Lager - Single fermentation temperature

Hi there,

I just gained access to a 50 degree cooler and it got me thinking of trying a lager recipe for the first time. I do have a couple hurdles to overcome however..

First, the cooler is about a 10-15 minute drive away from where I brew. I was thinking I could brew, throw it in a carboy and the drive over to the cooler wouldn't hurt because it's just like oxygenating the wort. I could then pitch the yeast once I'm at the cooler. I can't bottle there, so when it's finished I would have to drive the carboy back to my house and risk oxygenation of the beer..though I may be able to rack to a keg on-site.

Second, the cooler has to always stay at 50. I don't think it will be possible to conduct a diacetyl rest. Is this a pretty important factor to lagers or can I get away with it using certain yeasts? How long should I be keeping the beer at 50? I will be able to rack to a secondary at the cooler if that helps.

Well thanks for letting me bounce my thoughts off y'all, sorry for the lengthy read!

a d-rest isn't necessary for all lagers, only tasting it can tell u for sure, but you could just pull it out and leave at room temp for a day or 2 for that anyway. you'll need to primary at 50 for a week or 2 (mine are usually ready for a d-rest after 5-7 days, others take longer). staying at 50 is only half the battle tho, you'd need to be able to keep it in the 30s for weeks after for lagering

Hmm, so the 50 degrees isn't sufficient for lagering? Maybe I can find another cooler set at a lower temperature. This will be a somewhat surreptitious (but perfectly legal) fermentation process, hence not being able to pull it out for a d-rest and trying to do it all at one temperature. Thanks for your reply!

well you certainly could do a lager at 50F the whole time, it just may not be the best result. I always do a d-rest to be safe, but it hasn't always been needed. lagering works better colder, but im sure you'd still get a pretty good lager if u just kept it at 50F the whole. there's certainly no harm in trying