Lagering Question

I have never even condsidered lagering before becuase I knew that I did not have the facilities for it nor did I have the willingness to restock ice around a carboy, etc.

Well, last night I got a fridge from my neighbor to convert into a kegerator. I put my CO2 tank in it with 2 corny kegs. I think that I have enough room to put a carboy in there as well.

Is it possible to lager at the same temp I will be serving my beers? What is the lagering schedule? From Papazian's book, it seems that you ferment warm for a bit and then secondary at colder temperatures.

Does anyone else use their kegerator for lagering?

I have 2 beer fridges. One for bottle and the second for mini-kegs and carboys.

I just place everything in the keg fridge at 40F... I don't corny keg (yet).

In other words you are lagering at 40 degrees???

Charlie Papaszian's recipes for lagers call for lagering between 40 and 50 degrees. Is this dependent upon the individual yeast strains? Additionally, do you find that 40 degrees is the right temp for serving?

I have yet to place a thermometer in my fridge to see what I keep my beer at . . . but I suspect it is near 40. If lagering at 40 degrees is appropriate, I may be in heaven! A whole new world of brewing is opening up for me. . . .:fro: :rockin:

sonvolt said:

In other words you are lagering at 40 degrees???

Charlie Papaszian's recipes for lagers call for lagering between 40 and 50 degrees. Is this dependent upon the individual yeast strains? Additionally, do you find that 40 degrees is the right temp for serving?

I have yet to place a thermometer in my fridge to see what I keep my beer at . . . but I suspect it is near 40. If lagering at 40 degrees is appropriate, I may be in heaven! A whole new world of brewing is opening up for me. . . .:fro: :rockin:

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Yes, I am, but not my bottles. They're in the other fridge at about 50F.

Definitely get a fridge therm.

I still have a Ferment Chiller to build over the winter. Sounds like a "cool" project...