Intermittent lagering?

[Silverfish]

I just built my first a mini fridge fermentation chamber, but it can only fit 1 carboy at a time inside. I'd like to start doing lagers but I tend to brew 1-2x per month and I am concerned about how much time they need at low temps to lager. I was thinking that I could get around this by doing the primary ferment and diacatyl rest at the typical temps and then start lagering the beer at low temps. Then, when I do another batch, I could pull the lager out, ferment the ale, and then put the lager back in a week or so later. Has anyone ever tried this? It is my understanding that the lagering period is for clarification and final yeast cleanup so im assuming that no new flavors should develop...am I wrong about this?

 

[mkyl428]

Not a lager guy, but my thought is that moving the beer around like that is going to kick up trub and will make it harder for the beer to clear, you don't want to keep moving it all the time. As you said the lagering time is to help the beer to clear moving it will not aid in this process.

 

[Rockn_M]

Moving won't help with clearing the beer but you shouldn't have an issue going from lagering temps to ale temps. As long as the beer doesn't get hot you should be good. Just think of lagering as long term cold storage.

 

[Silverfish]

Not a lager guy, but my thought is that moving the beer around like that is going to kick up trub and will make it harder for the beer to clear, you don't want to keep moving it all the time. As you said the lagering time is to help the beer to clear moving it will not aid in this process.

Hmm, yes that is true. I would definitely rack the beer before I started lagering. I would also try and let it sit at lagering temps for at least a week before kegging it. Im not super concerned about clarity TBH...

I guess im also a little unfamiliar with what lagering really does for the beer besides clarity and aging, and why, if you arent concerned about clarity, do you have to lager at such low temps?

 

[tgolanos]

I guess im also a little unfamiliar with what lagering really does for the beer besides clarity and aging, and why, if you arent concerned about clarity, do you have to lager at such low temps?

There's no stead-fast rule that says you HAVE to lager a low temps. My German blood would say that's blasphemy, but I digress...

http://howtobrew.com/book/section-1/what-is-different-for-brewing-lager-beer/when-to-lager
Palmer says that lagering at low temps is essentially due to both tradition and to help produce a smoother beer. Remember, cold temperatures will cause everything in your beer (of any style) to drop out of suspension at some point in time.

If you're not concerned about the clarity of your beer, then yes, lagering may be pointless. If it were me, I wouldn't bother making a lager-style if I didn't plan on lagering it.

 

[giraffe]

You can also do the quick lager method, and cold condition in a keg in a kegator, or something thats not your fermentation chamber. http://brulosophy.com/methods/lager-method/

(you should cold condition lager, and care about clarity, yeast and tannins in suspension will hurt the smoothness that you want out of a lager.)

 

[Cyclman]

You can get a couple ice blankets, they'll keep a carboy cold for quite a while. Just rotate them out daily.

No harm done in changing temps. I've done it with some lagering bocks, just left them in the fermentation chamber with fermenting lager beers, no ill effects whatsoever.