How do you manage multiple fermentations

I was wondering how most of you handle fermenting/conditioning multiple batches? such as if you have a kegerator do you change the temp. of the beer your serving to lagering temps or do you just lager the beer longer???

I have a dedicated freezer temp controlled for lagering (which i usually do 2 at a time brewed back to back and do my primary rack to secondary in cornies and than drop the temp for how ever long needed diaceytl rest at the end. I dont do to many lagers usually every 8 batches or so.

All about the brew calendar and timing. I have a lagerator, and do ales in a water bath in the closet. I try to do a bunch of lagers within a few days of each other.

I keep my kegerator at 38. I have a fridge dedicated to lagering that can handle a couple cornies at a time and a fermentation chamber that can handle two carboys at a time. I don't like playing with my kegerator temp as it messes with carbonation too much. But, a kegerator will lager your beer just fine. BTW, aren't fermented beverages illegal in Afghanistan?

Bensiff said:

BTW, aren't fermented beverages illegal in Afghanistan?

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yes they are, but im not brewing here. just planning out my return to civilization. IMHO Afghan needs a brewpub, the us could repay most of its debt with what soldiers and civilians would pay... id pay $7 a pint

SMIGS714 said:

I was wondering how most of you handle fermenting/conditioning multiple batches? such as if you have a kegerator do you change the temp. of the beer your serving to lagering temps or do you just lager the beer longer???

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I keep my kegerator at ~46F, so I turn it up to 48F when brewing a lager in there during warmer weather. In the winter, my basement is generally the right temp for lagers, so I brew more lagers then. I have an old fridge I keep at 32F for lagering.
I brew ales using 2 Igloo cube coolers and 1 larger cooler that can hold 2 fermenters. I control the temperature using aquarium heaters and the water also acts as a thermal mass to help moderate swings. Sometimes in the summer I need to add ice to cool the fermentation, so I keep a few 1L bottles with ice in a freezer.

jppostKW said:

I have a dedicated freezer temp controlled for lagering (which i usually do 2 at a time brewed back to back and do my primary rack to secondary in cornies and than drop the temp for how ever long needed diaceytl rest at the end. I dont do to many lagers usually every 8 batches or so.

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I have a freezer that I use for lagers. I also brew lagers back-to-back since I don't want to be stuck with one in cold fermentation at 50F and the other needing to lager at 32F. But I also don't brew too many lagers. Mostly just prior to the summer months.

I can kolsch-lager in my basement so there really isn't any juggling.

It's not rocket science...my basement is about 66F all the time in the winter. I just let them sit on the counter of floor (a few degrees colder there nearer to the door).

Check out my lager fridge. I don't care for nascar, but this takes a carboy perfectly with an upside down small garbage can as a lid. Plugged into a johnson controller keeps my lager fermentation wherever i want it. I turn it off for the D-rest, and then set it full bore for a month of lagering in secondary at 32 degrees. Lagers come out clean and crisp.I found it on craigs list came from a gas station $40.

benbarts said:

Check out my lager fridge. I don't care for nascar, but this takes a carboy perfectly with an upside down small garbage can as a lid. Plugged into a johnson controller keeps my lager fermentation wherever i want it. I turn it off for the D-rest, and then set it full bore for a month of lagering in secondary at 32 degrees. Lagers come out clean and crisp.I found it on craigs list came from a gas station $40.

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That is simply awesome

SMIGS714 said:

yes they are, but im not brewing here. just planning out my return to civilization. IMHO Afghan needs a brewpub, the us could repay most of its debt with what soldiers and civilians would pay... id pay $7 a pint

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Ha, I'm out here with you...I totally understand "planning the return" We joke that we should open a strip club....hell, if they can have a TGI Friday's, why not a nudie bar? FWIW, I'd pay significantly more than $7 for a beer at this point