Lagering - Fridge in Garage

[BSBrewery]

Folks - I'm sure this is probably on this board somewhere, but with a 1 year old moving around, I unfortunately don't have the time to search the threads.

I'm doing my first lager - a bock. It started fermenting overnight some time. I just moved it to the fridge in my garage and with my temp regulator I'll be keeping it about 55 degrees for 10 days before moving up the temp for two days, then transferring it to a secondary for 3 or 4 weeks at 40 degrees.

My question for those in colder climates: does the outside air temp being colder affect the temp inside the fridge? Will I be able to keep it around 55 degrees? It's reaching a high of about 30 degrees here, lows in the teens.

 

[mightynintendo]

If it gets below the temp you want for a couple weeks, you might consider running an extension cord and putting a light bulb in the fridge that remains on at all times. This will cause it to heat up inside the fridge and the compressor to kick on to keep the temperature at the temp you specify.

That's the easy and inefficient fix. There are much better ways of accomplishing this.

 

[flabyboy]

How cold. It can definitely effect it. We have a heated garage at 40 degrees and the freezer top won't freeze anything. Maybe one of those fridge temperature control systems would work

 

[birvine]

Be careful. A fridge will bring the temp down from ambient, but not up.

B

 

[BSBrewery]

Be careful. A fridge will bring the temp down from ambient, but not up.

B

yeah, that's what I was afraid of and what I thought I remembered reading. Just wanted to double-check! Many thanks, as always!