Can I still brew this beer?

[jeffreyabr]

Just got back from the LHBS and I went to go scan in the recipe sheet when I noticed the very last line on the page:

"Lager for one month at around 36 F before bottling."

I don't have any kind of ferm chamber to keep this thing any cooler than ~50 F which is what I'd get in my basement. Am I still able to make this batch?

 

[Yooper]

Sure. If you can't lager it in a carboy, you could either skip the lagering, or bottle it and carb it up and then stick the bottles in the fridge as long as you can.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Yes. It will be more akin to an ale if it is not lagered to achieve smoothness, but it should still be very good. All the better if you can ferment at around 50 degrees, but if you can't hold it that low, then substitute with W-34/70 yeast.

 

[jeffreyabr]

Sure. If you can't lager it in a carboy, you could either skip the lagering, or bottle it and carb it up and then stick the bottles in the fridge as long as you can.

I have a mini fridge in the basement that can probably hold a good amount of bottles. Think there'd be much adverse affect on me priming and bottling after 2 weeks and letting them sit in the fridge for the other two weeks? Or is that the optimal situation?

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Bottle lagering is commonly done. It may not be optimal, but it is better than no lagering at all. Just be sure that you're bottles have fully carbonated before lagering. You should still lager for 4 weeks.

 

[jeffreyabr]

Bottle lagering is commonly done. It may not be optimal, but it is better than no lagering at all. Just be sure that you're bottles have fully carbonated before lagering. You should still lager for 4 weeks.

So ferment for 2 weeks, carbonate in the bottles (in the basement at ~50 degrees) for 2 weeks, and then 4 weeks in the fridge?

 

[doug293cz]

So ferment for 2 weeks, carbonate in the bottles (in the basement at ~50 degrees) for 2 weeks, and then 4 weeks in the fridge?

I'd let them carbonate for 3 weeks at about 70˚F. Two weeks at 50˚F is likely to be under carbonated. Nothing worse than finding out your beers are under carbonated after waiting 6 weeks.

Brew on

 

[jeffreyabr]

I'd let them carbonate for 3 weeks at about 70˚F. Two weeks at 50˚F is likely to be under carbonated. Nothing worse than finding out your beers are under carbonated after waiting 6 weeks.

Brew on

So bottle them and let them sit for 3 weeks at about 70˚F? No need to worry about lagering?

 

[doug293cz]

So bottle them and let them sit for 3 weeks at about 70˚F? No need to worry about lagering?

Lager them after the 3 wks at room temp. They won't carbonate well at lager temps. You want to be sure carbonation is complete before you start lagering.

Brew on

 

[jeffreyabr]

Lager them after the 3 wks at room temp. They won't carbonate well at lager temps. You want to be sure carbonation is complete before you start lagering.

Brew on

So after 2 weeks in the basement at 50F, bring the fermenter upstairs where it's 70F for ~3 weeks and then bottle?

 

[Redtab78]

You could substitute the yeast for kolsch yeast, and ferment higher temps in the 60's for 2 weeks, then put it in your basement for 2 weeks at the 50, and this beer will come out perfect I think.

 

[jrcrilly]

After fermentation, bottle it and THEN condition for three weeks at 70 degrees. THEN chill to lager for another four weeks.

 

[jeffreyabr]

You could substitute the yeast for kolsch yeast, and ferment higher temps in the 60's for 2 weeks, then put it in your basement for 2 weeks at the 50, and this beer will come out perfect I think.

Brewed it yesterday, but thanks for the idea.

 

[doug293cz]

So after 2 weeks in the basement at 50F, bring the fermenter upstairs where it's 70F for ~3 weeks and then bottle?

NO. The 3 wks is for carbonation after bottling. Carbonation won't occur (or be extremely slow) at lagering temps. As jrcrilly said above:

• Ferrnent to stable FG
• Prime and bottle
• 3 weeks at 70F to carbonate (takes longer to carbonate at lower temps)
• Then lager

Brew on

 

[Redtab78]

Brewed it yesterday, but thanks for the idea.

no problem, just for future reference when you want to lager but cant really lager like others in a carboy or keg, kolsch yeast is a great alternative. I have used it in pale ales, Vienna/cascade smash beers, pilsner style beers, and just recently in a black Rye IPA (which is absolutely amazing btw).

 

[jeffreyabr]

NO. The 3 wks is for carbonation after bottling. Carbonation won't occur (or be extremely slow) at lagering temps. As jrcrilly said above:

• Ferrnent to stable FG
• Prime and bottle
• 3 weeks at 70F to carbonate (takes longer to carbonate at lower temps)
• Then lager

Brew on

Gotcha. Think I could throw the bottles in the fridge for 2 weeks or is it better to go the full 4?

no problem, just for future reference when you want to lager but cant really lager like others in a carboy or keg, kolsch yeast is a great alternative. I have used it in pale ales, Vienna/cascade smash beers, pilsner style beers, and just recently in a black Rye IPA (which is absolutely amazing btw).

Wish I could have. The brew shop is closed on Sundays, hence the forum post. Once you leave on a Saturday in my area, you'd better be good to rock on Sunday or else you're waiting til Tuesday.

 

[Redtab78]

Same hours here where im at, where are you located?

 

[jeffreyabr]

Same hours here where im at, where are you located?

North NJ. Closest place is 30ish minutes away. Amazing guys who will take you step by step over the phone through your brew day if you need it, but they're only Tuesday - Saturday.

 

[madscientist451]

If your basement is about 50, I'd start the ferment down there and after a week or so, pull a sample, take a gravity reading, and if its 50% or more done, bring it upstairs until its finished. When its done, take it back to the 50 degree basement, put the fermentor in a cardboard box and place frozen 2 liter water bottles in the box. Wrap it up with a blanket or sleeping bag, keep changing the frozen water bottles out.
The idea is to chill the beer down as low as you can and cold crash it to help the yeast drop out. When the yeast drops out, you can bring the carboy back upstairs and bottle your beer. Let the bottles sit in a warm place until they carb up. Chill some down and drink now, use your spare fridge to lager some more bottles. You may not have to lager a long time, the beer might be fine right away. I have a large extra fridge and lager bottles for months, and it does get better with time, but using the "fast lager" method above, gets you drinkable beer faster.

 

[doug293cz]

Gotcha. Think I could throw the bottles in the fridge for 2 weeks or is it better to go the full 4?

It's your beer, no reason you can't try it after two weeks of lagering. I use a fast lager fermentation schedule, which ends with a cold crash, and start tasting about 4 days after kegging (I use an accelerated carbonation method.)

Brew on

 

[Yooper]

So after 2 weeks in the basement at 50F, bring the fermenter upstairs where it's 70F for ~3 weeks and then bottle?

Gotcha. Think I could throw the bottles in the fridge for 2 weeks or is it better to go the full 4?

Longer is better, so put them in the fridge and drink one a 2 weeks if you have to, but make the goal to be at least 6 weeks and try one a week until then. Keep them cold in the fridge, so they continue to lager until the last one is gone. You can then see how they improve and what lagering does to the beer.

 

[Jtk78]

Accidental post, sorry.

Hope the beer turns out well for you.

 

[neverfadeaway86]

I bottle lager in my mini fridge and it is cool to see the difference between 2 weeks and a few months