I want to Lager - but....

[rcjmil]

....I want to do it economically. I'd be brewing lager extact kits. Is there a "cheap" way to do this? Should I just go out and buy a used fridge?

 

[uniconfis]

Craigslist might be a good way to start.

 

[The Pol]

I bought a fridge and a freezer, for $100 each, then my temp controller. If you are going to be brewing a while, spend the money. I tell you what, it is AWESOME to have the temp controlled and accurate in a fridge.

 

[the_bird]

If you can find a cheap fridge, the temp controller's another $50 or so. Well worth it, in my estimation.

 

[WOP31]

Depends on where you live too, you could wait till the winter and lager outside, or in the garage, I am going to try that this winter.

Cheers

 

[TheJadedDog]

I lagered in a cooler in August, you just gotta have enough ice. I used an Igloo Ice Cube cooler with custom made polystyrene lids and it help 38-40degrees even when the ambient temp was in the 90s.

 

[Yooper]

I lagered in a cooler in August, you just gotta have enough ice. I used an Igloo Ice Cube cooler with custom made polystyrene lids and it help 38-40degrees even when the ambient temp was in the 90s.

Right, that's what I did. It is easier in the winter in my basement, but it's possible. The thing is, I spent around $20 on my cooler (on sale) and about $15 on the polystyrene. I just bought a used little refrigerator for $40 a few weeks ago- that would have been easier in the beginning! See my gallery for pictures of the igloo cooler with the polystyrene lid.

 

[uniconfis]

I lagered in a cooler in August, you just gotta have enough ice. I used an Igloo Ice Cube cooler with custom made polystyrene lids and it help 38-40degrees even when the ambient temp was in the 90s.

I'll be doing this starting in Dec. I purchased the Igloo 70qt maxcold. JaddedDog and Yooper, how much ice did you have to use to maintain 38 degrees?

 

[Yooper]

Very little, since I did it in my basement. I filled the cooler up with water, to the neck of the carboy (maybe a bit below, you can always add more!) and then 2 frozen water bottles. I changed those out about every two days and it kept at 34 degrees like that for over 6 weeks. Of course, my basement is in the low 50s in the winter.

After the primary fermentation, I did the d-rest and then racked to secondary just using basement temps. Then, when you're supposed to drop the temperature gradually until lagering temps, I did it in stages. I racked, then put it in the cooler with water. After a day or two, I added one water bottle, then a day or two later, I added two. Then I had those lager temps so I just swapped out the bottles when they started to thaw. I kept a floating thermometer in there to easily check the temperature.

 

[TheJadedDog]

At the start of the summer I bought six 1L water bottles and six 750mL water bottles and froze them. I then used whatever was necessary to keep the fermenter at the temp I wanted it (2 for 60 degrees, 6 for 40 degrees, and every combination in between). The smaller bottles were chosen so I could fit more in the cooler at one time. I swapped the bottles out every 24 hours which was a lot of work, but I made some of my best beer this summer.

I really liked the flexibility I had with the bottles, when we had a cold front move in I just used fewer bottles, when it got hot again, I went back to using more.

 

[uniconfis]

Thanks! That really helps me out. I was waiting for Dec due to ambient temps but sounds like it shouldn't be much of an issue.

Sorry about the hijack rcjmil.