valuable refrigerator space

[sharpstick]

we just bought a new fridge and put the old one on the front porch for a dedicated fermenting/lagering chamber.
currently i have it set to 68F with a PID controller with a mead and a cider in it. the freezer is at about 38 and i'll use that for storing yeast and hops and keeping a few beers cold.
(i don't particularly see any reason to make lagers in favor of ales, they tend to be boring. <insert flames here> )
there is room for 3 or 4 fermenters in it. i tend to have more going at a time, so fridge space is at a premium. i usually have several wines bulk aging and 3 or 4 brews. our (florida)house is cooled to around 78 degrees, which is a bit high for brewing and i've had comments that my brews suffer from high fermenting temps.
my question is, what is the most critical time to keep fermenters in a cooled environment. if i get more than will fit can i keep them in the fridge for just the first 2 or 3 days for example and rotate them through? i figure the cold will slow the fermenting down somewhat.

where can I find the recommended temps for different brews?

 

[abracadabra]

During the entire primary, secondary and carbonation process it's important to keep the brew at the recommended temp for the best beer. If your going to go to the trouble to make home brew IMHO it's better to sacrifice quantity rather than quality.

Usually the yeast package has the recommended temp.

 

[carrotmalt]

Temps play a part throughout, but I'd say the most critical time is the initial fermentation (first few days). I think this is when the yeasties are most likely to get pissed off and throw funky esters etc. if they're uncomfortable.