Outdoor Lagering tip

[Adub71]

Now that it is Spring, this tip will be of no use to anyone except the Inuit tribe

I live in VA, and don't have enough fridges to dedicate one to fermentation. I only make lagers in the winter, that way I can plop my fermenters outside. On those days it gets above 60, I just move them into my garage.

I keep an old fermenting bucket outside with a thermometer in it, so I can see how the ambient air temp swings affect the liquid temperature. Just yesterday, It was 78. My bucket hit 58. (obviously I have no lagers outside now). A day at abnormally hi temps won't ruin it, you just may get a few more diacetyl rests than called for.

 

[oceanic_brew]

This reminded me of my forest brew experiment.

I'm planning on doing a batch of beer completely out in the woods near our water reservoir.

The fermentation will take place in a buried but vented plastic bucket which should keep it down around lager temps. Gonna toast some hardwood out there and age the beer until first frost on that and then transport and carry it all back for kegging.