Getting the most out of a single chest freezer

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tlsmart1

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Oct 1, 2009
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Winona, MN
I've only brewed a half dozen batches of beer so far, but I've tried to learn and improve with each batch. My efforts have led to full batch boils, better yeast pitching rates and more thoughtful temperature control. (Got a category ribbon in my first contest!)

I tend to prefer ales, but I'm making my first lager next and I bought a cheap used chest freezer to keep in the garage as a fermentation chamber (already had a temperature control unit). But it's too big to simply use for a single carboy, so I'm storing a few cases of homebrew in there as well to keep them at serving temperature.

When fermentation is complete with my lager (an Oktoberfest that I'm planning to store until September), I'm wondering how to best utilize the freezer for various goals - lagering, fermenting and storing at serving temps. Could I lager the Oktoberfest at 50 all summer and get it clear enough - or should I bring it down to 40 and deal with the colder serving temps of my ales?

If I wanted to keep a few kegs in there, how much would I expect to spend for kegging equipment?

Thanks
 
Were you able to come up with something? I am thinking of temp control now. My basement stairs have served me well, but I really don't know how the temp fluctuates. Right now it is perfect at 66F. I put an indoor/outdoor thermometer there with the outdoor probe at the bottom of the stairs. The landing is 66F and the basement floor is 62F. It probably pretty constant, but I'd like a fermentation chamber of some sort.
 
I decided that everything in the freezer has to be the temperature of the fermenting brew. So if I'm fermenting a lager, all the bottled beer rests at 50 degrees. When I do a diacetyl rest everything is at 60 and when I'm lagering, everything is at 40. Works good enough, I guess. If I want to drink a homebrew that is in the freezer I try to select one that will serve well at whatever temperature I'm keeping the freezer at the moment.
 
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