Lagering a cream ale?

Would it be okay to lager a cream ale? I'm not sure that it would do anything, but I only have one temperature controlled fridge. I'd like to move the cream ale in with my Harp Lager clone in the the 38 F fridge to free up space in my closet for another primary fermenter.

Or: Is this a bad idea, i.e. I wouldn't get anything out of the secondary fermentation due to the cold temps shutting down the yeast?

Oh, I used Nottingham dry yeast.

Why not just pitch a lager yeast? Could be tasty!!!

I think you'd want to at least finish primary ferment before starting to cold-condition the ale.

My cream ale recipe called for cold conditioning after bottling. Unfortunately, it is my husband's favorite beer and he's been drinking them as fast as I've hidden them in the back of the beer fridge. (It's actually been hot in the Northwoods)

I think almost any beer can benefit from a period of cold conditioning, but a cream ale is a great candidate for it. It would really help it crisp up a bit and some of esters would disappear and it would really smooth out.

Cool. Maybe I will try that. Would there be any need for a regular secondary at higher temperatures?

I did the primary fermentation around 66 degrees, and the secondary just a tad lower. I used Nottingham yeast, which is viable from 59-75 degrees. You could go to the lower end of your yeast's fermentation range until it's done. Don't chill it before it's finished, though!

yooper chick, what are "esters" and why is it good for them to disappear?

Well, that's one of the main differences (flavor wise) between ales and lagers. Generally, ales are supposed to be slightly fruity, but higher fermentation temperatures and some yeasts will give even more fruitiness flavor to the ale. In a lager, any of these flavors are considered a flaw. A lager should be clean and crisp without those fruity esters.

If you've ever had a hefe that has a banana smell that is an ester. A lot of fruit smells and flavorings are esters, and can be the so called "artificial/natural flavors" in any number of processed food products.

Incidently, I've decided to bottle my lager this weekend, and will warm up the fridge for secondary at the bottom end of the Nottingham range when I do so. I racked to secondary because Nottingham is so flocculent that my beer was pretty nearly clear when I took a gravity reading on Tuesday. At the warmer temperature I've been keeping this cream ale at I was in a hurry to get it off the yeast to stave off autolysis.