Can you do a Bohemian Pilsner at 50-55 then lager at 40?

[callmebruce]

My oldest son enjoys Bohemian Pilsners and asked to do one. I looked up Extract recipes and Extract/Steeping Grains recipes - and found some great choices. My concern is fermentation and lagering temperatures, though.

I'm in the South East, and using a room off my garage for fermenting. I have hvac going into the room, but since I keep the house at 76-78 degrees, the room is closer to 80.

I have a large picnic cooler I'm using for my Kolsch now. I was able to keep temps in the mid to low 60's for fermentation, and keep it right around 40 for lagering the Kolsch just by swapping out ice bottles every 12 to 24 hours. Wrapping up three weeks at 40.

I know I could keep the Bohemian Pilsner in the 50's for fermenting, and right around 40 for lagering. I'd need to pick up a wort chiller to drop the temps quickly. It took me quite a while to bring down the temp of the Kolsch.

I don't think I can get the Pilsner down to 34-36 degrees for lagering, though (at least I haven't been able to drop my Kolsch that low). I can get it to 40, but adding more ice doesn't seem to drop it much lower - just extends the time I can keep it at 40. Can you lager a Pilsner right around 40? Or would I lose too much crispness and get strange flavors? I looked at the Wyeast Labs Pilsen yeast specs, and I know I can meet the fermentation temp range (48 to 56 degrees). I just don't think I'll be able to do 34-36 degrees for four weeks (but can easily do 40 degrees for four weeks).

Would flavors be significantly off, or would the Pilsner not clear if I lager it at 40 degrees? (I'm thinking just go with it - shouldn't be a huge issue. Figured I'd ask first, though).

 

[Shooter]

I've seen people lagering at 40 degrees before. It's kind of the top end of the range I think, but I imagine you'd be fine. I lagered my bock at 38 degrees for about seven weeks and it turned out fine.

 

[eastoak]

you could lager at 40 and be fine. give your local craiglist a try for a cheap mini fridge, i picked on up for $25 and i'm lagering in it right now.

 

[callmebruce]

That mini-fridge cost less than my picnic cooler. Big cooler cost me 52 bucks at Walmart. I'm sure I'm using just as much electricity freezing ice bottles to keep the beer cold as I would to run a mini fridge.

 

[TheMan]

A mini fridge costs MAYBE $20 a year to run. That's nothing when you consider you get to lager.

 

[1Mainebrew]

You can add salt to the water and ice and it will drop the temperature down below 32*. Google it.

 

[AnonyBrew]

You'll be fine at 40F for lagering. Just pay attention to your fermentation temps. & don't let them get much above 50F.

It's gonna be alot of work keeping your temps that low though. You may want to consider your effort & time vs. paying for a chest freezer & controller.

 

[callmebruce]

Yeah, I'm thinking two options - one would be to do a pretend Bohemian Pilsner using Kolsch yeast and SAAZ hops (er, whatever hops I'd use in a Bohemian Pilsner!). It would be a hybrid, but I'm really really liking the Kolsch I did. Second option would be to buy a minifridge or chest freezer. Trying to balance hobbies, though. Not sure if I want to pay for a fidge or freezer, or use that cash in my hobby car ('65 Rambler). My cooler frees up in a week, so I'll make a decision by next weekend.

 

[osagedr]

If you can lager at 40, can you ferment at 46 or 48? I like those temps much better (depending on the yeast strain) than getting up into the 50s. Your ferm temp is much more important than your lagering temp when it comes to the flavour profile of your final beer, but you seem to be much more worried about the latter than the former.

Make sure you pitch lots of yeast (2 packs of W34/70 rehydrated would be excellent), then ferment right at the bottom of the temp range for the strain you are using. IMO that's the key to a quality lager, not whether your lagering temp is 40 vs. 33.