Doh! I bought a lager kit by mistake!

[zipr]

I bought an Ocktoberfest kit over the weekend and realized when I got home that it's a lager kit. It comes with a Wyeast smack pack Oktoberfest blend yeast. I don't have a fridge in order to lager it correctly, so my choices are:

1) Do it as a steam beer, and brew it in my basement (where it's about 74 degrees) perhaps with a swamp cooler setup.

2) Get some kind of ale yeast, and brew with that.

Any advice on what I should do?

 

[bradsul]

Welcome to HBT!

I'd go with a neutral ale yeast personally (Nottingham is a good choice). 74 is very warm regardless, you'll want to definitely do something to bring the temperature down a few degrees.

 

[Beerthoven]

If it were me, I'd get some kind of ale yeast and do it up with that.

In my experience, fermentation must take place at the proper temp range for the yeast or you will get off flavors.

Even for an ale yeast, 74* is high. You'll still want to use a swamp cooler to get under 70*, preferably lower.

 

[olllllo]

3) Get a fridge on Craigs.

 

[TheJadedDog]

I'd get an ale yeast as advised by others and find a way to bring the temp down. If you have room, do as olllllo recommends and get a fridge, it will come in handy.

 

[zipr]

Thanks all for the quick replies! Unfortunately, I doubt that I'd ever be able to convince my girlfriend that we need another refrigerator. Perhaps I'll just hold off until the temp cools and make some kind of ocktoberfest ale.

 

[malkore]

a swamp cooler will keep it cool enough if your basement is 74F.

 

[robbase9]

Definately don't ferment at 74. My first beer I made was an Oktoberfest and I brewed it around that temperature. It tasted funky like an Oktoberfest Belgian ale or something.

 

[DeathBrewer]

i think the consensus is:

1) get an ale yeast
2) find a way to cool your fermentation
3) brew it!

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

Unfortunately, I doubt that I'd ever be able to convince my girlfriend that we need another refrigerator.

Hey, either we need another refrigerator, or else we needs another girlfriend...

 

[joshpooh]

Yea use an ale yeast, cool it down, and don't worry about the fact that it won't be a true Octoberfest because it will still be a good beer and that is all that matters. Besides it will be really close, probably so close that nobody will know the difference.

 

[mdd134]

Go with an Ale yeast. If you are not able to get a fridge then try an ice chest with water in it, place the fermenter in it then add some frozen bottled water. Change the frozen bottles of water out daily and it should keep you below 70.