poor man's lagering in the midwest

So I live near st. louis and winter is certainly coming in. 40-45 degree days, 20-30 at night. I'm just getting back into brewing again and one beer that I miss is a good oktoberfest. I've never brewed a lager before, don't have a fridge or a controller, but I've got the indoors, the outdoors, a garage that has temperature somewhere in between.

Can I put this together to make a decent oktoberfest? Also the only yeast I can use is a dry yeast. Advice, recommendations?

I do lagers this time of year. The brewery sits at 8-10C and the garage is near freezing. As far as yeast goes, you're in luck. Several dry lager yeasts are available now, including Saflager W-34/70 "The Weihenstephan strain available in dry form to brew true lager/pilsen beers." This is considered a good yeast for Oktoberfests.

I just brewed 6 gallons of an Octoberfest and used cal lager in 3 gallons and s-23 Saflager in the other 3 gallons just to see if either one works, both are at 58 degrees in a swamp cooler which seems to keep them at that constant temp.

Same situation here. I don't have a beer fridge but the garage will be close enough to freezing that I will cold crash my next few beers there to see if it will result in a more clear beer.

I may also try my hand at a pilsner during the cold winter months.

Honestly before fancy fridges lagers were done in caves and basements. And many of us ghetto lager. Seems like you have the perfect opportunity to do some playing around.


There is some info in this thread. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/lagering-outside-134652/