heating and then possibly switch to a different yeast! The white labs paper does mention some highly floc yeasts sometimes have this problem.

 

[Jakeyboi]

What style of beer did you brew? I’ve just pulled a keg of pale ale out of my kegerator and put it in the fermentation chamber at 22C as I think it might have a hint of butter flavour at the end of the taste. Had it a couple times only when I brew a really pale beer with little hop presence. Hopefully there’s enough yeast in there to clean it up.

 

[The Baron]

Have you thought of building a cheap fermentation chamber/box as has been done by quite a few people just to get you through the cold period of the year it can even be just a large cardboard box lined with polystyrene that will lift the temp quite a few degrees and stop large variances especially overnight

 

[Ashman]

What style of beer did you brew? I’ve just pulled a keg of pale ale out of my kegerator and put it in the fermentation chamber at 22C as I think it might have a hint of butter flavour at the end of the taste. Had it a couple times only when I brew a really pale beer with little hop presence. Hopefully there’s enough yeast in there to clean it up.

Similar It’s a pale ale single hop so very little hop presence. Is it something that is there but masked normally?

 

[Ashman]

Have you thought of building a cheap fermentation chamber/box as has been done by quite a few people just to get you through the cold period of the year it can even be just a large cardboard box lined with polystyrene that will lift the temp quite a few degrees and stop large variances especially overnight

At the moment the chamber is the old lizard vivarium so not insulated but historically used regulated temperature ( not in the garage though). I’ll have a look into insulation

 

[Jakeyboi]

Yes I’ve read that it is masked in malty beers or hoppy beers by the stronger flavours.