Keeping fermentation cool?

Hey guys, I was thinking about trying a lager, but I live in an apartment and don't have a basement. Anybody have any creative solutions to keeping a batch of beer at a low, steady enough temp to ferment correctly?


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It's tough. You're going to need to maintain it around 50*F consistently for a week or so, then raise it up to about 64*F for a d-rest until finished. Other than a fermenter fridge/freezer, maybe a water tub with lots of frozen water bottles, but that's hard to do and be precise.

Beyond the fermentation issues, how are you going to cold lager it for several weeks?

I have a basement that is just a bit too warm for lagers, but a bit cool for ales.

So I made a "Yooper Lagerator". I took off the (hollow) lid and made a new lid out of 3 layers of foam insulation. I put water in the cooler, all around my fermenter, and then put bottles of ice in there. I float a thermometer in there so I can keep an eye on the temperature.



I don't know how well it would work in an apartment, though- I would assume your ambient temperature is pretty warm. It would work great in the summer for ales, though!