keeping temp low for Lagers???

How does everyone ferment a Lager in such low temperatures?? How do you maintain a 50 degree atmosphere??

Usually a chest freezer or fridge with a temperature controller. Some people may be lucky enough to have a basement/cellar with acceptable temperatures.

I only do lagers in the winter & keep the fermenter in the garage.

But I live on the east coast. The temps probably get down between 20-30 degrees at night.. Wouldn't that be too cold??

kfgolfer said:

But I live on the east coast. The temps probably get down between 20-30 degrees at night.. Wouldn't that be too cold??

Click to expand...

Of course it would. Hence:

Usually a chest freezer or fridge with a temperature controller.

Click to expand...

I put my primary fermenter in a big bucket of water - one of those buckets that you ice down a keg in. Then, I add two big bottles of ice each day. This keeps the temp about right during primary. I lager in my kegerator.

If all you can manage is low 60s steam beer yeast is a good choice.

kfgolfer said:

But I live on the east coast. The temps probably get down between 20-30 degrees at night.. Wouldn't that be too cold??

Click to expand...

Do you have a basement? What are the temps on your basement floor? Take a carboy, fill it with water, put a sticky therm strip on it , set it on your basement floor and check it in a couple of days. My guess is that temps should be about right. Otherwise, like Baron said..........

I just put my first Lager into a secondary last night. I fermented in a 6.5 gal carboy that was placed inside a square cooler with the top removed and insulation boards cut and trimmed to fit over the carboy. Each day I put those frozen cooler ice packs in the water bath inside the cooler twice a day and kept the fermenting temp around 50-52 F on a fairly consistent basis. Wasn't much of a pain doing since I look inside my "fermenting" closet at least twice a day anyway. Just love seeing the bubbling in the airlocks!!!