Kegged my first lager!

Well, I've gone over to the cold side and finally kegged my first lager. It is my first attempt at cloning a Penn Dark lager. The next one that I will try to make will be an Oktoberfest beer. I figure that it would seem like a good time to brew one up in the coming month and have it ready for September/October.

That's some serious planning-ahead!

How did you regulate your fermentation temp on the lager? Did you build a fermentation chamber with a cooling unit? Did you do the temperature step-increases over time?

The only lager I've done so-far was fermented in a corny keg with a stopper wedged in the top. It was the only container that would fit inside my kegerator and I just kept it at a constant 48 degrees or so... seemed to work out alright but I'd really like to step up my game the next time I try a lager.

I got a separate small 5.0 cu ft chest freezer to help regulate my temps especially in the summer months. So I figure now in the winter when my house temps don't go over 70, I can use it as a lager fridge. So I fermented at 56 degrees, I did a diacetyl rest at about 62 degrees, then stepped down slowly to 38 degrees and lagered there for two months. I can't wait for room to open up in my keezer so that I can connect it up to a tap.