Chest freezer for storage/aging and fermenting

[ILOVEBEER]

I am in the market for a 15.0 CF chest freezer. I own 12 corney's, 4 carboys and two co2 tanks that I have purchased over the last 6 months in preperation for my RIMS completion (DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!)


I plan to buy an external t/stat to regulate temps and I know different beers ferment and age at different temps. I am going to go out on a limb and ask:

Is there a temperature I can ferment and age (for example 60*) that won't affect the beer (or make yeast dormant) even though alot of beers require certain temps?

I want to be able to ferment all four carboys at the same time while four other corney's (previously racked beer aging) are in the same freezer set at the temperature.

Once they are ready I can force carbonate, leave the c02 cylinder hooked up for a few days, transfer to my kegerator....wait til it chills and drink.

I just finished my RIMS and plan to brew until I have atleast 30 gallons of beer. I have no place to store it...the garage temps are unpredicatable (SoCal) and my wife doesn't want the carboys in the house....

Thanks

 

[david_42]

60F is good for fermenting most styles/yeasts. Too warm for lagers, too cold for Belgians. Okay for aging.

 

[TexLaw]

How do you feel about koelsches?


TL

 

[ILOVEBEER]

That's good news...the way I was thinking is that once I started making a lager beer that required colder temps I would make sure the only thing in there was the aging cornies since lagers ferment @ 50* (I think) and if I made a warmer fermenting beer I would make accomodations int the house somewhere, I am pretty sure SWMBO would care too much. Thanks for the advice!

Koelsches...never had one...incase you are talking too me

Joe

 

[JZinNM]

I don't have firsthand experience, but I'm pretty sure you can age beer at just about any temperature you would target for fermentation. I would focus on setting the freezer temperature for the fermenting batch and just let the aging beer go along for the ride. The one limitation you will have is not being able to cold crash if you have two batches fermenting on different schedules.

 

[ILOVEBEER]

Just getting into AG brewing...not sure what cold crash is...maybe you can explain please?

I was kinda hoping I could do what you just described...I think as long as I make the same types of beer that can ferment and age at the same temps it will work well...thank you.

 

[JZinNM]

Cold crashing is a way to clarify your beer before kegging/bottling. A day or so before kegging set the temp to about 35 degrees and the chill haze and other particulates in your beer will settle out on the bottom.

 

[ILOVEBEER]

Thanks for the help